Over the 48 months of implementation, DIGIECOQUARRY successfully delivered on its objectives, moving from the definition of requirements to large-scale demonstration and validation across five European pilot sites. Each Work Package (WP) progressively contributed to building the IQS:
• WP1 defined the requirements for smart, sustainable digital quarries.
• WPs 2–3 developed and validated innovative technologies covering advanced rock characterisation, adaptive drilling and blasting techniques, new energy-efficient drilling methods, mobile crushers with noise and dust mitigation systems, drill-to-mill optimisation, and a full set of sensors and automation solutions for treatment plants, storage facilities, and mobile equipment.
• WP4 consolidated these developments into the IQS, defining ICT requirements, implementing data lakes, benchmarking IoT frameworks, designing the system architecture, and integrating AI services and BIM-based digital twins.
• WP5 contributed safety and environmental systems, including AI-based pedestrian recognition, collision avoidance tools, energy consumption monitoring, and environmental impact simulation.
• WP6 implemented, tested, and validated all these solutions across the five pilot sites in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, and Germany. Each site demonstrated complementary aspects of the IQS, enabling validation of technologies in diverse operational and geological contexts. More than 30 innovative solutions were piloted, covering blasting optimisation, crushing and screening models, production control, environmental monitoring, digital dashboards, and AI-enabled predictive systems.
• WPs 7–8 focused on social acceptance and knowledge transfer. Community engagement strategies were rolled out at all pilot sites, supported by open days, stakeholder dialogues, and surveys, helping to improve public perception and trust. At policy level, targeted communication with national and European authorities supported regulatory dialogue on digitisation and sustainability in raw materials. Knowledge transfer and international cooperation were fostered through clustering with EU-funded sister projects and collaboration with partners in Colombia and South Africa.
• WPs 9–10 ensured dissemination, exploitation, and project management. Dissemination actions included peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, workshops, MOOCs, webinars, and communication materials, reaching thousands of stakeholders. Exploitation activities focused on identifying Key Exploitable Results (KERs), preparing business plans, and defining market pathways. A catalogue of innovations, The Smart Side of Quarrying, was published in English and Spanish to support future deployment. Project management ensured effective coordination, timely delivery, risk mitigation, and quality control.
