Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DaCapo (Digital assets and tools for Circular value chains and manufacturing products)
Reporting period: 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30
DaCapo project (Digital assets and tools for Circular vale chains and manufacturing products) is a H2020 project, involving 15 partners from 10 countries with a budget allocation of almost 6 million €. DaCapo aims at establishing a systematic approach enabling the creation of human-centric digital tools and services for improving the adoption of Circular Economy strategies along both manufacturing value chains and products lifecycle.
Europe's dependence on imported materials for high-tech products highlights the need to improve raw material efficiency and reduce reliance on Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) for industrial resilience. Circular Economy (CE) principles, supported by the EU Green Deal, offer sustainable manufacturing by extending product lifecycles through recycling and remanufacturing. However, CE adoption in the EU has been slow due to challenges like paradigm shifts and information silos. Digital technologies are key to integrating circularity and fostering resilient business models in EU industries.
The project will focus its efforts in defining a new set of human-centred digital tools and services for the manufacturing industry capable of boosting the application of CE principles at different phases throughout the manufacturing value chains. The backbone of the project will be the development of an agile methodological approach supporting the decision-making accounting business models, materials flows, relevant indicators and data-sharing circular strategies along the manufacturing value chains. Digital Product Passports (DPP) and a Circular Economy Decision Support System (CE-DSS) will be considered as high-level tools. A Modular Digital Thread concept will be developed as a normalized method for orchestrating the gathering data at different points of the product lifecycle, enhancing data availability for the definition of specific sustainability and circularity indicators. This will enable the development of a range of circular-enhancing digital tools and services based on the use of AI and Digital Twins along the manufacturing product lifecycle.
DaCapo demonstrates its commercial and replicability potential on different innovative and high impact applications on critical value chains of the EU’s manufacturing sectors: aeronautics, smartphones industry (ICT & consumer electronics), warehousing (logistics). DaCapo also aims to tackle both technical and market challenges in adopting Circular Economy (CE) practices in manufacturing. Key market barriers include workforce skill shortages and end-user reluctance toward new digital technologies. To address these, DaCapo proposes a Didactic Factories (DF) Network, offering pilot facilities for testing, validation, and training on CE technologies across the EU manufacturing sector. Additionally, DaCapo will implement a replicability strategy, including standardization, certification, and Open Science practices, to enhance market acceptance and boost commercialization opportunities.
Europe's dependence on imported materials for high-tech products highlights the need to improve raw material efficiency and reduce reliance on Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) for industrial resilience. Circular Economy (CE) principles, supported by the EU Green Deal, offer sustainable manufacturing by extending product lifecycles through recycling and remanufacturing. However, CE adoption in the EU has been slow due to challenges like paradigm shifts and information silos. Digital technologies are key to integrating circularity and fostering resilient business models in EU industries.
The project will focus its efforts in defining a new set of human-centred digital tools and services for the manufacturing industry capable of boosting the application of CE principles at different phases throughout the manufacturing value chains. The backbone of the project will be the development of an agile methodological approach supporting the decision-making accounting business models, materials flows, relevant indicators and data-sharing circular strategies along the manufacturing value chains. Digital Product Passports (DPP) and a Circular Economy Decision Support System (CE-DSS) will be considered as high-level tools. A Modular Digital Thread concept will be developed as a normalized method for orchestrating the gathering data at different points of the product lifecycle, enhancing data availability for the definition of specific sustainability and circularity indicators. This will enable the development of a range of circular-enhancing digital tools and services based on the use of AI and Digital Twins along the manufacturing product lifecycle.
DaCapo demonstrates its commercial and replicability potential on different innovative and high impact applications on critical value chains of the EU’s manufacturing sectors: aeronautics, smartphones industry (ICT & consumer electronics), warehousing (logistics). DaCapo also aims to tackle both technical and market challenges in adopting Circular Economy (CE) practices in manufacturing. Key market barriers include workforce skill shortages and end-user reluctance toward new digital technologies. To address these, DaCapo proposes a Didactic Factories (DF) Network, offering pilot facilities for testing, validation, and training on CE technologies across the EU manufacturing sector. Additionally, DaCapo will implement a replicability strategy, including standardization, certification, and Open Science practices, to enhance market acceptance and boost commercialization opportunities.
In this second period DaCapo Project completed the following objectives and tasks:
- Defined mitigation strategies for critical material supply disruptions.
- Data sharing protocols and DPP data model D2.3
- Beta versions of Middleware, Modular Digital Thread, GRETA and DPP tools.
- Data models for Data interoperability using Asset Administration Shell.
- Developed digital twins (Additive Manufacturing, Machining, Battery, Warehouse) and generative design tools (Eco-Remanufacturing Architect, Eco-Case Architect, Eco-Storage Architect) and orchestrator tool (Maestro)
- ZDZW strategies for AM
- Supply chain tool for additive manufacturing (R-chain).
- Predictive maintenance tools: Blade Damage Recognition, Remaining Useful Life for batteries, COREBeat, HurryFactor, Kinematics AI, Phone disassembly tool.
- Alpha version of DaCapo DSS for the 3 use cases
- Co-evolution methodology of digital tools, operator’s skills and user interfaces (D5.1)
- Preliminary version of HMI and UX design integrated with the digital tools: XR Inspection system for two use cases.
- Defined mitigation strategies for critical material supply disruptions.
- Data sharing protocols and DPP data model D2.3
- Beta versions of Middleware, Modular Digital Thread, GRETA and DPP tools.
- Data models for Data interoperability using Asset Administration Shell.
- Developed digital twins (Additive Manufacturing, Machining, Battery, Warehouse) and generative design tools (Eco-Remanufacturing Architect, Eco-Case Architect, Eco-Storage Architect) and orchestrator tool (Maestro)
- ZDZW strategies for AM
- Supply chain tool for additive manufacturing (R-chain).
- Predictive maintenance tools: Blade Damage Recognition, Remaining Useful Life for batteries, COREBeat, HurryFactor, Kinematics AI, Phone disassembly tool.
- Alpha version of DaCapo DSS for the 3 use cases
- Co-evolution methodology of digital tools, operator’s skills and user interfaces (D5.1)
- Preliminary version of HMI and UX design integrated with the digital tools: XR Inspection system for two use cases.
- CE agile methodology for the manufacturing sector, and establishment of a set of easy-to-calculate dynamic indicators.
- Digital platform and ecosystems that allows secured data exchange among resources and companies.
- Digital Product Passport and Modular Digital Thread as core services allowing reliable data exchange.
- Digital Twins and AI based tools for eco design optimization using generative models, extension of zero defect manufacturing approaches considering circular and sustainable indicators, diagnosis and maintenance tools for extending product lifecycle.
- Decision Support System supporting the operators considering circular and sustainable indicators previously defined.
- Co-evolution methodology for symbiotically integrating professionals, machines and systems.
- AI-driven proactive industrial HMI able to dynamically convey information and instructions to the operator.
- Digital platform and ecosystems that allows secured data exchange among resources and companies.
- Digital Product Passport and Modular Digital Thread as core services allowing reliable data exchange.
- Digital Twins and AI based tools for eco design optimization using generative models, extension of zero defect manufacturing approaches considering circular and sustainable indicators, diagnosis and maintenance tools for extending product lifecycle.
- Decision Support System supporting the operators considering circular and sustainable indicators previously defined.
- Co-evolution methodology for symbiotically integrating professionals, machines and systems.
- AI-driven proactive industrial HMI able to dynamically convey information and instructions to the operator.