Art-Driven Innovation: The Unlikely Muse of Manufacturing SMEs

Over the past four years, between 2020 and 2024, an unconventional experiment in Europe’s industrial landscape has unfolded. Funded by the EU, Small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs), long considered the backbone of our continent’s manufacturing sectors, have turned to an unexpected source of industrial inspiration: artists. This novel approach, dubbed “art-driven innovation”, proves to be a remarkable catalyst for technological advancement and creative problem-solving in industries often perceived as traditional and resistant to change.

This article presents the highly creative and potentially sector-changing innovations that have become the product, the output, of 16 collaborations. By pairing each SME with both a technology company and an artist, the program Better Factory has cultivated an environment where creativity and technical expertise coalesce, resulting in 19 distinct innovations across five key areas: additive manufacturing, software, Internet of Things (IoT), materials, and robotics.

As one of the leading partners in the 28 partner strong consortium behind Better Factory, In4Art acted as the methodological lead in the program. In this role, we shaped the art-driven innovation approach based on our years-long research and thinking and we coordinated the technical and artistic developments across the collaborations, in close collaboration with many of our international partners.

Manufacturing SMEs are the beating heart of the European economy with over 70% of all employed people in the EU working for SMEs. They are also true innovation drivers, even though perception often suggests the opposite. Their smaller size allows them to quickly adapt to new ideas and market demands, providing them with short lines of command and flexibility. They spend more resources on R&D than large corporation per employee and even file more patents than large companies per employee. This makes manufacturing SMEs ideal incubators for innovation and significant contributors to technological advancements. In addition, manufacturing SMEs are located everywhere, making them a very important contributor to regional development across Europe, something especially important for regions that are struggling or behind.

The artists were the, if you will, secret ingredient in this experiment. With backgrounds ranging from bio-art to media art, from conceptual art to speculative design, from material research to installation art, we had very diverse and uncommon profiles to submerge in a quest for manufacturing innovation.

So why artists? Because good artists can distance themselves from a problem to peek from a hidden corner, to stare at a detail, to reshuffle the cards, to change the perspective, to see the world through tainted glass, to make something tangible. With this, they have the capacity to surprise and pave the way for the unusual, the different, the innovative. Let’s take a closer look at how this worked out and what new perspectives this brought us.

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, has long promised to revolutionize production but has faced persistent challenges in cost, speed, and material limitations. The reasons for this are known: it is overly expensive, quite limited in scale, generally slower than alternatives, quite inconsistent and requires significantly skilled workers to operate and deal with issues. On the other hand, 3D printing remains a very promising technological field for customization, personalised production, complex prototyping with complex shapes, reducing waste and producing low-volumes (single batches) on-demand, anywhere in the world.

To break down the barriers, we must find new ways to design and print and expand the range of printable materials. And that is what we did. Artists in the Better Factory program have brought fresh perspectives to these long-standing issues, yielding two significant innovations:

Bringing ancient knowledge into the digital world: LOOP Algorithm, by Gareth Neal and The New Raw, inspired by traditional crafts such as weaving and knitting, has brought a new view on 3D modeling. This artistic approach has led to a new printing technique that moves beyond the limitations of layered printing, allowing for more fluid and dynamic shapes. By addressing the rigidity of conventional 3D printing methods, this innovation expands the possibilities for complex geometries and increases error margins, making the technology more accessible and reliable for SMEs. LOOP offers a new way to print large-scale 3D printed objects.

Similarly, the Stone Paper Printer, a brainchild of the collaboration between Isaac Monté, Europack Bulgaria, and OVISO Robotics, has transformed quarry waste into a printable medium. This innovation tackles two significant challenges: the limited range of 3D printable materials and the environmental impact of stone quarrying. By repurposing waste material, this new printing process not only broadens the scope of 3D printing applications but also aligns with the growing emphasis on circular economy principles in manufacturing. This principle of printing can be used to develop local recycling loops based on materials that contain high quantities of calcium carbonate (eggshells, marine shells or stone shells).

