On February 10, 2017, MICHELIN Group teamed up with IMobS³ LabEx to create FACTOLAB, a public-private laboratory dedicated to "the industry of the future". This joint initiative aims to reinforce the partnership initiated in the Clermont site by the private group to the public research players, particularly those involved in IMobS³. To date, five LabEx laboratories are partners: Pascal Institute, LIMOS, LAPSCO, LMPB and Acté. This joint laboratory is focused around a medium/long term research and development program, and is based on an agreement between the CNRS and the Manufacture.

This laboratory has to overcome the barriers in order to face the current challenge of "digitizing productive equipment" (4^th industrial revolution), particularly through the implementation of collaborative robots and/or new digital technologies. Thus, objectives are to develop new devices that will eliminate some of the strenuous or stressful tasks, to improve the operator comfort, and, also to finally improve the work efficiency and production equipment attractiveness.

Today, 4 projects have been identified as strategic:

• Connected man (ergonomics, acceptability, use of new digital devices);
• Cobotics (dextral manipulation and human/robot intuitive cooperation);
• Autonomous manipulative carriages (Automated Guided Vehicle - AGV);
• Smart machines (Artificial Intelligence).