Demonstration environment for Smart and Innovative Automation in the Manufacturing Industry (Smart-IAT), aims to meet the needs of manufacturing companies to strengthen competence and competitiveness. Specific goals for the Smart-IAT project are to establish a demonstration environment at the highest national as well as international level as a meeting place for knowledge transfer and experimentation. The milestones of the project are (1) building of laboratory, (2) competence centre for companies and conveying results, (3) Demonstrators as platforms for experiments, and (4) increased R & D where the project serves as leverage for new projects. The project’s activities consist of External communication and dissemination of results, Finishing, Evaluation and learning, Procurement of equipment, Demonstrator projects, and project management. Demonstrator projects form the core of the project. The regional business sector participates in different ways, as in the steering group, in experiments in demonstrators that provide skills, performance transfer and innovations. The results and benefits of the project are increased competence and competitiveness of companies. In the long term, the project provides regional business support for competitiveness and sustainability through its own capacity for R & D and continued cooperation with Linnaeus University. SMEs will work structured through R & D, which includes strengthening the innovative capacity for new solutions as well as sustainable growth.