Over its full duration, UNICORN achieved its objectives through the development and validation of four industrial use cases (battery casing, dashboard, seat & door system, and tyre-related system), each resulting in a fully functional demonstrator. Two successive generations of demonstrators (GEN1 and GEN2) were designed, manufactured and validated under relevant industrial conditions, integrating printed and flexible electronics with increased levels of circularity.
Across all use cases, the project addressed circularity along four complementary pathways: decarbonisation and energy efficiency, materials circularity and recyclability, usage optimisation, and lifetime extension. Achievements include the substitution of conventional materials with bio-based and recycled alternatives, the development of designs enabling dismantling and higher-order circularity strategies (reuse, repair, recycling), and the integration of electronic functionalities supporting predictive maintenance and extended product use.
Beyond the technical developments, UNICORN established itself as a recognised contributor to European and national innovation ecosystems in electronics, automotive and circular economy. The project actively engaged with platforms and networks such as EPoSS, OE-A, PrintoCent, AFELIM, CLEPA, ERTRAC, and clusters of projects on sustainable electronics. This holistic approach, combining technological progress with socio-economic considerations, reinforced the relevance of UNICORN’s results and opened pathways for application beyond the automotive sector.
