The ARISE project has reached an exciting milestone with the successful conclusion of its 1st Open Call on January 16, 2025. This call attracted 126 eligible applications from 22 countries, showcasing a strong and diverse interest in advancing industrial Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Among the most active regions were Spain, Italy, and Greece.
The main goal of ARISE is to simplify, reduce the cost of, and expand the adoption of industrial HRI deployments across Europe. This is achieved by developing the concept of AgileHRI, a holistic framework that accelerates innovation by combining human-centricity, agility, and openness as key enablers of end-user value.
Our Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) demonstrate this AgileHRI concept in real-world scenarios of collaborative robotics applications, addressing eight different challenges/use cases. These focus on enhancing human performance in challenging industrial tasks and increasing the inclusiveness and safety of industrial workplaces. These use cases will be complemented by the HRI applications developed by the Open Call’s selected beneficiaries (SMEs and end-users).
Through this Open Call, ARISE seeks collaborative robotics solutions that address specific workplace needs. These solutions will focus on facilitating, accelerating, or enabling workers to achieve better performance while improving overall conditions. The emphasis is on human-centric, value-driven innovation that empowers workers and enhances their roles.
Of the eight predefined challenges proposed to the applicants, the following were the most popular:
- Enhanced robot functionality through multimodal HRI interactions.
- HRI for improving efficiency in high-precision flexible tasks.
- Flexible collaborative robots.
The ARISE consortium is now preparing for the deep evaluation phase, ensuring a rigorous selection process to identify the most impactful and innovative proposals. Selected projects will receive:
- Funding of up to €200,000 per project;
- Access to a 12-month mentoring programme, supported by technical, Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), and business experts;
- Shared resources around the ARISE methodology and technology framework;
- Networking opportunities with DIHs, SMEs, and other experts across Europe by accessing ARISE’s Discord server.
Beyond funding, our aim is to actively engage innovators (SMEs, end-users, TEFs, and other technical experts and researchers) in a pioneering Community of Practice for knowledge sharing, co-creation, collaboration, and the long-term sustainability of ARISE’s technologies and methodologies.
Stay tuned for updates on the selected projects and the groundbreaking innovations they will bring to life. As the ARISE programme continues to unfold, we are confident it will inspire a new wave of human-centric robotic solutions, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in advanced manufacturing.
For more information and updates about ARISE, follow our news section on our website and our LinkedIn channel.
