Advice to Proposers Regarding Interaction with DIH Networks.

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The interaction you should have with the DIH Networks depends strongly on the part of the ICT-2020 work programme you are applying to. The following three sections provide some outline advice to proposers applying to ICT-46, ICT-47 and DT-ICT-12.

The content of this document should be taken as advisory and does not constitute official information about the Calls. It reflects the underlying intent of the call from the perspective of the RODIN Coordination and Support Action and euRobotics aisbl as the private side of the SPARC partnership.

Note: Throughout this document the terms “DIH Network”/”DIH Networks” are used as collective terms to specifically identify the five funded innovation actions under DT-ICT-2-2018 (DIH-HERO, DIH², TRINITY, RIMA and agROBOfood) and the RODIN Coordination and Support Action. These are classed as Pan-European DIH Networks. The advice in this document relates to these specific networks however proposals are also free to connect with other types of DIH network as they choose.

ICT-46-2020 a) Core Technologies

• You do not need:
  1. To obtain a letter of support from a DIH Network. If you ask for one you will get a standard reply that will be in common with all other proposers.
  2. To add a core partner or the coordinator of a DIH Network to your project consortium.

• You should:
  1. Identify which of the five DIH Networks your project should engage with, it may be all of them or only one.
  2. Create a task, or tasks, and allocate appropriate person months and travel budget within your work packages to engage with the DIH Networks. The resource allocated should match the number of DIH Networks you expect to engage with and your stated level of engagement.
  3. Develop and set out in your proposal an appropriate engagement strategy that fits with the timeline for your proposal and with the key milestones. Take into consideration that the early exploration of end user needs and key use cases may help you to better shape the technical development. In particular an understanding of standards and regulation and industry practice might help focus your technical integration. These should be accompanied by specific activities once your technical development has reached a stage where it can be demonstrated or where collaborative activity might enhance your proposed outcomes. You should also consider how your innovation might impact technically, economically and societally on the domain covered by the DIH Network and how your technology might be best packaged and deployed.
  4. Set out in the proposal how you will engage with the DIH Networks you have identified. This should address the following elements as appropriate:
     1. liaison and co-operation activities with relevant DIH Networks including resourcing for meetings and visits.
     2. Identify how you might enable engagement with and contribution to the various DIH Network activities and events.

• Set out how you will assess the co-operation activities with DIH Networks and the impact you expect to gain.

ICT-46-2020 b) Large Scale Pilots & DT-ICT-12-2020: AI for the smart hospital of the future

DIH Networks are a key customer for the Large Scale Pilots (LSP). It is expected that there will be high levels of interaction between proposals for Large Scale Pilots and the DIH Networks with the possibility that some key consortium members may be in common.

In the case of DT-ICT-12-2020: AI for the smart hospital of the future it is expected that proposals in this call will have identified close links to the DIH-HERO robotics Innovation Action funded under DT-ICT-2-2018 and be well aligned with this action.

LSP proposers should consider obtaining letters of support from the relevant DIH Network and should consider discussing interactions between the LSP and the relevant DIH Network. Any agreed alignment actions can be set out in a letter of support.

In particular LSP proposers should consider addressing the following in their proposal:

1. Setting up liaison and co-operation activities with relevant DIH Networks including resourcing for meetings, visits and demonstrations.
2. Use the DIH Network to bring added value to the Pilot and identify where the Pilot can add value to the DIH Network.

• Identify how you can best contribute to the various DIH Network activities and events. You should consider:
  1. Participation in common dissemination events, e.g. DIH Network events or common events organised by the RODIN CSA, for example at the European Robotics Forum, that relate to DIH interaction.
  2. Exploiting synergies with DIH Networks e.g. engage in; brokering, guiding SMEs to the network, skills development, investor networks, smart specialisation and regional opportunities.
  3. Engaging with the sustainability activities of the DIH Networks in order to multiply innovation beyond the lifetime of your project.
  4. If appropriate make contributions to the platforms and marketplaces set up by the DIH Networks.
  5. Identifying other innovative collaboration mechanisms which would synergistically add to both the proposed LSP and your target DIH Network(s).

1. Set out how you will establish, manage and assess the co-operation activities with DIH Networks and the impact you expect to gain.
2. Specific budget for carrying out DIH Network activities

ICT-47-2020: Research and Innovation boosting promising robotics applications

This call addresses specific functional capabilities in robotics that is expected to have application within the DIH Networks. Proposers should therefore carefully consider how best to interact with the DIH Networks and should assess how interaction might enhance the technical and non-technical aspects of the proposal.

In particular DIH Networks can act as a key source of Use Cases and a resource to access current industry State of the Art and best practice.

• You should:
  1. Identify which of the five DIH Networks your project should engage with, it may be one or any combination of them.
  2. Create a task, or tasks, and allocate appropriate person months and travel budget within your work packages to engage with the DIH Networks. The resource allocated should match the number of DIH Networks you expect to engage with and your stated level of engagement.
  3. Develop and set out in your proposal an appropriate engagement strategy that fits with the timeline for your proposal and with the key milestones. Take into consideration that the early exploration of end user needs and key use cases you can address may help you to better shape the technical development. In particular an understanding of standards and regulation and industry practice might help focus your technical integration. These should be accompanied by specific activities once your technical development has reached a stage where it can be demonstrated or where collaborative activity might enhance your proposed outcomes. You should carefully consider how your innovation might impact technically, economically and societally on the domain covered by the DIH Network and how your technology might be best packaged and deployed by end users.
  4. Set out in the proposal how you will engage with the DIH Networks you have identified. This should address the following elements as appropriate:
     1. liaison and co-operation activities with relevant DIH Networks including resourcing for meetings and visits.
     2. Identify how you might enable engagement with and contribution to the various DIH Network activities and events.

• Set out how you will assess the co-operation activities with DIH Networks and the impact you expect to gain.

Why is collaboration with DIH Networks important?

The connections between funded actions and the DIH Networks are designed to enhance the added value of public funding on both sides. The interaction is designed to ensure that technical innovation takes place in the context of end user needs and aligns with key use cases and requirements. This should lead to greater success and the more rapid uptake of innovation.