More than €8.5 million invested in projects involving the Western Region to advance sustainability in industry
EIT Manufacturing, Europe’s largest manufacturing innovation community supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, will invest over € 15 million in 2025 to make industry more competitive and sustainable through collaborative projects. Starting this January, 29 projects will kick off, with 14 involving the Western region – which includes Spain, Portugal and France – receiving nearly €8.5 million in funding.
These projects have been selected through the annual Call for Proposals, EIT Manufacturing’s key initiative to promote resilient, sustainable and human-centered manufacturing across Europe. It invites applications in three categories: Innovation, Education and the Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS), which particularly supports countries with moderate or emerging levels of innovation. A core requirement to apply is forming consortia with at least three legal entities from different countries.
EIT Manufacturing West, one of six regional offices based in San Sebastián (Spain), successfully brought together key players – including corporations, SMEs, startups, technology centers and universities – to spark valuable collaborations. As a result, 14 selected activities involve Western organisations from Spain, Portugal or France, making up nearly 50% of the initiatives supported at the European level and more than 55% of the € 15 million allocated in the Call 2025.
France, Spain and Portugal part of RESTORE waste tracking project
Western participation in the innovation category is particularly noteworthy: 10 out of the 16 accepted innovation projects include at least one partner from Spain, Portugal, or France. French organisations stand out for their leadership, taking on key roles as project leaders and business owners in five of these projects. Portuguese participants often contribute as end-users, while Spanish companies are driving progress in initiatives focused on real-time data, simulation and AI – all aimed at promoting greener manufacturing practices.
One standout example of collaboration is the RESTORE project, which brings together partners from Western Europe and Turkey to develop a B2B SaaS solution for resource management and material traceability. The Paris-based company Trinov leads the project, with Spain’s CTAG providing collaboration and Portugal’s MC Sonae conducting end-user testing. The project includes a waste tracking system that uses IoT sensors to optimise processes and encourage material reuse and recycling.
