I4Q Project

What I4Q Project does

I4Q Project is a European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation initiative launched in 2021 under grant agreement No. 958205 and registered in Brussels, Belgium. The project develops IoT-based Reliable Industrial Data Services (RIDS), delivered as a suite of 22 i4Q Solutions targeting zero-defect manufacturing across interconnected factory devices. i4Q is coordinated by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) in Thessaloniki, Greece, with technical coordination by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV); Stefanos Vrochidis and Ilias Gialampoukidis serve as Project Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator from CERTH, and Raul Poler leads technical coordination from UPV. The project operates inside the EU's 4ZDM zero-defect manufacturing cluster alongside sister projects InterQ, DAT4.ZERO, OPTIMai, and PeneloPe, and is aligned with related Horizon Europe initiatives covering platform interoperability, composites, wind blade manufacturing, and non-destructive inspection.

The technical core is a three-tier Reference Architecture (Edge, Platform, Enterprise) aligned with the RAMI 4.0 reference architecture model, supported by standards-based digital models and ontologies for industrial data exchange. Solutions are organised around five data-cycle capabilities: Sensing, Communication, Computing Infrastructure, Storage, and Analysis and Optimisation, including simulation, quality diagnosis, reconfiguration and certification tools, additive and virtual sensors, and edge computing. Validation occurs through six industrial pilot use cases covering CNC woodworking (Biesse), white goods/EMEA (Whirlpool at Radomsko, Poland), metal machining for aerospace alignment (Factor), ceramic tableware (Ria Stone/Visabeira Group), plastic injection (Farplas), and CNC machine tools (Fidia). Documented pilot outcomes include a 50% reduction in Time-Cost-Quality expenses, 20% scrap and rework reduction, 15% ramp-up time reduction (Whirlpool); 20% CNC setup time reduction, 15% OEE improvement, 30% time-to-market reduction, and timestamp precision improved from 50 ms to 10 ms (Factor); and zero defects in firing with 70% raw material reuse rate increase (Ria Stone).

i4Q is a grant-funded research entity with no commercial revenue model and no disclosed pricing; the funding source is the EU Horizon 2020 programme and the project may produce commercialisation pathways for partners after the project lifetime. Dissemination is run through YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, FundingBox community, at least eight newsletters, conferences (including I-ESA 2024 in Crete), academic publications, infographics, flyers, and policy briefs. Headcount is reported at 11–50, reflecting participating partner organisations rather than a traditional for-profit employee base.

Name

I4Q Project

Legal name

I4Q

Website

https://i4q-project.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

I4Q Project is an EU Horizon 2020 research initiative developing IoT-based Reliable Industrial Data Services and 22 zero-defect manufacturing solutions, validated through six industrial pilots with manufacturers across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial IoT / Smart Manufacturing Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Data Platforms, Historian & MES/MOM Integration (IMAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Factory Automation & Control Systems (PLC/SCADA/DCS) (IMAIAMAA), Industrial Edge Computing & Gateways (IMAIAMAC), Industrial Connectivity & Networks (5G/LPWAN/TSN/Industrial Ethernet) (IMAIAMAH), Industrial Quality Inspection & Metrology (Machine Vision) (IMAIAMAF), Industrial Edge Control & IIoT Gateways (Edge PLCs, Data Acquisition, MQTT/OPC UA) (IMAGABAI)

Keywords

• Industrial IoT
• Smart manufacturing
• Quality control software
• Zero-defect manufacturing
• Industrial data services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

I4Q Project develops an IoT-based Reliable Industrial Data Services (RIDS) platform consisting of 22 i4Q Solutions for zero-defect manufacturing. The platform manages industrial data from smart interconnected factory devices across five capabilities — Sensing, Communication, Computing infrastructure, Storage, and Analysis and optimisation — organized in a three-tier Edge/Platform/Enterprise architecture based on RAMI 4.0.

