Belgium: Made Different

The Made Different initiative was originally launched in 2013, in Flanders,with the aim to increase the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry by supporting the digital transformation of production processes.The overall goal of this initiative is to transform manufacturing companies into ´Factories of the Future´. Wallonia followed a similar path more recently,with the implementation of the Made Different initiative in January2017.

Made Different is mainly an industry-driven programme with a very flexible structure which follows a bottom-up approach.The main activities of the Made Different initiative involve the organisation of awareness-raising events, the provision of tailored and long-term guidance services to companies willing to transform their production processes(i.e.up to around two years). Also,The ´Factory of the Future Awards´are organised every year in order to distinguish companies that successfully achieved their transformation.

Made Different has so far proven to be a successful initiative, in particular in Flanders while the programme is still relatively recent in Wallonia. Indeed, the business community has demonstrated a strong interest in participating in the initiative, in modernising their manufacturing processes. Several companies have already received the Factory of the Future Award.