Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RemaNet (Remanufacturing Network)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
In the current socio-economic climate, European producers face challenges like raw material shortages, fluctuating costs, and uncertain deliveries. According to the EU's agenda, manufacturers must reduce environmental impacts to combat climate change and achieve zero carbon emissions. A sustainable solution involves rethinking product life cycles and revitalizing End of Life (EoL) products.
The RemaNet project addresses this by promoting remanufacturing, recycling, and material efficiency. It introduces a digital platform designed to extend the remanufacturing value chain. This platform fosters collaboration between different actors, who share expertise and engage in every stage of the remanufacturing process.
RemaNet’s key aim is to establish a new business model for remanufacturing. Digital tools on the platform will match supply and demand, securely share data, and ensure full traceability of materials and processes. The platform also integrates shopfloor and process data with advanced monitoring tools, creating a seamless and reliable data flow from the factory floor throughout the value chain.
This business model will be validated across five use cases in different sectors: automotive, molds and dies, energy, and machining inserts. The project demonstrates the feasibility of new technologies within a circular economy framework.
RemaNet envisions a shift from rigid to distributed remanufacturing models, enabled by digital tools that allow multiple players to collaborate as effectively as a single skilled entity. This collaborative approach will benefit SMEs and expand the market for remanufactured products, enhancing their perceived value and boosting the competitiveness of European businesses globally.
The RemaNet project addresses this by promoting remanufacturing, recycling, and material efficiency. It introduces a digital platform designed to extend the remanufacturing value chain. This platform fosters collaboration between different actors, who share expertise and engage in every stage of the remanufacturing process.
RemaNet’s key aim is to establish a new business model for remanufacturing. Digital tools on the platform will match supply and demand, securely share data, and ensure full traceability of materials and processes. The platform also integrates shopfloor and process data with advanced monitoring tools, creating a seamless and reliable data flow from the factory floor throughout the value chain.
This business model will be validated across five use cases in different sectors: automotive, molds and dies, energy, and machining inserts. The project demonstrates the feasibility of new technologies within a circular economy framework.
RemaNet envisions a shift from rigid to distributed remanufacturing models, enabled by digital tools that allow multiple players to collaborate as effectively as a single skilled entity. This collaborative approach will benefit SMEs and expand the market for remanufactured products, enhancing their perceived value and boosting the competitiveness of European businesses globally.
RemaNet projects officially started on January 2024 and, within these first months of the project, some important deliverables have been already submitted as a result of the work performed by the different partners. At the same time, some general meetings have been carried out to boost the collaborative work not only on digital tools but also by meeting in person.
At the beginning, the governance structure and the communication flow and method have been established and shared (D1.1) as well as the communication means and structure (D10.1 D10.2); these include a comprehensive outline of the management activities and procedures within RemaNet, as well as the definition of the management structure.
Then, the standardization of the activities and the communication and dissemination plan (D10.3) were set within specific deliverables, as well as the standardisation of the activities into the EU regulatory framework (D10.4).
The last deliverable (D2.1) has then set the definition of the business policies for the platform based on the different use cases. To ensure effective and efficient deployment of the RemaNet platform and vision, indeed, different scenarios have been identified and will be analysed and solved both as technical sub-project themselves and as first practical remanufacturing cases through the platform.
At the beginning, the governance structure and the communication flow and method have been established and shared (D1.1) as well as the communication means and structure (D10.1 D10.2); these include a comprehensive outline of the management activities and procedures within RemaNet, as well as the definition of the management structure.
Then, the standardization of the activities and the communication and dissemination plan (D10.3) were set within specific deliverables, as well as the standardisation of the activities into the EU regulatory framework (D10.4).
The last deliverable (D2.1) has then set the definition of the business policies for the platform based on the different use cases. To ensure effective and efficient deployment of the RemaNet platform and vision, indeed, different scenarios have been identified and will be analysed and solved both as technical sub-project themselves and as first practical remanufacturing cases through the platform.
Among the first key results of this project, supportive regulatory and standardization frameworks are crucial. The RemaNet project aligns well with European sustainability and data-sharing requirements, particularly regarding CEN/CLC/JTC 24, created in response to the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) under the European Green Deal.
Additionally, RemaNet is pivotal in reliable and efficient data sharing. It supports the Digital Product Passport (DPP), ensuring stakeholders—manufacturers, distributors, consumers, and recyclers—access traceable product information, promoting informed consumer choices, resource management, and sustainability practices.
Beyond the state of the art, an analysis of the platform’s requirements provided valuable insights. In-depth use-case exploration identified challenges in proving remanufacturing solution viability. Additional challenges were outlined to guide the development and validation of strategic platform services to ensure further exploitation.
Technically, key results include developing a solid platform infrastructure. A service-oriented architecture has been deemed essential, with APIs for microservices being defined, dataspaces structured, and data interoperability prioritized.
For user interaction, preliminary work defined different platform user types and interactions. Strategic tools were identified to formalize the platform’s structured and unstructured data sources, ensuring growth beyond the project’s duration.
Since some RemaNet services/tools require using sensitive know-how or sharing restricted data among specific partners, data management based on an IDS-compliant framework must prioritize information ownership. This applies to distributed federated remanufacturing actors and technology providers involved.
Additionally, RemaNet is pivotal in reliable and efficient data sharing. It supports the Digital Product Passport (DPP), ensuring stakeholders—manufacturers, distributors, consumers, and recyclers—access traceable product information, promoting informed consumer choices, resource management, and sustainability practices.
Beyond the state of the art, an analysis of the platform’s requirements provided valuable insights. In-depth use-case exploration identified challenges in proving remanufacturing solution viability. Additional challenges were outlined to guide the development and validation of strategic platform services to ensure further exploitation.
Technically, key results include developing a solid platform infrastructure. A service-oriented architecture has been deemed essential, with APIs for microservices being defined, dataspaces structured, and data interoperability prioritized.
For user interaction, preliminary work defined different platform user types and interactions. Strategic tools were identified to formalize the platform’s structured and unstructured data sources, ensuring growth beyond the project’s duration.
Since some RemaNet services/tools require using sensitive know-how or sharing restricted data among specific partners, data management based on an IDS-compliant framework must prioritize information ownership. This applies to distributed federated remanufacturing actors and technology providers involved.