In the era of Industry 4.0, software plays a crucial role in improving manufacturing processes and enhancing user experiences. Manufacturers are troubles by the challenge of making complex data more accessible and actionable for workers and outsiders alike.

Better Factory’s software innovations focused on improving user interfaces, optimizing processes, and creating educational tools. These developments showcase the potential for software to transform manufacturing operations and engagement:

The Animated Factory Interface, envisioned by Kristina Pulejkova and Famolde, reimagines the sterile world of data visualization, replacing cold numbers and graphs with an ecosystem of animals, visuals, and sounds. This artistic interpretation of factory data not only engages workers more deeply but also provides an intuitive understanding of complex processes. In doing so, it addresses the critical issue of data comprehension and worker engagement in increasingly automated environments.

Going beyond the practical form of a dashboard interface, an extended reality based vision of an entirely nature inspired factory model was conceived by the artist. Called The Living Factory, it is an imagined factory where AI and robots are implementing nature-based principles to design spaces intended to increase worker well-being and satisfaction.

Augmented reality (AR) E-label, developed by Anna Dumitriu with Felluga Wines and Bubamara V, brings the power of mixed reality to product packaging. This development aligns with the growing trend of using AR in manufacturing for training, quality control, and now, consumer engagement. By allowing wine drinkers to access immersive information about their purchase, this tool bridges the gap between physical products and digital experiences, opening new avenues for marketing and consumer education in traditional industries.

Artificial Intelligence is going to influence many parts of our world in the coming years, definitely manufacturing as well. Learning machines can offer new ways to deal with complex problems, previously barely solvable. Found Objects CNC Nesting Tool, created by Jesse Howard together with Fiction Factory, uses AI to optimize material use in CNC cutting processes, in a creative 4 step process, including parametrization and generative AI. Specifically, the tool optimizes the use of wood sheet remnants, reducing cutting waste from up to 40% to less than 5% per sheet.

STEMS Polyhedral Simulation Tool, a collaboration between Gilbert Sinnot and Staramaki, is a completely newly built software program that generates and simulates polyhedral structures made from agricultural wheat stem waste. It serves both educational and practical purposes. By simulating polyhedral structures made from agricultural waste, it teaches coding and mathematics while exploring sustainable material use.

Connecting tools, machines, bags, products and many other things to the internet is what we call the Internet of Things. For many manufacturing SMEs, getting real-time insights into their processes or products can mean the difference between making or losing margins. And in 3 of our projects, we connected quite surprising things to the net.

Smart Cork, born from an artistic curiosity about the hidden life of wine in barrels, developed by Bubamara V with Felluga Wines and supported by Anna Dumitriu, has resulted in a connected device that provides real-time insights into the fermentation process. This innovation demonstrates how IoT can be seamlessly integrated into age-old practices, offering vintners unprecedented control over their craft.

Handheld Scanner, developed by CommonsLab with Staramaki, further illustrates the potential of IoT in supply chain management. By creating a device that tracks wheat stems from field to shelf, this innovation addresses the growing demand for traceability and quality control in the food industry. It showcases how artistic thinking can lead to practical solutions for complex logistical challenges.

Smart Envelope emerged from a collaboration between David Rickard, Plast-Farb and And-Tech, reimagines envelopes for the digital age. They created a connected, recycled, and reusable envelope inspired by Copernicus’ revolutionary ideas. The design allows the envelope to be turned inside out for reuse, complemented by software for tracking and digital information addition. This connected, reusable envelope not only reduces waste but also enables digital tracking and information sharing, showcasing how IoT can transform even traditional products. In addition, the artist continued exploring the notions of borders and the fluid nature of them; metaphorically through the continuous border crossings of envelopes around the globe, but also literally since many borders are formed by water. This exploration led to the development of an artistic installation, Border Waters, which, at the same time, was the pilot for the Smart Envelope. Sending it to the borders of Europe, across most countries, and into the hands of many different people, proved the perfect test of the innovation: would it cross customs? Would people understand the instructions? Would they reuse the envelope? All these questions were answered with satisfaction while making ‘Fluid Borders’.

