BIND 4.0 SME Connection
The open innovation platform for startups and SMEs of Industry 4.0

Would you like to know more?

Open Call for SMEs and Cluster Facilitating Organisations from June 12 to July 14

About

BIND 4.0 SME Connection is driving the digitalisation of SMEs by connecting them to technological startups

BIND 4.0 SME Connection is responding to the new technological challenges of the SMEs by working with clusters, business organisations and innovative startups.

Basque business clusters and organisations and the participating SMEs set sectoral challenges for the candidate startups to meet using disruptive technological solutions. The proposals that best solve those challenges may be selected to work with Basque SMEs to develop their projects.

"The startups get key customers and the SMEs innovative technological solutions"

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SMEs and their challenges

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Cluster Driver Organisations

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Challenges set

 

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Open Innovation Projects

Who it is for

For technological startups and scaleups

Startups and scaleups offering a disruptive technological solution capable of meeting the new sectoral challenges in the industry. Companies interested in developing their projects with a key SME.

01_Startups and scaleups with new technologies that have already completed their technological development. Startups that have a product or solution that can be demonstrated, tested and is even already available on the market.

02_Companies that are not over 8 years old, that use new technologies to improve industrial processes and which are in a position to accelerate their business development.

03_Startups and scaleups with disruptive solutions that can be applied to sectors including energy, advanced manufacturing, environmental, construction, design, automotive and food industries. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, Big Data, computing, cybersecurity, artificial vision, IoT, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, robotics, nanotechnology, new materials, virtual reality, and augmented reality, to name a few!

Get set and submit your innovative solution to meet the technological challenges of industry

For SMEs

The SMEs that are part of BIND 4.0 SME Connection are active members of the different clusters or business associations and leaders in their sector. They are seeking to speed up and streamline their innovation and digital transformation to solve the new challenges for the development of Industry 4.0.

Tell us about your challenges and BIND 4.0 will find the technological solutions to best meet your needs.

What it offers you

BIND 4.0 SME Connection offers innovative solutions for the new challenges facing industry in the digital transformation process, by means of the application and development of disruptive technologies. And that is done by connecting industrial SMEs and startups

A streamlined and quick boost to the digitalisation of industrial SMEs, with innovative market solutions for the new challenges that arise in the areas of smart industry, clean and sustainable energy, the health sector and food industries, among others.

And, what is more, it offers startups the opportunity to reach its first customers and to test their technologies with a real case, which allows them to grow.

If you are an SME, please tell us about your needs, and if you are a technological startup, let us know about your innovative solution.

How

How does BIND 4.0 SME Connection work?

The Business Association and Cluster Driver Organisations, the members of BIND 4.0 SME Connection and the SMEs identify a series of common challenges by activity sector. The aim of the initiative is to meet those challenges by means of developing innovative projects in conjunction with technological startups.

The participating startups will develop disruptive solutions using technologies such as AI, Big Data or additive manufacturing to meet challenges in the areas of smart industry, clean and sustainable energy, the health sector and food, among others.

Once the proposals have been received from the startups, the SMEs select the solutions that are best in line with their needs, depend on the challenges posed. In some case, more than one startup may be selected for the same challenge.

Phases of the process:

1_

Defining SME technological challenges
(September-October)

The SMEs voice their needs through clusters and associations.

2_

Identifying and presenting challenges
(November-December)

The selected clusters and SMEs set out the sectoral challenges.

3_

Startups call
(January)

The startups can enter for each of the proposed challenges through an open call.

4_

Selection & Matching process
(February-May)

Selection of the startups offering the best solution and contracts with one or more SMEs.

5_

Programme and project deployment
(May-December)

Partnership and implementation of joint projects between SMEs and startups.

Find out about the challenges proposed by Basque SMEs and startups

Do you want to access the new partnership opportunities between SMEs and startups? Here is all the information

Benefits

Taking part in the BIND 4.0 SME Connection challenges is the opportunity to develop disruptive technological projects in the areas of industry, sustainability, health, food, etc.

