Spyridon Georg Koustas

In the automotive, IT/semiconductor and smart infrastructure sectors in particular, supply bottlenecks, natural disasters, political instability or pandemics can lead to the complete collapse of value creation networks. Until now, there has been a lack of ability to quickly and flexibly deploy critical skills that are needed at short notice in crisis situations. For example, if maritime transport is disrupted, competences are needed to change transport routes, or expertise to negotiate emergency contracts. Together with partners from the sectors, the project is developing solutions on how to pool competences in a network with other actors.

ResiKomp aims to increase the resilience of value networks by procuring the necessary competences through digital competence pooling. Competence pools are digital points of contact for companies to identify critical competences in specific sectors, simulate crisis scenarios and their potential impact using, for example, AI algorithms, and develop mechanisms and specific actions to provide and procure the necessary competences in response to potential disruptions. Platform- or community-based approaches will enable companies to access critical competences across their network in crisis situations. This includes mechanisms to ensure a balance between trust and competition, hidden competence monopolies and risk mitigation mechanisms.

The project idea is characterized by the cross-network bundling of several necessary pillars for the provision and procurement of competences in crisis situations. These pillars provide tools for identifying, simulating and exchanging critical competences. In the future, a community of practice, leveling options for networks and operator concepts for digital competence pools will emerge. 

The increasing spread of digital technologies creates new opportunities for companies to design customer-oriented offers from products and services by using digital data. Such so-called smart product service systems (smart PSS) offer added value specifically to offering companies, as they enable a direct response to individual customer needs and long-term customer loyalty. By creating additional environmental and social benefits, smart PSSs can also help promote sustainability.

However, the development of smart PSS is complex, as challenges of product development, service development as well as digital technologies have to be mastered in parallel. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular are currently unable to cope with these complexities, which is due in particular to the following challenges identified in the project:

• Lack of methods
• Different understanding of added value
• Coordination across departmental and company boundaries

The project "SmartHaPSSS - "Harmonisation of the development of complex product smart service systems for SMEs" aims to bring the individual activities in the development of complex smart PSS in SMEs into resonance with each other in order to create common points of reference in the innovation process. The sustainability-oriented nature of the solutions developed is to be increased without restricting the dynamics of the individual activities. In this regard the product development and the development of smart services are to be harmonized and aligned to common goals. The "SmartHaPSSS" project forms a further component of "Innovations for tomorrow's production, services and work".