Product overview

I4Q Project is an EU Horizon 2020 research initiative providing an IoT-based Reliable Industrial Data Services (RIDS) platform for smart manufacturing quality control. The platform consists of a complete suite of 22 i4Q Solutions organized around five core capabilities: Sensing, Communication, Computing infrastructure, Storage, and Analysis and optimisation. The project aims to achieve ZERO-DEFECT manufacturing by ensuring data reliability throughout the manufacturing data cycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reliable Industrial Data Services (RIDS) IoT-based platform providing reliable industrial data services to enable zero-defect manufacturing by managing data from interconnected factory devices. Targeted at manufacturing companies and machine tool providers.
• i4Q Solutions Suite (22 Solutions) A complete suite of 22 specialized solutions addressing industrial data reliability across five capabilities: Sensing, Communication, Computing infrastructure, Storage, and Analysis and optimisation. Used by manufacturing companies for quality control and zero-defect manufacturing.
• Simulation and Optimisation Tools Tools supporting manufacturing line continuous process qualification, quality diagnosis, reconfiguration and certification for ensuring high manufacturing efficiency. Targeted at industrial production environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% reduction in Time-Cost-Quality expenses (Whirlpool pilot)
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, related, pilot and supporting.

• InterQcoreOthersSister project funded under DT-FoF-11-2020/DT-FoF-10-2020. InterQ aims to measure, predict, control and manage the quality of manufactured products, manufacturing processes and gathered data to assure Zero-Defect-Manufacturing through all the value chain using intelligent systems, hybrid digital twins and AI-driven optimisation tools.
• DAT4.ZEROcoreOthersSister project with 20 European partners working to improve quality in European factories. Innovative technologies gather and analyse data from manufacturing processes to give businesses greater control of what happens during production.
• OPTIMaicoreOthersSister project creating a new European industry ecosystem focused on innovative solutions to optimise production, reduce defects and improve quality. Toolkit validated in three pilot sites: KLEEMANN (lifts, Greece), Televés (antennas, Spain), and Microchip Technology Caldicot Ltd (microelectronics assembly, UK).
• PeneloPecoreOthersSister project developing a novel closed-loop digital pipeline - an end-to-end Digital Manufacturing solution enabling bidirectional dataflow for seamless integration across the entire manufacturing value chain for flexible and modular manufacturing of large components.
• ZDMP (Zero Defects Manufacturing Platform)relatedOthersMulti-partner project providing an open platform to support factories to reach zero defects goal. Allows end-users to interconnect their systems through zApps to improve product and process quality assurance.
• OPENZDMrelatedOthersHorizon Europe project providing an open platform for production networks' zero-defect processes. Builds on RAMI 4.0 and Asset Administration Shell, non-destructive inspection methods, and data-driven quality assessment techniques for online defect identification.
• ENGINErelatedOthersHorizon Europe project to reduce environmental impact of manufacturing and improve competitiveness of metal product manufacturers. Develops novel metal product design and manufacturing system combining industrial data-management, computational product and process design with in-situ diagnostics, production monitoring and control.
• FLASH-COMPrelatedOthersHorizon Europe project bringing novel digital technologies to liquid resin infusion (LRI) process for composite materials manufacturing. Advanced automated controls and in-line defect monitoring and detection to cut material waste and improve efficiencies.
• TURBOrelatedOthersProject focused on wind turbine blade manufacturing. Reduces defect formation through better process simulation, monitoring and control, improves defect identification with new non-destructive testing methods, and introduces novel repair strategies in composites and coatings.
• ZDZWrelatedOthersDevelops digital non-destructive inspection (NDI) services as strategic technologies to improve production efficiency, zero-defect, and sustainable manufacturing. Strong overlap with TURBO project with shared partners (UPV, DTU, NORBLIS).
• CERTH (Centre for Research and Technology Hellas)coreOthersProject Coordinator hosting Stefanos Vrochidis (Project Coordinator) and Ilias Gialampoukidis (Deputy Coordinator). Located in Thessaloniki, Greece.
• UPV (Universitat Politècnica de València)coreOthersTechnical Coordinator led by Raul Poler. Contributed to multiple project deliverables including i4Q Reference Architecture and business viewpoint analysis.
• BiessepilotOthersPilot partner since 1969 designing, producing and marketing CNC woodworking technologies. Testing i4Q solutions for CNC machines with additive and virtual sensors, edge computing architecture, and IoT functionalities for improved data quality, predictive maintenance, and productivity.