When we think of manufacturing, we think of products, real stuff, being made, screwed, glued, cut. We think of materials. And with materials comes waste. Material innovation in manufacturing is driven by the need for more sustainable, efficient, and versatile resources. Artists’ penchant for experimentation with materials has led to 5 mesmerizing innovations in this area, showcasing how rethinking material use and waste management can lead to more sustainable and innovative products across various manufacturing sectors.

How about a chair? Wood Chair / Air Chair / Metal Chair, created by Govert Flint with Antares, reimagines furniture design, resulting in a fully demountable and recyclable chair that adapts to individual ergonomics (wood chair). This innovation addresses several challenges simultaneously: the need for more sustainable furniture production, the desire for personalized products, and the growing emphasis on circular economy principles. By eliminating the need for screws, bolts, and glues, this design simplifies recycling and extends the product’s lifecycle. Going beyond, the project also explored personalized seating possibilities, prototyping a chair made of inflatable sections adjustable to individual sitting needs (air chair). Going even further, the project prototyped a futuristic chair made entirely out of a single material and two sheets of metal, produced and transported flat, only to be pulled into shape by the owner (the metal ‘spring’ chair).

The Wine Waste Biomaterial Recipes collection transforms vineyard leftovers into useful materials, showcasing how artistic exploration can uncover value in what was once considered waste. Collected by Anna Dumitriu from wine waste samples of Felluga Wineries, this collection of innovative recipes aligns with the broader trend of upcycling in manufacturing and offers a potential solution to the significant waste produced by the wine industry.

Looking for a creative solution to a tough waste problem, Metal Powder Recycling tackles the issue of material waste in metal manufacturing. Developed by Nicola Ellis with Ritherdon, it became a highly effective process to recycle and reapply metal powder that doesn’t adhere during production, this innovation not only reduces waste massively (from over 80% down to a few percent) but also opens up new possibilities for customization and aesthetics in metal products.

The world’s first Personal Knitted Shoes, developed by Anka Walicka, Tapi-1, and STTEK, combine automated production with personalized design. The result is a shoe that can be customized based on individual foot characteristics, from the knitted upper to the parametrically designed sole. This innovation not only reduces waste in shoe manufacturing but also proves the potential for mass personalisation in the footwear industry.

How far can we go with using waste plastics? Recycled Diving Fin, created by Javier Masa for SEACSUB, explores the use of recycled and ocean plastics in product manufacturing. Through extensive testing, they discovered the viability of incorporating not only factory waste but also ocean plastics into their products. This innovation demonstrates the potential for incorporating reclaimed materials into high-performance products. The artist took the opportunity to explore the underwater world beyond the challenge of the diving fin. This led to the design of a series of speculative interventions for minimizing humans’ negative impact on underwater life through diving which, joint by the name Artifacts for a Scuba Diving Utopia. The artifacts include Nautilus, to solve the problem of coral damage by fins. And Comfort in Atlantis, a series of ocean bedding furniture that prevents humans from resting on vulnerable grounds and allows for coral and ecosystem recovery simultaneously.

Robotics in manufacturing faces challenges in flexibility, adaptability, and integration with human workers. The art-driven innovation approach in the Better Factory program has led to novel solutions in this field, delivering exciting innovations in a field where today it is possible to conceive, design, develop, test, and deploy robotic cell systems that function and solve tough manufacturing problems within limited time and budget constraints. And so we did, no less than four times:

The Mycelium Robotic Cell, inspired by the organic growth patterns of fungi, has resulted in a mini-factory where robots control the cultivation of mycelium-based products. A collaboration between Sebastien Wierinck, RONGO Design and SPE Labs, this artistic approach to automation not only improves efficiency but also allows for mid-process customization, a feature previously thought impractical in robotic manufacturing. It addresses the growing demand for personalized products while maintaining the benefits of automated production.

