FORTIS Open Call #2

Deadline for an application

Applications must be submitted by 4 November 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time. Selected projects are scheduled to run from 11 January 2027 to 10 November 2027.

Objective

FORTIS Open Call #2 supports the integration, deployment and scaling of human-centred robot technologies. Projects must validate FORTIS solutions in existing industrial pilots or transfer them to new civilian sectors.

Summary

The call offers companies and research organisations a direct route to test and deploy human-robot interaction technologies in realistic environments. Topic 2.1 supports integration into existing FORTIS pilots across construction, railways and manufacturing, covering task allocation, digital twins, safety and compliance monitoring, distributed deployment, ergonomics, extended-reality interfaces and robot localisation. Topic 2.2 supports technology transfer to new civilian settings such as agriculture, healthcare, airports, forestry and logistics. Projects must start at Technology Readiness Level 4 or 5 and reach Technology Readiness Level 7. Eligible applicants include start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, mid-cap companies, universities and research organisations with relevant expertise.

Topic 2.1 requires three eligible entities from at least two eligible countries, while Topic 2.2 requires two entities and may be organised within one country.

Every consortium must include at least one small or medium-sized enterprise, and single-entity applications are not eligible. Dutch and German organisations may therefore apply together, particularly under Topic 2.1. Funding is up to EUR 250,000 per project under Topic 2.1 and up to EUR 170,000 under Topic 2.2. Non-profit organisations may receive up to 100% of eligible costs, while companies may receive up to 70%. Funding is paid as lump sums after successful completion of three project sprints. Applicants must submit in English and provide complete proposal and eligibility documentation. Selected beneficiaries must report progress and deliverables, attend online reviews, document data management and intellectual-property measures, and meet communication and European Union visibility obligations.

Open Call #2.1: Human-robot collaboration

Subtopic 1: Optimization of task and resource allocation: This subtopic focuses on the dynamic allocation of tasks between humans and robots in complex and dynamic industrial environments. Applicants must adapt the FORTIS toolkit for rapid and flexible resource allocation for real-time applications, where only limited information about the human operator may be available. The solution must combine context awareness, human-centric intelligence, and optimization. The goal is to achieve a better balance between efficiency, flexibility, and safety.

Subtopic 2: Flexible interface for Digital Twins: This subtopic calls for the expansion and validation of the FORTIS digital twin framework to include flexible, configurable, and modular interfaces. The core functions of the digital twin must be decoupled from specific applications to enable integration with various robots, simulation tools, enterprise systems, and data sources. This should allow the same architecture to be deployed more quickly across different industrial environments. The intended outcomes are enhanced interoperability, scalability, reusability, and practical applicability.

Subtopic 3: Monitoring tool for human-robot interaction: FORTIS aims to develop a reusable monitoring tool that assesses human-robot interactions, data flows, and the behavior of AI-supported systems. The tool must be capable of flagging ethical, safety, privacy, cybersecurity, and regulatory risks, including those related to the European Artificial Intelligence Act and the Cyber ​​Resilience Act. An intelligent monitoring mechanism can recognize problematic patterns, generate traceable alerts, and recommend measures for human review. The tool supports developers and operators but does not replace legal assessment, formal conformity assessment, or human decision-making.

Subtopic 4: Digital twin of human-robot interactions: This subtopic focuses on a digital twin that models not only humans and robots but specifically their mutual interactions. The solution must be able to track and analyze information exchange, actions, intentions, decisions, and reactions. Applicants must develop indicators and measurement methods from three perspectives: the human, the robot, and the goal of the interaction. The intended outcome is a better understanding—as well as improved assessment, optimization, and reliability—of collaboration in industrial real-world settings.

Subtopic 5: Flexible deployment of FORTIS solutions: This subtopic calls for a framework to intelligently distribute FORTIS modules across local equipment, central servers, or a combination thereof. The solution must utilize pre-defined configurations and route processing flows based on factors such as latency, computational load, energy consumption, and available equipment. During a profiling phase, existing FORTIS packages are tested, optimized, and linked to suitable hardware. Ultimately, the framework must recommend the optimal cost-performance ratio without requiring the development of new datasets.

Open Call #2.1: Human and Artificial Intelligence Factors

Subtopic 6: Ergonomics-aware human state and interaction context: This subtopic focuses on a module that assesses ergonomic risks and the state of workers during collaboration with robots or autonomous machines. The solution may combine wearable and non-wearable sensors, with a preference for sensors mounted on robots or integrated into the work environment. Factors to be considered include posture, exertion, fatigue, workload, task phase, and assessment uncertainty. This information must enable robots and support systems to adjust their speed, distance, waiting time, task sequence, or communication in real time.

Subtopic 7: Augmented and extended reality interfaces: Applicants must develop a reusable interface for natural and context-aware communication between humans and robots, for instance via smart glasses. The interface must gather information from the user's perspective while simultaneously displaying robot status, intentions, planned actions, safety constraints, and requests for human intervention. Users must be able to provide commands and feedback through multiple interaction modalities, such as speech, gaze, gestures, or spatial annotations. The solution must be tested for usability, cognitive load, and performance under challenging industrial conditions, including noise, dust, poor lighting, and limited connectivity.

Open Call #2.1: Robotics artificial intelligence

Subtopic 8: Reliability-aware localization and mapping: This subtopic calls for a robust module for the localization and mapping of mobile robots in dynamic environments where satellite navigation is limited or unavailable. The solution must fuse data from various sensors and continuously assess the reliability or availability of each sensor. The system must recognize uncertainty and degraded sensing conditions, providing actionable diagnostic information to navigation, fleet management, digital twin, and safety systems. The module must operate on various FORTIS robot platforms and maintain functionality even when certain sensors are missing.

Open Call #2.2: Application in other sectors

Topic: Leveraging FORTIS solutions in new sectors: This call focuses on applying existing FORTIS technologies in new civil sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, mining, fisheries, healthcare, events, airports, and shopping centers. Applicants must select a realistic real-world scenario and integrate at least two FORTIS packages into it, emphasizing technology transfer rather than the development of entirely new technology. They are responsible for adaptation, sourcing necessary data, validation, and defining quantitative and qualitative performance indicators. The final outcome must be a tangible demonstration, accompanied by a clear lifecycle plan and documentation regarding the benefits and challenges of the application in the new sector.

Eligible costs include direct personnel costs and purchase costs such as travel, equipment depreciation, software and licences. Indirect costs are calculated as a 25% flat rate on eligible direct personnel and purchase costs. Limited subcontracting is permitted when justified as necessary and economical.

Consortium partners of overall project:

German partners: none. Dutch partners: none. Other partners: Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation; Tampere University; Spanish National Research Council; Fondazione Bruno Kessler; Ingeniarius; Robotnik Automation; XLAB; Factor Social; F6S; Garcia; VIAS; Beko-Arçelik.

Total budget of the call:  EUR 3,142,746.92, comprising EUR 2,065,373.46 for Topic 2.1 and EUR 1,077,373.46 for Topic 2.2.

Companies with an interest in the grant opportunity can get support through the TECH.LAND partners. For more information, please contact:

Vincent Bökkerink

Project Developer and funding TECH.LAND

X-Border Cooperation North Westphalia & East Netherlands

https://techland.org/

bokkerink@techland.org

+31 6 51 98 75 07