COBOTASSIST
Manufacturing companies today face the challenge of delivering high-quality, personalized products at low costs and short lead times. Although post-processing of products, such as sanding or polishing, is essential to achieve the desired final quality, it is often time-consuming, expensive, and labor-intensive.
COBOTASSIST
To accelerate the integration ofcobot technologyin the manufacturing industry, seven partners are joining forces within the COBOTASSIST project ofInterreg Flanders-Netherlands.Through cross-border collaboration, the project partners aim to increase production efficiency in manufacturing companies, improve the quality of their end products, and optimize working conditions. Therefore, the project lays the foundation for sustainable innovation and competitiveness in the manufacturing industry.
Objectives
- Innovation in post-processing: evaluation of the applicability of cobots for automated post-processing in SME manufacturing companies.
- Knowledge and training: development of training modules and hands-on workshops for cobotized post-processing, targeting both companies and educational institutions.
- Pilot/voucher program: implementation of a voucher program where companies have the opportunity to integrate a cobot into their production processes with support from the project.
Activities
- Technology and knowledge transfer: comprehensive needs analysis, development of inspiring demonstrators, and wide dissemination of technological knowledge and best practices.
- Intensive training and workshops: for companies and educational institutions, aimed at increasing technological knowledge and stimulating innovation.
- Voucher program: Encouraging companies to experiment with cobots through vouchers, including technical training and support.
- Matchmaking and networking: organizing events focused on knowledge exchange and connecting technology providers with manufacturing companies.
Learning Network
The COBOTASSIST learning network brings together manufacturing companies from Flanders and the Netherlands around flexible automation. The focus is on sharing practical experience and concrete applications, such as the use of cobots and the optimisation of production processes.
Through a series of thematic sessions, including company visits and real-life cases, participants exchange insights and learn from each other’s approaches. The content is tailored to the needs and challenges within the group.
For more information and registration, please contact Noemi Casas La Mattina at noemi.casas@pomlimburg.be (registrations open from 12 May ’26).
Project partners
COBOTASSIST is a collaboration between various Dutch and Flemish organizations. The consortium consists of:
- Avans Hogeschool
- Breda Robotics
- Fontys
- High Tech NL
- POM Limburg
- Sirris
- SyntraPXL
This partnership pools expertise to develop practical solutions and training programs that support the application of cobots in the manufacturing industry, focusing on improving production processes and working conditions.
The COBOTASSIST project, supported by the Interreg program, promotes cross-border collaboration between Belgium and the Netherlands and aims to improve production efficiency and working conditions through the integration of cobot technologies. This project has been made possible with the support of the Province of Limburg (BE), the Province of North Brabant (NL), and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.
Project Updates
Demonstrators ready for companies
The COBOTASSIST project is halfway through. The demonstrators at Sirris, Breda Robotics and Fontys are fully operational and are being used within the voucher programme. The first companies are currently starting to test cobots in their post-processing operations.
Online training launched
The online training on cobotised post-processing is now available and, together with hands-on workshops, forms the training offering of the project. Operators and engineers learn how to apply cobots for sanding, grinding and polishing processes.
Technical knowledge shared
Within the project, an introductory video, newsletters and ten technical articles on cobotised post-processing have been published. Topics such as offline programming, path planning, fixturing and machine safety are explained in a practical way.
Inspiration & practice day
During the COBOTASSIST “Inspiration & Practice Day: Post-processing with cobots”, visitors received live demonstrations of cobot setups. It became clear that successful automation is not only about the robot, but also about process knowledge, tooling, safety and integration into the production environment.