The Shoe Gluing Robotic Cell tackles the complex task of automating shoe production. Developed by STTEK for Tapi-1 with the support of Anka Walicka, a system was born that allows operators to create instruction programs without coding, this innovation addresses the skills gap often associated with robotic integration in SMEs. It demonstrates how robotics can be made more accessible and adaptable to small-scale, specialized manufacturing processes.

The Small Space Gripper, created by Canonical Robots to support the working conditions at SEACSUB, addresses a specific limitation in robotic manufacturing: the ability to apply force and movement in confined spaces. This innovation, inspired by the challenge of extracting scuba diving fins from molds, showcases how artistic problem-solving can lead to highly specialized robotic tools that expand the capabilities of automated manufacturing.

The Titanium Robotic Cell, developed by Lasram to in response to the the challenges of PREMET performs post-processing tasks on 3D-printed titanium objects. This system offers higher precision and consistency than manual processing for complex shapes. It showcases how robotics can enhance precision and consistency in complex manufacturing processes.

These robotics innovations highlight the potential for specialized robotic systems to address unique manufacturing challenges, improve worker safety, and enhance production efficiency across various industries.

The success of the Better Factory program suggests that art-driven innovation is more than a fleeting experiment; it represents a viable strategy for SMEs looking to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape. By embracing the artist’s ability to see beyond conventional boundaries, manufacturing SMEs can unlock new avenues for growth, sustainability, and technological advancement.

The project’s outcomes span several critical areas of industrial improvement. In sustainability, innovations such as the Stone Paper Printer and the Metal Powder Recycling Process offer tangible solutions for waste reduction and material reuse. These developments align with the growing imperative for environmentally conscious manufacturing practices and circular economy principles in industrial production.

User experience improvements, both for workers and consumers, were quantifiable. The Animated Factory Interface and the AR E-Label enhance product and process engagement. These innovations could increase worker productivity and consumer interaction, factors that directly impact operational efficiency and market competitiveness.

The focus on personalization, exemplified by innovations like the Personal Knitted Shoes and the Air Chair, aligns with the industry trend towards mass customization. These developments present viable strategies for incorporating personalization into manufacturing processes, potentially altering product design and production paradigms.

Significantly, the project’s emphasis on SME-applicable solutions has implications for technology democratization in the manufacturing sector and the direction of the artistic exploration. By making advanced technologies and processes more accessible to smaller manufacturers, the project potentially levels the playing field in an increasingly technology-driven market. At the same time, the artists should also have gotten the space to explore deeper questions and concerns. Therefore, the method was split in two approaches: a challenge driven route, of which we see the results in this article, and a mission-driven approach. More on this can be read in the Toolkit.

However, the project also highlighted areas requiring further development. Scalability remains a challenge for many of these innovations, raising questions about their viability in mass production environments and implications of these innovations to broader manufacturing contexts. Integration with existing systems presents another area for improvement. Further investigation is needed to determine optimal methods for incorporating these innovations into established manufacturing processes with minimal disruption while leveraging the impact it can make.

The Better Factory project has opened new avenues for research and development in manufacturing innovation. It provides a testable model for integrating diverse perspectives in industrial problem-solving, potentially offering a framework for future advancements through cross-disciplinary innovation in manufacturing processes and technologies.

As Europe’s manufacturing sector faces increasing global competition and environmental pressures, the integration of artistic perspectives may prove to be a crucial differentiator. The 19 innovations born from this initiative are not merely isolated success stories; they are harbingers of a new approach to problem-solving in industry.

The marriage of art and manufacturing may seem unlikely at first glance, but it is precisely this unconventional pairing, guided by a solid mentor approach, that has the potential to drive the next wave of industrial revolution. As manufacturing SMEs continue to adapt to an ever-changing world, they would do well to remember that sometimes, the most powerful innovations come not from the engineer’s blueprint, but from the artist’s sketchpad.

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Better Factory ran from October 2020 to September 2024. For more information on the Better Factory initiative and its experiments, please visit the Better Factory website. For more information on the collaboration and mentoring within the Knowledge Transfer experiments, read the “Creativity meets industry: A Practical Guide to Tranformative Partnerships Toolkit”

PROJECT: Better Factory