Swiss Smart Factory (SSF)

Swiss Smart Factory (SSF) is Switzerland’s leading and internationally recognized competence centre for the transfer of “Industry 4.0” technologies. SSF addresses interdisciplinary research topics with a high degree of industrial relevance.

The SSF has been created in May 2017 as the first Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) in Switzerland. SSF acts as a regional and national multiplier and facilitator for digital innovations. It supports technology development and transfer from the first idea to the market introduction. Special focus is set on supporting SMEs and start-ups with the uptake and introduction of ICT innovation – both from technology and business perspective: SSF is operated and partially funded through a membership model of more than 50 partners from industry and research:

• Research Partners: Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne AG (SIP BB), Bern University of Applied Science (BFH), Haute école spécialisée Suisse (HE-ARC), École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
• Industrial Partners: SIEMENS, Schneider Electric, DASSAULT Systems, GF, Fraisa, Balluff, Fanuc, SICK, Schunk, Swisscom, Festo, PWC, MicroSoft etc.

Services

SSF offers an excellent test and demonstration platform for advanced IoT-based manufacturing. SSF operates a realistic, full-fledged production and logistic setup with several real and virtual supplier companies (production of drones).The open factory lab covers currently an area 600 m². From 2021, a new building at the heart of the city Biel will be put in service – offering 1.000 m² for the open laboratory. SSF highlights fundamental IoT principals and industry-proven realisations on various demonstrators. The innovation topics include:

• Intelligent Sensors & Actuators
• Smart Networking & Automation
• Cloud- & Edge Computing
• Artificial Intelligence & Smart Data
• Blockchain & Smart Contracts
• Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality
• Workplace of the Future
• Autonomous Robotics & Cobotics

Building on this excellent infrastucture and network, SSF provide services to SMEs in three categories:

“Inspire, Demonstrate & Support”

• Awareness creation
• Ecosystem building, scouting, brokerage, networking
• Visioning and strategy development
• Digital maturity assessment
• Market intelligence
• Mentoring

“Develop, Test & Transfer”

• Ideation workshops
• Definition of development roadmaps
• Proof-of-concepts
• Conceptualization, development & integration
• Tests and validation

“Train & Skill Development”

• Focus workshops, e.g. on Machine Learning
• One-day Industry 4.0-Intensive Training Programme
• Remote-online training classes
• Educational partner for Industry 4.0, eg. in MBA-Programmes

Additional information

SSF is part of Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne (SIPBB), a multidisciplinary non-profit R&D organisation (SME). SIPBB is part of the Switzerland Innovation ecosystem with its 5 sites and their objective to offer an excellent research and development infrastructure to national and international companies. Its core concept is to transform innovative ideas into marketable products/services by creating spaces and opportunities for collaboration and co-innovation between research and industry.