Driving Sustainable and Innovative Manufacturing through Green, Digital and Social Transformation for SMEs
The manufacturing industry – a sector mainly built on SMEs – is a strong asset for the European economy and an important driver of employment and prosperity. However, it is also energy intensive, responsible for one fifth of EU greenhouse gas emissions.
MANTRA is developing a training and capacity building programme to provide manufacturing SMEs with the financial and technical support needed to become more sustainable, competitive and resilient.
MANTRA will directly support a group of 50 manufacturing SMEs in the form of a €50,000 financial support, with a tailored process in which they learn and unlock their digital and technological potential within a sustainable business model, that ensures more resource-efficient and circular processes and infrastructures.
On 13 May 2026, the partners of the MANTRA Project gathered online for the General Assembly Meeting at Month 18 to review the progress achieved across the project and discuss the next implementation steps. The meeting brought together consortium partners to present updates from the different work packages and coordinate upcoming activities supporting SMEs throughout the MANTRA programme. The agenda covered key project areas including communication and dissemination activities, open calls, networking services, community and SME capacity building, the Digital Connected Support Center, advisory services, and follow-up activities. Throughout the day, partners shared the work performed during the first 18 months of the project, highlighting achievements, ongoing actions, and future priorities. Discussions also focused on strengthening collaboration across the consortium and preparing the next phase of implementation activities involving SMEs. The meeting included contributions from several MANTRA partners, including ZABALA, G!E, INESC TEC, EITM, BABELE, and RINA. The consortium thanks all partners for their active participation and continued commitment to the objectives of the MANTRA Project.
The MANTRA project aims to drive the green and digital transformation of European manufacturing SMEs through the adoption of advanced technologies and social innovation. With the launch of its second open call in June 2026, the MANTRA project will support 25 manufacturing SMEs with €50,000 alongside a tailored process to facilitate their digital and green transformation – all within sustainable business models that ensure more resource-efficient and circular processes. The MANTRA consortium will organise 6 webinars in 5 languages to explain the application process and potential benefits to manufacturing SMEs. By showcasing success stories and providing tools and services tailored to SME needs, MANTRA seeks to inspire and empower more European manufacturing SMEs to embrace green practices and integrate advanced technologies. Join the movement and get ready to start your MANTRA journey to begin the transformation of your manufacturing SME, by registering for the webinars: Italian: 8 June 15:00 CEST – Registration link European Ceramics Cluster: 9 June 10:00 CEST – Registration link: Webinar Europe: Apply for the Open Call MANTRA | Pôle européen de la céramique Spanish: 10 June 11:00 CEST – Registration link French: 12 June 11:00 CEST – Registration link Portuguese: 17 June 15:30 CEST – Registration link English: 23 June 11:00 CEST – Registration link
The platform will serve as the largest EU network of digitalisation players, dedicated to supporting EU manufacturing SMEs.
The MANTRA platform will serve as a one-stop shop, offering a wide range of services, tools, and information tailored for SMEs to benefit from in the transformation journey.
SECPhO is a cluster based on Spain that brings together more than 180 organisations that promote technological innovation through deep tech in all sectors of our economy. They contribute to the assessment and advisory services for SME’s, including due diligence assessments, matchmaking non-tech SMEs with tech SMEs, co-creation labs, and tailored, value-added advisory services.
Rina-C is a global network specializing in energy transition, ESG, and digitalisation, based in Italy. They are responsible for providing assessment and advisory services to the selected SMEs undergoing digital and technological transformation. This includes due diligence assessments, matchmaking tech-savvy and traditional SMEs, share best practices in co-creation labs, and offering tailored solutions and recommendations for practical implementation as part of the advisory services.
Babele is a social enterprise based in Romania, that acts as a catalyst for systemic innovation, uniting a global network of universities, corporations, NGOs, and social entrepreneurs to co-create impactful solutions to address global issues such as climate change and poverty, while fostering resilience in the face of its effects. They are responsible for developing, building, and managing the digital platform for SME recruitment, overseeing the capacity-building and support program, and connecting innovation communities, EU networks, and SME support initiatives. The platform will function as a hub for knowledge exchange and a community of practice.
Greenovate! Europe is a not-for-profit network of organisations dedicated to sustainable innovation. It develops sustainability projects and provides innovation support to researchers, companies and policymakers. The project partner based in Belgium, is responsible for the communication and dissemination activities of the MANTRA project. Their goal is to maximize the project’s impact by raising awareness, building a stakeholder community, and sharing open project results in a way that ensures they are actionable and exploitable by stakeholders.
INES TEC is a research & development institute located on the campus of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, located in Portugal. They oversee the role of identifying the needs and barriers of SMEs to create the most favorable capacity-building support services. They will connect European specialised business support structures, networks, and organizations to build-up an innovative value-added support ecosystem for SMEs.
EIT Manufacturing is a public-private partnership located in Italy, co-funded by the European Union and established in 2019 that connects manufacturing players by promoting talent and entrepreneurship to accelerate sustainable innovation in Europe. They provide coaching programs and capacity-building support to enhance the competitiveness and innovation of SMEs. Building on the SME Alliance projects and EITM initiatives, they oversee the SME ecosystem, facilitating the exchange of best practices, and enable that traditional SMEs gain from dedicated peer-learning activities, learning directly from leaders in their sector.
EIT Manufacturing is a public-private partnership located in Italy, co-funded by the European Union and established in 2019 that connects manufacturing players by promoting talent and entrepreneurship to accelerate sustainable innovation in Europe.
They provide coaching programs and capacity-building support to enhance the competitiveness and innovation of SMEs. Building on the SME Alliance projects and EITM initiatives, they oversee the SME ecosystem, facilitating the exchange of best practices, and enable that traditional SMEs gain from dedicated peer-learning activities, learning directly from leaders in their sector.
Cetim is a technological accelerator dedicated to industrial transformation. It brings the best of research to French industries and offers a comprehensive solution combining consulting and engineering services. They contribute to the assessment and advisory services for SME’s, including due diligence assessments, matchmaking non-tech SMEs with tech SMEs, co-creation labs, and tailored, value-added advisory services.
Zabala Innovation is an international consultancy firm specialising in consultancy services for both R&D and Innovation management, based in Spain. As project coordinators for MANTRA, Zabala ensures smooth project management and defines the criteria to select and prioritise the manufacturing SME projects that will be funded through the project to unlock their digital and technological potential and build sustainable business models.
