• Project partners convened at the TU/e facilities to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the project’s progress during the initial six-month period, focusing on achievements and planning strategies to tackle future challenges.

The second Consortium Meeting of DISCMAM took place at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) Campus in Eindhoven (Netherlands) on the 21st of May, 2024. Hosted by TU/e representatives, the meeting saw the participation of consortium partners from various organizations and institutions involved in the project.

During the gathering, attendees exchanged recent advancements achieved within the first six months and engaged in collaborative discussions aiming to steer progress towards the project’s primary goal: to establish a secure digital thread for remote assistance in defence field operations.

Progress, insights, and next steps

The meeting began with a warm welcome from Rob Basten, the TU/e representative, followed by Juan Carlos Pereira, the project coordinator, and Marta Muñiz, both from Lortek, initiating a day of extensive discussions and decision-making. During this session, DISCMAM organized both the consortium meeting and the second Project Technical Committee to present the current project status and share various ideas to achieve the final objective of DISCMAM.

The first presentation by Lortek focused on management aspects, providing updates on project status, ongoing technical work, and forthcoming milestones and deliverables to ensure agile and effective project progress aligned with predetermined objectives.

Technical presentations by TU/e, Innotec Security, Part of Accenture, Fieldmade, and Lortek stimulated in-depth discussions on preliminary results, maintenance plans for rapid response to equipment failures, and specifications for parts to be manufactured or repaired using metal additive manufacturing (AM). The morning session concluded with an exciting visit to the TU/e facilities, where various activities and the latest machinery in use were showcased.

Guided tour of the TU/e facilities.

Concluding the gathering, partners Zabala Innovation and CenSec provided comprehensive insights into numerous communication and dissemination actions undertaken during the project’s initial phase, including stakeholder analysis and engagement strategies. These efforts encompassed the creation of the official project website, social media campaigns on LinkedIn, and supporting communication materials to enhance the project’s visibility on an international scale.

The session concluded on a positive note, marking significant progress under DISCMAM. While the research is still in its early stages, pivotal strategic decisions have been reached, and forthcoming challenges identified for the upcoming months. Consortium members were encouraged to maintain the productive conversations initiated at the project’s onset and remain dedicated to achieving DISCMAM’s ambitious goals.

• The project, funded by the European Commission with 3.67 million euros, involves a consortium of 10 entities from 5 European countries. 
• DISCMAM will develop a secure digital platform for the repair and spare parts using metal additive manufacturing. 

The DISCMAM project has officially kicked off with its ambitious plan to evolve the digital supply chain dedicated to on-site maintenance of military operations. This initiative, supported by the European Commission and funded with 3.67 million euros over three years through the European Defence Fund, aims to shape the future of defence logistics. 

At the project launch event held on January 17th at the facilities of the technological centre LORTEK located in Gipuzkoa Spain, the project coordinator, presented its innovative approach centred around metal additive manufacturing. This reliable digital method seeks to enhance efficiency in military maintenance by enabling the repair and manufacturing of spare parts on-site. 

DISCMAM aims to establish a robust digital method for repairing and manufacturing spare parts using additive manufacturing technologies. In the words of Dr Juan Carlos Pereira, project coordinator and Senior Researcher in Metal Additive Manufacturing at LORTEK: 

“DISCMAM proposes the possibility of establishing a secure digital path for remote support of military operations, applied on site to the necessary maintenance operations of land, air and naval systems. The focus will be on the use of metal additive manufacturing for the repair and replacement of parts where they are needed and demanded”. 

The project brings together the expertise of 10 European entities: LORTEK, INNOTEC SYSTEM, OPTIMUS 3D, and ZABALA INNOVATION in Spain, ADAXIS in France, CENSEC, EULER3D APS, TEKNOLOGISK INSTITUT in Denmark, FIELDMADE in Norway, and TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN in the Netherlands. 

In addition to the proposed improvements, the DISCMAM project not only seeks to advance significantly in the digital supply chain for on-site maintenance in defence but also aims to strengthen the capabilities of the European defence sector against constantly evolving challenges.

In this regard, the initiative is expected to streamline the repair process, as well as to reinforce autonomy in military operations and create a reliable digital supply chain capable of efficiently and safely repairing and manufacturing spare parts. European collaboration between entities involved in the project will contribute to ensuring the different points of view, experience and multidisciplinary teams, enriching the project and preparing it for future applications in defence.