<p>From May 5 to 7, 2026, the Boost Robotics team — Ingrid Meijer, Robin Burghard,Alex van Geldrop, Karolien de Bruine, Bas Ramaker, Jordy Goorman,Thomas van der Lee, Annet van Limburg , Farah Aziz &nbsp;and Barry Dorsthorst — engaged with their Catalonian partners of EDIH DIH4cat during Advanced Factories 2026 at Fira Barcelona, one of Europe’s leading events for industrial innovation.</p><h2>Positioning East Netherlands in European value chains</h2><p>The visit reinforced the position of East Netherlands within European innovation networks. By connecting directly with leading digital innovation hubs and industry players, the team strengthened collaboration in areas such as robotics, digitalisation and advanced manufacturing.</p><p>This contributes to a stronger alignment with European programmes and value chains, while creating new opportunities for companies in the region to scale their innovations internationally.</p><h2>From collaboration to implementation</h2><p>Beyond networking, the programme focused on practical application. Visits to Eurecat and the ARACNE project provided insight into how digital innovation hubs support companies in adopting new technologies and translating innovation into real-world industrial use.</p><p>A joint deep-dive session between both consortia enabled an open exchange of approaches, challenges and best practices. This not only strengthened mutual understanding, but also laid the foundation for further joint initiatives.</p><h2>Accelerating impact in the region</h2><p>The insights gained during the visit will be applied within the Boost Robotics ecosystem in East Netherlands. The focus is on:</p><ul><li>accelerating the adoption of digital technologies in manufacturing; &nbsp;</li><li>strengthening support for SMEs through the ‘test before invest’ approach; &nbsp;</li><li>and improving alignment with European innovation programmes. &nbsp;</li></ul><p>In doing so, the region continues to build its role as a partner in Europe’s industrial transformation.</p><h2>Looking ahead</h2><p>The visit also triggered key strategic questions:</p><ul><li>How can digitalisation in manufacturing be accelerated at scale? &nbsp;</li><li>How can innovation support better match the needs of entrepreneurs? &nbsp;</li><li>And how can East Netherlands further strengthen its role within European collaboration networks? &nbsp;</li></ul><p>Addressing these questions will guide the next phase of collaboration, ensuring that innovation leads to practical, scalable and measurable impact — both regionally and across Europe.</p><p>“This collaboration shows how connecting regional ecosystems at European level accelerates real industrial innovation.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Boost Robotics strengthens East Netherlands' position in European industrial innovation

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