The main objective of Work Package 1 is to give regional ecosystems a shared, evidence-based picture of where they stand on smart automation – and a realistic pathway forward. The CROSS-IN Transformation Readiness Model, built on results from Drive2Transform, is updated for four thematic fields: automation, robotics, cybersecurity and circular economy. It is applied in every partner region through workshops with SMEs, business support organisations, clusters, research institutions and public authorities.

The regional findings are then merged into transnational transformation scenarios. The target groups are companies, above all SMEs in the automotive and mobility supply chain, and business support organisations acting as multipliers. The results also give policy makers and authorities at all levels a factual basis on the state of their innovation ecosystems.

Work Package 2 turns the analysis into competence. It builds a cross-border capacity building package that combines technical training on automation, robotics and cybersecurity with creative transformation methods – design thinking, LEGO® Serious Play® and co-creation formats taken over from Capacity2Transform. Separate training tracks address companies on the one hand and business support organisations and policy makers on the other, because the two groups need different things. Peer learning sessions, study visits and twinning activities between the partner regions make the exchange practical rather than theoretical. All formats are piloted in the regions and validated before they are released for uptake.

Work Package 3 makes sure that what CROSS-IN develops keeps working after the project ends. Thematic expert groups are set up along the four fields and bring together the people who actually implement transformation in their organisations.

Within these groups, cross-border use cases are developed and piloted, demonstrating how shared methods improve automation and innovation readiness across regions.

An international CROSS-IN conference with matchmaking brings the results to a wider audience, and a transnational action plan, a policy paper and a memorandum of understanding secure the continuation of the platform and the cooperation beyond September 2028.