AFIL, the Lombardy Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing, Finlombarda and Confindustria Lombardia are promoting a company mission at the SIM Conference in Porto (Portugal), one of the leading European events dedicated to innovation, startups and industrial transformation.

The event, organised as part of the European project UA_EU_Cluster5.0 in collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network, is aimed at selected SMEs from Lombardy, Portugal and Ukraine to foster the development of industrial, technological and commercial collaborations.

The company mission offers a tangible opportunity for SMEs to:

• participate in an international trade fair and matchmaking event
• connect with international partners and access new markets
• pursue industrial, technological and commercial collaborations

The event includes two main activities:

• Tailored B2B meetings, organised based on preliminary matchmaking, with the aim of initiating strategic collaborations and partnerships;
• Open Innovation Lab, a collaborative workshop where companies will work on technological challenges related to Industry 4.0 / 5.0, digitalisation and sustainability.

A maximum of 15 Lombardy-based companies will be selected by the organisers based on the information provided in the registration form, which will be made available via an Open Call for the UA_EU_Cluster5.0 project, with a deadline of 10 April 2026.

Specifically, SMEs with headquarters in Lombardy that meet the following criteria may apply for the company mission:

• operate in or are interested in areas related to Industry 4.0/5.0, digitalisation and industrial sustainability;
• offer or are seeking technological solutions;
• are interested in transnational industrial collaborations.

A prerequisite for participants is proficiency in the English language.

The UA_EU_Cluster5.0 project will cover the main costs of travel, board and lodging for one participant per company, advanced by AFIL (as a project partner), as well as the entry ticket for the SIM Conference.

Companies may express their interest and/or request further information by writing to us at een1@confindustria.lombardia.it