I am writing this on my balcony, enjoying the August sunshine. That sun was quite absent last month – never seen so much rain. I hope everyone enjoyed a well-deserved vacation with a ‘wee-bit’ more sun than I have seen. I should not have gone to Scotland for holidays!

For the Bridges 5.0 project, we have completed the first reporting period. In September we will talk to an external reviewer, and will report on that in a future Newsletter. Right now, the focus is on further impact generation. The project has already attracted attention in several countries. Our Austrian partners (Industrie 4.0 Platform, Joanneum) have already held a series of events in which they have helped spread the ideas of Bridges 5.0. In Lithuania, LPK (employers association) is making a special impact. LPK is hard at work developing the Lithuanian European Digital Innovation Hubs. These fit seamlessly into what we mean by Learning Factories in Bridges 5.0. We wish our Lithuanian partners much success in doing so.

The project Is also trying to achieve Impact outside the network of Bridges 5.0 partners. Therefore, we are very happy with the connection with ANACT, the French national agency for the improvement of working conditions. With ANACT, we will organise a major workshop in France in the coming year. This allows the ideas of Bridges 5.0 to resonate in the French context. If your French needs some polishing up, this event will certainly help.

We are also active in Spain. During the EUWIN/Bridges 5.0 conference (see euwin.net), contacts with our Basque colleagues will be further strengthened. We also know that several contacts from other regions in Spain will be present in San Sebastián.

Bridges 5.0 is also getting a grip on the debate in other countries. We will also report on this in future newsletters.

An important impact is that Bridges 5.0 gets to be on the European stage to get its message out. Not only are we present at the European Commission Conference on the “Community of Practice Industry 5.0” (October 16), we get to present our thinking at a conference of the European Economic and Social Committee. Thereby we reach all social partners in Europe.

One reminder to everyone. Next year, Bridges 5.0 organises a major conference. More information will follow later.

So a lot of work to be done. Maybe it should continue to rain? Then I can concentrate on the messages we have to deliver in the coming months.

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