iBUS · Project

Online Platform Lets Customers Design Custom Furniture and Toys Made Locally

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

h2020ibus.eu

Imagine you could go online, design your own chair or toy exactly the way you want it — pick the shape, colour, size — and then a local manufacturer produces it just for you. That's what iBUS built: a cloud platform where customers become designers, and their orders flow automatically to nearby factories for small-batch production. Think of it like a Shutterfly for furniture and toys, but with built-in safety checks and 3D printing for prototypes. The whole supply chain sees real customer demand instead of guessing what to stock.

By the numbers

consortium partners across the supply chain

countries represented in pilot network

SME technology providers contributing platform components

71%

industry ratio in consortium

demonstrated platform components (Supply Network + eCommerce Platform)

The business problem

What needed solving

European furniture and toy manufacturers are caught between customer demand for unique, personalised products and the economics of mass production. Small makers can't afford the digital infrastructure to sell custom-designed products online, verify safety compliance automatically, and coordinate supply chains across borders. Meanwhile, customers want to design their own products but have no easy way to go from idea to a safely manufactured, delivered item.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered two main platform components: an iBUS Supply Network (v1) for synchronising demand-driven production across manufacturers and suppliers, and an iBUS eCommerce Platform (v1) where consumers design, customise, and order products online. Embedded services include augmented reality design assistants, EU safety compliance verification, environmental footprint analysis, and 3D printing for prototyping.

Audience

Who needs this

European SME furniture manufacturers wanting to sell custom products onlineToy companies needing automated EU safety compliance checkingeCommerce platform providers entering the mass-customisation marketSupply chain technology vendors serving made-to-order manufacturingRetail chains looking to offer design-your-own product services

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Furniture Manufacturing

SME

Target: Small to mid-size furniture makers producing custom or short-run pieces

If you are a furniture manufacturer struggling to compete with mass-produced imports — this project developed a cloud-based eCommerce platform that lets end customers design and order custom products online, with orders flowing directly into your production system. The supply chain tools synchronise demand across 14 partner organisations, cutting overproduction and letting you manufacture only what's already sold.

Toy Manufacturing

SME

Target: European toy companies focused on safety-compliant, design-driven products

If you are a toy maker dealing with the cost of EU safety compliance and shrinking margins — this project built design verification tools that automatically check customer designs against EU product safety guidelines before production. The platform includes augmented reality assistants so customers can visualise toys before ordering, reducing returns and boosting confidence in custom products.

eCommerce & Retail Technology

any

Target: Platform providers serving made-to-order or configurable product markets

If you are a retail technology company looking to offer mass-customisation capabilities — this project demonstrated a full eCommerce platform with embedded services including augmented reality design tools, 3D printing for prototyping, environmental footprint analysis, and supply chain optimisation. The platform was tested across 7 countries with 8 SME technology providers contributing components.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt or license this platform?

The project data does not include licensing fees or adoption costs. Since iBUS was built by a consortium of 14 partners including 8 SMEs, commercialisation terms would need to be negotiated with the consortium lead, University of Limerick. SciTransfer can facilitate that introduction.

Can this scale beyond toys and furniture to other product categories?

The core technology — parametric design, supply chain synchronisation, and cloud-based eCommerce — is product-agnostic. The project specifically demonstrated it for furniture and toys, but the same demand-driven custom manufacturing model could apply to any configurable physical product with safety compliance requirements.

Who owns the IP and how is it licensed?

IP generated during the project is governed by the consortium agreement among the 14 partners. University of Limerick coordinated the project, but individual tools (augmented reality, supply chain optimisation, design verification) may be owned by the SME technology providers who built them. A licensing discussion would need to involve the relevant IP holders.

Does this meet EU product safety regulations?

Yes — regulatory compliance was a core design goal. The platform includes embedded design verification tools that check customer-created designs against EU product safety guidelines before they enter production. This was specifically built for the toy and furniture sectors where safety standards are strict.

How long would it take to integrate this into existing manufacturing operations?

The project ran from 2015 to 2019 and delivered both a Supply Network (v1) and an eCommerce Platform (v1). Based on available project data, integration would depend on your existing digital infrastructure. The cloud-based architecture and use of internet technologies suggest it was designed for accessibility, including home-based and small business users.

Was this actually tested with real manufacturers?

The consortium included 10 industry partners across 7 countries, with 8 of those being SMEs. The project delivered working versions of both the supply network and eCommerce platform. As an Innovation Action, it was funded specifically to demonstrate near-market technology rather than conduct basic research.

What ongoing support or maintenance is available?

Based on available project data, the project ended in August 2019. Ongoing support would depend on whether consortium partners continued development commercially. SciTransfer can check the current status of the technology and any spin-off activities with the coordination team.

Consortium

Who built it

The iBUS consortium is unusually industry-heavy: 10 out of 14 partners come from industry, and 8 are SMEs — giving it a 71% industry ratio. This means the platform was built by and for the companies that would actually use it, not just by academics. The consortium spans 7 countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, UK), providing a genuine cross-European supply chain test bed. University of Limerick coordinated, with 1 additional university and 1 research organisation providing technical backbone. For a business buyer, this consortium profile signals practical, market-oriented technology rather than a lab experiment.

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICKCoordinator · IE
DASSAULT SYSTEMES UK LTDparticipant · UK
ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE LA INDUSTRIA DEL JUGUETE CONEXAS Y AFINESparticipant · ES
CARTAMUNDI DIGITALparticipant · BE
OCEAN PRINT LIMITEDparticipant · IE
UNIVERSITAET PADERBORNparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

University of Limerick, Ireland — SciTransfer can locate the project coordinator's direct contact

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the iBUS platform or connecting with the technology providers? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the consortium team and help you evaluate fit for your manufacturing operation.

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