Research Project ExtremeFactories started

Internet-based platform implementing agile management methods for enabling the set-up, monitoring and follow-up of business innovation processes in industrial SMEs

ExtremeFactories is a EU funded project that proposes the conception of a collaborative internet-based platform with semantic capabilities (by means of ontology modeling) that implements a new methodology for the adoption of a systematic innovation process in globally acting networked SMEs.

The platform will support SMEs to manage and implement the complex innovation processes arisen in a networked environment, taking into account their internal and external links, by enabling an open multi-agent focused innovation (i.e. a customer/provider/supplier/employee focused innovation). The solution will be specifically focused on the needs of manufacturing companies and will observe both product and process innovation. The construction of the ExtremeFactories methodology will be based on individual practices found in traditional innovation management methods, such as TRIZ, combined with a selected group of practices obtained from different Agile Methodologies (such as Extreme Programming, SCRUM and others).

The following objectives are to be taken care of in the frame of the project

• Creating a new methodology for accelerating the adoption/adaptation of innovation processes in SMEs anywhere within the value chain.
• Designing and developing an internet-based collaboration framework, with semantic capabilities, that will implement as services the concepts arisen in the ExtremeFactories methodology.
• Assessing and validating the methodology and platform in 7 industrial SMEs. The business cases present in ExtremeFactories will deal with different views of innovation within any organization: Innovation for Management Improvement, Innovation for Product Improvement/Creation or Innovation for Process Improvement/Creation.
• Generating awareness about the importance of innovation in the actual socio-economic context in SMEs.