• Contract with a key SME to implement their solution
• Direct access to the market: real projects with real turnover
• Developing a success story for a market with a high volume of opportunities
• Drawing on the endorsement and experience of consolidated customers in the sector
• Streamlined development of the project, thanks to working with smaller companies
• Rapid project implementation
• Retaining ownership of the technology
• Positioning and visibility

• Direct access to the most innovative talent
• Meeting your technological challenges and those of industry
• Greater business opportunities
• Developing new in-house capacity for innovation
• More competitive
• Being in a position to lead the sector
• Advancing in the digitalisation of your company

About BIND 4.0

BIND 4.0 SME Connection follows the tried and tested Cluster Challenges model, which brings the success of the BIND 4.0 platform to this segment

Since 2016, BIND 4.0 has been the internationally renowned public-private platform, promoted by the Basque Government through the SPRI Group and its Up!Euskadi platform, to support the transformation of industry and enhance its competitiveness by means of startups with cutting-edge technological solutions.

The open innovation platform ensures the development of innovative projects in companies, with the ground-breaking technologies of startups. It also offers advice and training to enhance the benefits of open innovation and the growth of the startups with real projects and key customers

BIND 4.0 has three initiatives to innovate and respond to the new technological challenges.

  • BIND 4.0: Open innovation and acceleration initiative for large companies and startups. Further information here
  • BIND 4.0 SME Connection: Initiatives Open innovation technological challenges for SMEs and startups Further information here
  • BIND 4.0 Govtech: Initiative of open innovation technological challenges for the Public Administration and startups
Advantages

Take part in the BIND 4.0 SME Connection challenges, by posing your own or meeting it

• Harness the new partnership opportunities for Basque SMEs and startups
• You will work with experts throughout the process
• Growth opportunities for both profiles
• Open innovation immersion in the Basque Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
• With a leading programme and method that embraces more challenges each year
• And following the Cluster Challenges model, which brings the success of the BIND 4.0 platform to this segment

Frequently Asked Questions

Solve your doubts

Currently, this is the aid we offer in the field of Smart Industry:

Basque Tek Ventures is an itinerary specially designed to support the creation of deep-tech start-ups. It seeks to be a catalyst for new business projects based on the most innovative technologies from the centres belonging to the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA).

In collaboration with BRTA and the BICs, Basque Tek Ventures accelerates the marketing of the most promising technologies and the creation of new business fabric through a mentored process for the creation and acceleration of new technology-based start-ups.

Basque Tek Ventures is mainly aimed at:

  1. Centres belonging to the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) that are looking to convert their technological assets into new business projects.
  2. Experienced entrepreneurs looking to embark on the adventure of creating a deep-tech start-up.
  3. Investors and companies interested in new investment opportunities.

The initiative is led by the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment through its development agency SPRI, in collaboration with BRTA and the Basque BICs.

It is aimed at startups, companies, investors, and agents who are present/active in the Basque Entrepreneurship Ecosystem.

Experiences
KEVO

"Thanks to BIND 4.0 SME Connection, we have worked with important countries nationally, including ELDU, Eroski, Bellota Herramientas, Goizper, the BCC and in several projects with social action organisations, as well as in other sectors, which has allowed us to grow and increase our team" KEVO

INMERSIA

"The challenge of being able to work with SMEs is going to open up a large market and many doors to show that we can help them with a product that we have optimised to reach the data monitoring and visualisation market." IMMERSIA

Apply here

Be part of the digital transformation: contribute the innovative solutions of your startup or voice the technological challenges of your SME

If you are a startup or scaleup and want your technology to help meet the new challenges of Industry 4.0., you just have to fill in the form and we will let you know about future calls. If you are an industrial SME, tell us about your challenges and we will find the technological solutions to best meet your needs. Fill in this form and we will be in touch.


  • SPRI-Basque Business Development Agency, as data controller, collects your personal data for the provision of services related to our programmes and services. You are entitled to withdraw your consent at any time, object to the processing, access, rectify and delete your data, as well as other rights, by sending an e-mail to the address lopd@spri.eus. You can also find the additional and detailed information on Data Protection in the Privacy Policy section. By clicking "Send" you consent to the processing of your data in the terms indicated.

Doubts?
Contact us.

Basque company customer service line

Call us at: 900 929 393

Ask us here
The strategy

A leading international programme since it was set up in 2016

BIND 4.0 SME Connection is one of the two initiatives within BIND 4.0, the largest open innovation of Industry 4.0. A private-public initiative set up by the Basque Government's Ministry of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment through the SPRI Group.

BIND 4.0 has three initiatives to innovate in industry. An open Acceleration and Innovation programme aimed at startups to develop projects with leading corporations. The BIND 4.0 SME Connection programme, aimed at developing new technologies working with industrial SMES and the BIND 4.0 Govtech programme, aimed at using open innovation to solve the technological challenges of the public administration.

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