In a rapidly evolving and connected world, there are many opportunities for product manufacturers to create value with smart connected products. Even though it presents them with a number of new challenges, these innovations are also within reach of SMEs that are less familiar with them.

Do you sometimes, as a manufacturer, encounter problems with premature product failure, and are the integrated electronics usually the problem? Would you like to find out more about the cause of such failures? A number of webinars have been arranged within the InProVol project for providing companies with information and the next one is about life-cycle profiling for electronic products.

Sensing and control are key capabilities for making your products smarter and more autonomous and they are the topic of the 'Mechatronics 4.0 Masterclass V: Best practices toward robust sensing & control of your system' on 20 June.

Smart, connected products offer opportunities for added value, but they also bring new challenges that have an impact on companies. Sirris, imec and Centexbel-VKC set up an innovative business network (IBN) aimed at helping product manufacturers, technology providers and suppliers.