Pro2 Network+ Theme 3: Infrastructure for Device Production 2024

The theme for this call is ‘Infrastructure for device production’. Creators of conventional electronic devices can generally create early prototypes by themselves, but as they look to refine and scale up, their interactions with external stakeholders inevitably multiply. In particular, engagement and collaboration with specialist designers, manufacturers, auditors, compliance testers and end users naturally increases. Before long, digital device production requires tools, techniques, standards and platforms which facilitate dynamic and nuanced interactions between a growing number of stakeholders across these disciplines and more. We believe that software infrastructure will play an increasingly important role in facilitating these interactions, helping device creators overcome the many barriers to working with other stakeholders as they refine and scale their designs for production.

The pro² Network+ is soliciting exemplars that demonstrate how infrastructure, beyond traditional production manufacturing, can play a role in overcoming the barriers to refining and scaling a device prototype. Infrastructure may include asynchronous or synchronous technologies, potentially leveraging advances in ubiquitous computing, XR (including augmented and virtual reality), the internet of things (IoT), data aggregation and AI, and computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW). We include below some examples of applications of infrastructure for device production, though this list is by no means exhaustive, and we also welcome proposals for innovative applications in this area.

Guidance for Applicants, Key Dates, Priority Areas, Funding Available, Applicant Criteria and Descriptions, Assessment Process, Project Management and Reporting Expectations, Intellectual Property, Contacts, GDPR Statement and Useful Documents available via this link.