Fabasoft has been contributing its expertise to the ZERO³ research project since November 2022. For three years a total of 15 Austrian companies and research institutions [1] are working on using new technologies to improve economic, ecological and social sustainability in production processes. In addition, the focus is on expanding the international competitiveness of domestic industry.
The Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) are funding this flagship project as part of the program "Production of the Future – 43rd Call for Proposals" (FFG No.: FO999896399).
With sustainability to increased productivity and competitiveness
Advances in information, communication and production technology as well as in knowledge management are opening up new ways of designing resource- and energy-efficient production processes. Increasing digitization makes it possible to organize and control processes in real time and leads to greater transparency. This also creates opportunities for greater competitiveness in industry.
In this context, the research team is analyzing the following questions: Which investments generate the highest added value in terms of optimized sustainability? How can sustainability be measured and evaluated? And how does the necessary knowledge transfer for improved sustainability of production in Austria work?
In order to successfully leverage and exploit the potential, the project team is developing implementation measures at the following three levels:
1. ZERO Resource Loss (reduced resource consumption)
The aim here is to reduce material use in production and CO2 emissions through tracking (tracing of materials or products) and circular economy, remanufacturing (reprocessing of production waste) or reuse (reuse of different materials). A reduction in material consumption in industry and the digitalization of individual work steps contribute to the intended resource efficiency.
2. ZERO Human Potential Loss (increased productivity and stability)
Targeted personnel development and intelligent division of labor within the company are the core elements of this level. Human-technology interaction makes it possible to integrate and deploy the team more effectively. In addition to ergonomics and productivity/quality, this also increases the satisfaction of the workforce, which results in stability.
3. ZERO Data Gap (efficient use of data)
This sustainability parameter addresses reliable data as the basis for sound decisions and cross-process improvements. This requires data integrity – i.e., the correctness, completeness, consistency, and security of data – that is both universal and cross-company, and consequently the linking of different individual systems.
Three dimensions, three years, five use cases – and the role of Fabasoft
During the three-year project period, the ZERO³ consortium intends to use a total of five use cases to develop AI algorithms and robot systems for resource-conserving and competitive production in Austria. In this way, industrial companies will be able to see transparently where CO2 emissions occur and receive individual recommendations for action in order to produce sustainably.
Fabasoft provides its comprehensive understanding of digital business processes and its many years of experience in the correct connection, collection, preparation and linking of data. Prerequisites for optimization in the areas of material utilization and productivity are complete information as well as its secure exchange (ZERO Data Gap). As a technology partner, Fabasoft is making a significant contribution to rethinking production processes and procedures and driving forward the digital transformation of industry, taking resource efficiency into account in the three dimensions mentioned: ZERO Data Gap advances both ZERO Resource Loss and ZERO Human Potential Loss – and thus the expansion of Austria as a business location.
[1] Adler-Werk Lackfabrik Johann Berghofer GmbH & Co KG / AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH / BMW Motoren GmbH / Fabasoft R&D GmbH / FACC Operations GmbH / Fraunhofer Austria Research Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung / I-RED Infrarot Systeme GmbH / Mag. Walter Helmberger / Montanuniversität Leoben Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft (AVAW) / PROFACTOR GmbH / Software Competence Center Hagenberg GmbH / STIWA Advanced Products GmbH / Technische Universität Wien Institut für Automatisierungs- und Regelungstechnik (ACIN) / TIGER Coatings GmbH & Co. KG / Workheld GmbH
