NWO Opens KIC Call for Next Generation High-tech Equipment Research
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has opened a Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC) call focused on cyber-physical systems. This call is part of the national NXTGEN HIGHTECH investment programme. Our country is well-known for its ultra-precise high-tech equipment industry, and this market contributes strongly to the Dutch economy. However, there exist also challenges. Key-technologies such as cyber- and physical technologies are often developed separately, and this could result in suboptimal performance. To tackle this and secure the Netherlands’ status as leader in high-tech equipment, the knowledge development to integrate these systems is necessary.
The call, budget and requirements
Often key technologies such as cyber and physical systems are not optimally attuned to each other, resulting in possible complications and lower performance. The goal of this call is to facilitate research on innovative ideas to tackle this problem, and to demonstrate the feasibility of these ideas by using a physical demonstrator.
The call is destined for multidisciplinary collaborations, in the form of a consortium of researchers. These researchers should be active in digital, engineering and manufacturing technologies. There is an overall budget of €5.5 million available, and at least €1 million and at most €2,75 million can be requested by consortia. This budget is at most 70% of the total project size as the rest of the budget must be contributed by co-financing, consisting of at least 50% private financing.
Deadlines and matchmaking
The deadline for proposals is on 21 June 2022 at 14:00 CEST. The deadline for proposing an optional initiative is on 15 March 2022 at 14:00 CET. On 24 February and 2 March, NWO organises a match-making event allowing submitters to pitch their ideas and find possible partners. Click here to find more information about the matchmaking event and registration.
About KIC
KIC is a research programme of NWO, focusing on ground-breaking innovative solutions with social and economic impact. Companies, knowledge institutions and governments collaborate and invest in the application of knowledge about smart technologies. This results in the opportunity to tackle the big social challenges of the future.
Click here to find more information about the call.