SciTransfer
DIATOMIC · Project

One-Stop-Shop Digital Hubs That Help Non-Tech Companies Build Microelectronics Products

digitalPilotedTRL 7
diatomic.eu

Imagine you run a food company or a clinic and you know technology could help, but you have no idea where to start with sensors, chips, or smart devices. DIATOMIC built a network of specialized hubs across Europe — like a matchmaking and workshop service — that pairs non-tech businesses with electronics experts and walks them from idea to working prototype. They ran real experiments in healthcare, farming, and manufacturing, and opened two rounds of funding calls so outside teams could join and build their own smart products.

By the numbers
75+
Competence Centers in the network
20+
Application experiments funded
3
Sector-specific Digital Innovation Hubs established
10
Consortium partners
8
Countries represented
2
Open calls for external teams
70%
Industry partners in consortium
5
SMEs in the consortium
The business problem

What needed solving

Many non-tech companies in healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing know they need to digitize — but they lack the expertise to work with microelectronics, sensors, and smart systems. Finding the right technology partner across borders, prototyping a smart product, and getting it to market is expensive and slow when you are doing it alone. These companies need a structured entry point into the world of advanced microelectronics and smart system integration.

The solution

What was built

DIATOMIC built three sector-specific Digital Innovation Hubs (health, agrifood, manufacturing), a Pan-European One-Stop-Shop online platform, and funded 20+ cross-border application experiments. Concrete prototypes include an eHealth monitoring platform (eVida VFK My Signals), a farm monitoring system tested in multiple farms across two countries, and a Cyber Physical Production System with cloud services. All backed by a network of 75+ Competence Centers.

Audience

Who needs this

AgTech companies wanting to deploy IoT sensors on farms without building infrastructure from scratchHealthcare device SMEs needing a tested platform for remote patient monitoringManufacturing SMEs looking to add smart sensing to production linesTechnology parks and clusters wanting to replicate the Digital Innovation Hub modelRegional development agencies seeking proven digital upskilling programs for local industry
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Healthcare & Assisted Living
SME
Target: eHealth device companies and elderly care providers

If you are a healthcare provider or device company struggling to integrate sensor-based monitoring into your patient care — this project built an extended eHealth platform (eVida VFK My Signals) with prototypes and developer guides that let you experiment with connected health devices without building everything from scratch. The platform was tested as a cross-border application experiment across multiple partners.

Agriculture & Precision Farming
SME
Target: AgTech startups and farm equipment suppliers

If you are a farming technology company looking to deploy IoT monitoring across multiple farms — this project delivered a farm monitoring and control prototype tested across multiple farms in two countries. The testbed setup comes with documentation for both developers and end users, giving you a validated starting point for smart agriculture products.

Manufacturing & Industrial Automation
mid-size
Target: Smart manufacturing solution providers and system integrators

If you are a manufacturing company wanting to digitize production lines but lacking microelectronics expertise — this project built a Cyber Physical Production System with cloud services that lets you prototype smart factory solutions. The three Digital Innovation Hubs and over 75 Competence Centers created a support network for non-tech companies entering Industry 4.0.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost my company to access DIATOMIC's services or platforms?

DIATOMIC operated through two open calls that provided sub-grant funding to selected consortia for running application experiments. The project has ended (2020), but the One-Stop-Shop platform and Competence Center network were designed for sustainability beyond the project. Specific pricing for ongoing services is not available in the project data.

Can these solutions work at industrial scale?

The prototypes were tested in real-world settings — farm monitoring ran across multiple farms in two countries, and the eHealth platform was experimented with actual end users. The Cyber Physical Production System included cloud services designed for scalability. However, these remain at prototype and pilot stage rather than full commercial deployment.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

DIATOMIC was structured around open calls where external teams built their own application experiments using DIATOMIC infrastructure. IP arrangements would have been governed by individual sub-grantee agreements. Based on available project data, the open call documentation kit included templates for sub-grantee agreements that likely addressed IP terms.

How many companies have actually used this?

The project targeted over 20 application experiments through its two open calls, supported by more than 75 Competence Centers. With 10 consortium partners across 8 countries and a 70% industry ratio, the ecosystem was heavily business-oriented rather than purely academic.

Is there still an active support network I can tap into?

DIATOMIC delivered a validated ecosystem sustainability plan and a Pan-European One-Stop-Shop platform. The platform was designed to outlive the project by mapping the full ecosystem and providing documentation, training, and publications. The project website at diatomic.eu may still host resources.

How long would it take to implement one of these solutions?

The application experiments were conducted within the 3-year project window (2017-2020), with two rounds of open calls selecting and funding teams. Based on the project structure, individual experiments likely ran 12-18 months from selection to prototype delivery.

Does this comply with EU regulations and standards?

As an EU-funded Innovation Action under Horizon 2020, DIATOMIC followed EU guidelines for open calls, evaluation processes, and sub-grantee agreements. The DIH Guidelines deliverable established common operational standards across all three sector-specific hubs.

Consortium

Who built it

The DIATOMIC consortium is unusually business-heavy for an EU project: 7 out of 10 partners are from industry (70%), with 5 being SMEs and zero universities. The 3 research centers (IPA, IPN, BIOS) provide the technical backbone, while the rest — innovation consultants (INO), the F6S startup community platform, and investor network (FASTT) — are geared toward market access and commercialization. Spread across 8 countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, Portugal, Serbia, UK), this is a consortium built to move technology into business hands, not to publish papers. The coordinator, Netcompany SA from Belgium, is a private company — another signal that commercial outcomes were the priority.

How to reach the team

Netcompany SA (Belgium) coordinated this project. SciTransfer can help you reach the right person on the team.

Order a report on this consortiumSee NETCOMPANY SA profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want access to DIATOMIC's Competence Center network or sector-specific prototypes? SciTransfer can connect you with the right partners from this consortium — contact us for a tailored introduction.

Order a report on this topicMore in Digital & ICT
More in Digital & ICT
See all Digital & ICT projects →
Affordable Satellite Communication Modules That Give SMEs Direct Access to Space Data
InnoSpaceComm
Open →
Home Dining Marketplace Connecting Travelers with Local Hosts Across Europe
ECINPERSON
Open →
AI-Powered 3D Art Creation That Cuts Production Time for Game and Film Studios
ArtomatixSuite
Open →