Circular and low emission value chains through digitalisation (Processes4Planet Partnership) (RIA)

Circularity is an essential part of a wider transformation of industry towards climate neutrality and long-term competitiveness. It can deliver substantial material savings throughout value chains and production processes, generate extra value and unlock economic opportunities. While circularity is in simple terms addressed by waste from one process becoming secondary materials for others, an efficient use in the value chain in order to close the loop or reuse in other industries, can be ensured only through a transparent information system. There is thus a need for designing and piloting an information system for raw materials and components in products throughout the whole value chain of process industries.

Proposals should:

• Propose new solutions for improved use of secondary raw materials along the value chain of the own industry or in other industries;
• Propose methodologies for digital tracing and certification of secondary raw materials. This should include real-time access to information on material compositions and material quality along the whole value chain;
• Propose digital tools for integration of product passport and/or certification schemes;
• Propose open source software, open hardware design, and easy access to data, in order to facilitate access to information for the own and for other industries;
• Develop means and tools to indicate the composition and origin of recycled materials (bar code could be an option) indicating the composition and origin.
• Consider the co-design of learning resources together with local and regional educational organisations for current and future generations of employees, with the possibility of integrating them in existing curricula and modules for undergraduate level and lifelong learning programmes. Learning resources should integrate the identification of new skills and should propose innovative learning-teaching methods that meet regional social needs and have a high potential for replication.

Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. Proposals should contribute to standardisation, wherever possible.

This topic implements the co-programmed European partnership Processes4Planet.