Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DiCiM (Digitalised Value Management for Unlocking the potential of the Circular Manufacturing Systems with integrated digital solutions)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-07-01 al 2025-12-31
Despite the important role that manufacturing plays in GDP, especially in highly industrialised countries, it is also responsible for a huge consumption of raw materials and energy, and generates a large amount of waste. Value recovery activities such as remanufacturing, recycling and reuse along the entire value chain can significantly reduce the negative impacts of manufacturing and could create more than half a million jobs in the recycling industry alone across Europe.
The main problem is the lack of data during the life cycle of products, especially after they have been sold. This makes the necessary reuse and take-back processes very complicated or even impossible. Data is lost mainly due to different ownership of products, lack of transparency of product routes and use, and different practices or return processes.
Knowing where used products/parts are and in what conditions can help optimize the reverse logistics process, which involves managing returns, dealing with any leases or refurbishments, and potentially buying surplus goods and materials. Tracking, tracing, and condition monitoring can provide with real time data about the location and condition of products. After the return of products, the processes of inspection, sorting, disassembly/dismantling, testing, and repair/refurbish/remanufacturing/recycling start.
Digital technologies can significantly enhance circular manufacturing systems by improving efficiency, transparency, and adaptability throughout the product lifecycle.
The DiCiM project aims to develop and demonstrate integrated digital solutions that enable i) tracking, tracing, and condition monitoring of products during their use phase, ii) optimization of reverse logistics, and iii) supporting tools/solutions to enhance efficiency and responsiveness of operations during the value recovery phase. The aim is to develop and demonstrate a set of integrated digital solutions that include an open-access digital platform along with a range of support solutions for managers, engineers, technicians, and operators along the value chain to support the management and engineering activities in a Circular Economy
The focus is on material and energy savings by enabling the reuse of products, components, and materials in an efficient and responsive way.
The main problem is the lack of data during the life cycle of products, especially after they have been sold. This makes the necessary reuse and take-back processes very complicated or even impossible. Data is lost mainly due to different ownership of products, lack of transparency of product routes and use, and different practices or return processes.
Knowing where used products/parts are and in what conditions can help optimize the reverse logistics process, which involves managing returns, dealing with any leases or refurbishments, and potentially buying surplus goods and materials. Tracking, tracing, and condition monitoring can provide with real time data about the location and condition of products. After the return of products, the processes of inspection, sorting, disassembly/dismantling, testing, and repair/refurbish/remanufacturing/recycling start.
Digital technologies can significantly enhance circular manufacturing systems by improving efficiency, transparency, and adaptability throughout the product lifecycle.
The DiCiM project aims to develop and demonstrate integrated digital solutions that enable i) tracking, tracing, and condition monitoring of products during their use phase, ii) optimization of reverse logistics, and iii) supporting tools/solutions to enhance efficiency and responsiveness of operations during the value recovery phase. The aim is to develop and demonstrate a set of integrated digital solutions that include an open-access digital platform along with a range of support solutions for managers, engineers, technicians, and operators along the value chain to support the management and engineering activities in a Circular Economy
The focus is on material and energy savings by enabling the reuse of products, components, and materials in an efficient and responsive way.
During the second reporting period, the main effort was put into the following tasks: 1. development of the digital solutions together with the open access digital platform (OADP) for four demonstrators; x. Start of integration and testing of digital solutions in the actual industrial environment (demonstrations) 2. work on the standardisation; 3. identification of the KPIs to be measured in the deployment phase (final reporting period); 3. update of the Key exploitable results (KERs) and initial work on the development of the exploitation strategy for KERs; 4. initial work on evaluation of the upscaling and business potential for both the demonstrators and at the sector level; 5. development of the training plans and materials for demonstrators, as well as the initial work on training execution; 6. IPR strategy. X. continued effort to create impact through dissemination and collaboration.
All digital solutions are ready for deployment, integration, and testing in the real industrial environment as per the plan. DiCiM project members actively contributed to developing several standards (WI 00473003: Circular Economy – Product-related data and information sharing along value networks; FprEN 18219:2025 – Digital Product Passport – Unique Identifiers and FprEN 18220:2025 – Digital Product Passport – Data Carriers). 120 potential KPIs have been identified as relevant for measurement in the case of the digital solutions application with demonstrators. Key exploitable results have been updated and bundled into 5 categories, and preliminary market data have been collected and analysed for the exploitation strategies and the upscaling of business potentials. Demonstrators together with IT developers and MU developed training plans and training materials, and IPR registry has been created, which is continuously updated and followed up.
Beyond these innovation activities, other tasks were also fulfilled on an ongoing basis. The main achievements lie in the synergies across demonstrators and cross-learning.
All digital solutions are ready for deployment, integration, and testing in the real industrial environment as per the plan. DiCiM project members actively contributed to developing several standards (WI 00473003: Circular Economy – Product-related data and information sharing along value networks; FprEN 18219:2025 – Digital Product Passport – Unique Identifiers and FprEN 18220:2025 – Digital Product Passport – Data Carriers). 120 potential KPIs have been identified as relevant for measurement in the case of the digital solutions application with demonstrators. Key exploitable results have been updated and bundled into 5 categories, and preliminary market data have been collected and analysed for the exploitation strategies and the upscaling of business potentials. Demonstrators together with IT developers and MU developed training plans and training materials, and IPR registry has been created, which is continuously updated and followed up.
Beyond these innovation activities, other tasks were also fulfilled on an ongoing basis. The main achievements lie in the synergies across demonstrators and cross-learning.
Demonstrating these developed digital solutions will be the key contribution in the final reporting period, accompanied by an exploitation strategy and an analysis of the solutions' scaling potential and key exploitable results, with the impact of the improved circularity of products and materials and material and energy savings, as well as CO2 reduction. Intensive cooperation between the primary users of the digital solutions and demonstrators (i.e. the people responsible for the demonstration in companies), IT developers, and training materials developers is essential. Constant feedback and a double-loop approach are needed for improvements (if required) and to learn from the demonstration process. For the exploitation strategy and evaluation of scaling potential, coping with the lack of necessary data and information from secondary sources, and involving demonstrators in primary data collection, will be crucial and challenging.