A Digital value chain Integration Traceability framework for process industries for Circularity and low Emissions by waste reduction and use of secondary raw materials

Project Information

DigInTraCE

Grant agreement ID: 101091801

DOI

10.3030/101091801

EC signature date 14 November 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 7 645 581,75

EU contribution

€ 7 645 581,50

Coordinated by

EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTON
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DigInTraCE (A Digital value chain Integration Traceability framework for process industries for Circularity and low Emissions by waste reduction and use of secondary raw materials)

Reporting period: 2024-07-01 to 2025-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

DigInTraCE supports the EU’s circular economy ambitions under the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and the Digital Compass 2030 by tackling persistent barriers such as limited transparency and traceability, complex information management, and uneven digital readiness across value chains. It addresses these gaps through a decentralised digital traceability platform combining blockchain, AI and dynamic Digital Product Passports (DPPs) to provide near real-time information on product/material composition, origin and lifecycle, enabling better circularity decisions and increased use of secondary materials across targeted industrial sectors. Its impact pathway focuses on: enabling reuse/recycling/upcycling through digital tools; establishing new decentralised tracing concepts validated in demonstrations; improving real-time data exchange via DPPs supported by sensing/sorting; strengthening cross-sector data access and collaboration via smart tags, blockchain contracts and open solutions; and validating the technologies in real-world pilots to accelerate adoption. The project is expected to contribute to Europe’s digital and green transition by improving data-driven circular practices and resource efficiency, while integrating social sciences and humanities to assess socio-economic impacts, shape viable business models, and improve stakeholder engagement and skills development—supporting broader acceptance and uptake of circular economy practices.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In Period 2, WP2 reinforced DigInTraCE’s traceability foundations by updating the methodology, completing demonstrator mappings (including the Italian mapping after D2.2) refining granularity, and advancing simulation-based analysis of information flows. It also defined requirements for secure, resilient real-time data exchange on Hyperledger Fabric (variable bandwidth, out-of-order events, fault tolerance, observability), enabling downstream platform integration. WP3 advanced sensing and assessment by further developing/validating HSI-based material characterisation (supported by Raman) and completing a multi-pilot wood/plastics sorting system (feeding, RGB/HSI sensing, pneumatic separation, sieving) for Greek, Spanish, and Italian use cases; it also upgraded and validated LCA Tool 2.0 (PEF-aligned, cross-demonstrator), supporting environmental indicators in DPP lifecycle events. WP4 matured the digital infrastructure via a dynamic DPP architecture, a shared redundant Hyperledger Fabric network, and GS1 EPCIS-aligned chaincodes with append-only error/correction for auditability; it expanded the Financial Toolkit and developed MR visualisation, then integrated these into the common platform (updated DPP model, IAM, resilience/event reconciliation, LCA/CLSC ingestion), delivering an interoperable backbone ready for operation. WP5 delivered major upgrading results: optimised protein extraction for bio-based resins (sunflower down-selected; up to 79.9% recovery; conventional route to TRL5), demonstrator-scale wood fractionation plus a high-performing computer-vision pipeline for mosaic automation, and plastics fingerprinting showing strong NIR-HSI discrimination (global MCC 0.84) with Raman candidate markers for vPET/rPET; it also reconfigured the Italian scenario after SIGIT’s exit while maintaining objectives via validated sorting and AI/MES-linked optimisation. WP6 established and operated the demonstrators, delivered the systems design baseline (D6.2) and completed development for all pilots by M36 (MS5), scaling Greek wood activities to demonstrator operation, advancing Spanish wood automation via robot–camera integration, and progressing plastics through Belgian rPET yarn trials and Italian sorting plus AI-driven optimisation linked to DPP traceability.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

WP2: Produced a demonstrator-ready traceability methodology (mappings + granularity) and defined requirements for secure, resilient real-time data exchange/event reconciliation on DLT. Impact: more trustworthy, interoperable traceability and smoother DPP linkage for operations and compliance. Needs: wider standards alignment (e.g. EPCIS semantics), scale stress-tests, and clear cross-company governance (roles, ownership, liability). WP3: Validated RGB+HSI sorting (pneumatics + sieving) for wood/plastics and delivered a PEF-aligned LCA Tool 2.0 integrated with DPP events. Impact: higher-quality secondary materials and traceable environmental metrics for optimisation and claims. Needs: more industrial validation, calibration/datasets, MES/SCADA integration, and accepted digital quality standards. WP4: Integrated the platform stack (dynamic DPP, redundant Hyperledger Fabric, EPCIS chaincodes with append-only corrections, IAM, resilience layer) plus Financial Toolkit and MR visualisation. Impact: end-to-end auditable and usable digital infrastructure for circular supply chains. Needs: production hardening/security, clear IPR/licensing and deployment models, robust APIs, and alignment with DPP regulation/standards. WP5: Delivered upgrading results: TRL5 bio-based adhesive protein route (sunflower), demonstrator-scale wood fractions with CV automation, and plastics verification via NIR-HSI/Raman markers; maintained Italian scenario continuity with sorting + AI optimisation. Impact: reduced fossil inputs, higher-value by-products, better recycled plastics verification, less scrap. Needs: pilot-scale/TEA validation, scale-up protocols, standard specs/acceptance criteria, and market qualification/IPR. WP6: Established all pilots (M36) and demonstrated integration of physical processes with the digital traceability stack (DPP updates, event capture, tool integration). Impact: credible reference implementations for replication and investment. Needs: longer KPI monitoring in real conditions, replication guidance, scale-up finance, and continued regulatory/standards alignment

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