• Whirlpool CorporationpilotOthersGlobal leader in white goods with 60 million products sold across 170 countries. EMEA pilot at Dishwasher factory in Radomsko, Poland testing data correlation for product conformity testing. Expected: 50% TCQ reduction, 15% ramp-up time reduction, 20% scrap reduction.
• FactorpilotOthersLeading metal machining and precision turning company aligning with aerospace industry data quality requirements. Testing zero-defect manufacturing solutions for cutting lubricant issues, tool breakage prediction, and equipment damage prevention.
• Ria StonepilotOthersPart of Visabeira Group, established 2014 for IKEA Sweden contract (486 million tableware products 2014-2026). Testing in-line QC spectrometry analysis system for ceramic pastes in real-time. Expected: zero defects in firing oven, 70% raw material reuse rate increase.
• FarplaspilotOthersPlastic injection industry pilot use case for quality assessment techniques with artificial intelligence to detect defective parts and identify root causes, reducing costs and waste.
• FidiapilotOthersCNC machine tools manufacturer pilot use case for IoT-based industrial data services for quality control in smart manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge BizsupportingOthersCreated six detailed infographics showcasing the pilot projects of i4Q, providing introduction to each company's production process and highlighting specific i4Q solutions tested.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DAT4.ZERO Project: DAT4.ZERO is an EU Horizon 2020 sister project with 20 European partners improving factory quality through data collection and analysis. Direct peer and 4ZDM cluster co-member addressing the same zero-defect manufacturing data problem as i4Q.
• InterQ Project: InterQ is a sister EU Horizon 2020 project focused on zero-defect manufacturing using digital twins and AI-driven quality control. It is a direct peer under the same 4ZDM cluster, addressing the same manufacturing data quality and defect-reduction problem as i4Q.
• PTC (ThingWorx): PTC's ThingWorx is an industrial IoT platform for connecting factory assets, ingesting sensor data, and running analytics for quality and OEE improvements. It is a direct peer offering an integrated sensing-to-analysis stack very similar to i4Q's RIDS five-capability model.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Digital Industries (MindSphere / Industrial Edge): Siemens offers MindSphere as a cloud-based industrial IoT platform and Industrial Edge for edge computing, providing manufacturing data collection, analytics, and quality monitoring. It is directly comparable as a broad incumbent offering a full industrial data lifecycle platform against which i4Q's RIDS framework competes.
• Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure): Schneider's EcoStruxure platform spans industrial edge, cloud analytics, and asset performance for manufacturing and process industries. It overlaps with i4Q on industrial data platforms, edge gateways, and analytics for quality and energy/process optimization.
• Rockwell Automation (Plex / FactoryTalk): Rockwell's FactoryTalk and Plex platforms cover MES, analytics, and connected enterprise for discrete manufacturers. Directly comparable as a broad incumbent offering factory-level data integration, quality tracking, and OEE analytics that overlap with i4Q's zero-defect manufacturing use cases.
• Honeywell Forge: Honeywell Forge is an enterprise performance platform for manufacturing, process, and assets, including connected plant, quality management, and analytics. Comparable as a broad incumbent industrial data and quality platform serving discrete and process manufacturers similar to i4Q's target segments.
• Bosch Connected Industry: Bosch provides IoT and Industry 4.0 solutions including connected manufacturing, edge devices, and analytics for zero-defect and lean production. It is highly comparable in its focus on manufacturing quality and predictive maintenance, and serves as a broad incumbent benchmark in the European manufacturing data space.
• AVEVA (CONNECT platform): AVEVA provides industrial software including historians, MES integration, and analytics for manufacturing and industrial operations. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in industrial data platforms and historian/MES integration, the same core category as i4Q's Industrial Data Platforms focus.

Emerging players

• ADAMOS (IIoT alliance): ADAMOS is a European-focused IIoT alliance and platform from machine tool builders (including Dürr, GF, INDEX, TRUMPF) targeting factory data and analytics. Highly comparable as an emerging European collaborative platform addressing similar machine-tool and discrete manufacturing customers as i4Q.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/I4qProject
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@I4Q-project
• Facebookfacebook.com/i4QProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/i4q-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about I4Q Project