From June 30 to July 15, 2024, I carried out a secondment visit to the University of Malta as part of the SME5.0 project – “A Strategic Roadmap Towards the Next Level of Intelligent, Sustainable and Human-Centred SMEs”. The stay was conducted under Work Package 6 (WP6) titled "Requirements for Human-Centred SME Factories." The main objective of the stay was to strengthen collaboration and exchange knowledge in the field of digitalization and transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) towards the SME 5.0 concept, which emphasizes intelligent, sustainable, and human-centred manufacturing systems.
The programme included a meeting at the IBG company, where discussions focused on the requirements and barriers related to digitalization trends within SME 5.0 factories. The current state of the topic and possibilities for future cooperation were presented during a series of meetings and consultations, coordinated by the head of the Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Emmanuel Francalanza.
The secondment contributed to identifying common research themes, potential for future international projects, joint publications, and expanding the professional network in the field of SME digital transformation and modernization.
