SIRRIS HET COLLECTIEF CENTRUM VAN DE TECHNOLOGISCHE INDUSTRIE

Their core work

Sirris is Belgium's collective research centre for the technology industry, helping manufacturing companies adopt digital technologies, advanced materials, and smart production methods. They bridge the gap between research and industrial application — testing, validating, and demonstrating new technologies so that factories (especially SMEs) can implement them with reduced risk. Their hands-on work spans digital manufacturing platforms, additive manufacturing, AI-driven quality and reliability systems, and advanced surface technologies, always with a focus on practical deployment rather than fundamental research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2018), Sirris focused on foundational Industry 4.0 topics: cyber-physical systems, industrial internet, connected factories, and additive manufacturing — essentially the building blocks of smart production. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted toward applied deployment for SMEs (robotics, IoT, digital maturity assessment), AI-driven reliability (Quality 4.0, trustable AI), and advanced manufacturing surfaces (nano-enabled coatings). The trajectory is clear: from exploring digital manufacturing concepts to helping companies — particularly SMEs — actually implement and trust these technologies in production.

Sirris is moving toward trustworthy AI deployment in manufacturing, with growing emphasis on helping SMEs assess digital maturity and adopt intelligent quality systems — expect future work at the intersection of AI assurance and production.

How they like to work

Sirris operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating H2020 projects — their role is contributing applied technology expertise to large, multi-partner consortia. With 372 unique partners across 33 countries, they maintain an exceptionally broad network rather than working repeatedly with the same groups. This makes them an accessible, low-friction partner: experienced in large EU consortia, comfortable in support roles, and well-connected across European industry and research.

Sirris has collaborated with 372 unique partners across 33 countries, indicating a truly pan-European network with no strong geographic bias. Their participation in large ECSEL and CSA projects means connections span from major industrial players to regional SME clusters.

What sets them apart

Sirris occupies a rare position as a collective industry research centre — funded by and serving the Belgian technology industry, but operating at European scale. Unlike universities that focus on publications or consultancies that advise without building, Sirris demonstrates and validates technologies in near-production conditions. For consortium builders, they bring two assets that are hard to find together: deep technical credibility in digital manufacturing AND direct access to hundreds of Belgian manufacturing SMEs as an end-user testing ground.

Highlights from their portfolio

• THOR
  Largest single project (EUR 474K) and a strategic pivot into hydrogen storage — thermoplastic composite vessels for transport, signalling energy-sector ambitions beyond their digital core.
• NewSkin
  Second-largest project (EUR 430K) operating an Open Innovation Test Bed for nano-enabled surfaces, demonstrating Sirris's role as industrial-scale technology validator.
• DIH²
  Pan-European Digital Innovation Hub network for robotics — positions Sirris as a gateway for SMEs to access robotics and IoT capabilities across Europe.