Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ECOFACT (ECO-innovative Energy FACTory Management System based on enhanced LCA and LCCA towards resource-efficient manufacturing)
Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-06-30
The ECOFACT project tackled the urgent challenge of reducing the environmental footprint and energy dependence of European manufacturing while maintaining competitiveness. Industry is one of the largest consumers of energy and raw materials, generating significant greenhouse gas emissions and waste. Achieving higher efficiency and sustainability in factories is therefore crucial both for climate action and for industrial resilience, innovation and cost reduction.
ECOFACT set out to develop and validate an eco-innovative factory management platform that integrates production, energy and environmental information in real time. The platform combines smart sensors, industrial internet-of-things (IIoT) devices, data analytics, digital twins and dynamic life cycle models to support decision-making in industrial operations. By doing so, it enables companies to cut energy bills, reduce CO2 emissions, minimise waste and improve process sustainability.
The project focused on four industrial demonstrators from different sectors: Athenian Brewery (beverages), Arçelik (household appliances), Gullón (food) and Tofaş (automotive). These sites served to test the platform under real operating conditions, proving its adaptability and sectoral transferability.
The overall objectives were to (i) validate the ECOFACT platform up to TRL7 in complex industrial environments, (ii) demonstrate average reductions of 20–25% in energy use and 5–10% in environmental impacts, (iii) create methodologies and guidelines for replication, (iv) support standardisation and certification schemes for sustainable manufacturing, and (v) prepare exploitation strategies and business models for market uptake.
By the end of the project, ECOFACT has successfully moved from concept to demonstration in real plants, providing clear evidence that digitalisation and sustainability can go hand in hand, contributing directly to the European Green Deal and the path towards climate-neutral industry.
ECOFACT set out to develop and validate an eco-innovative factory management platform that integrates production, energy and environmental information in real time. The platform combines smart sensors, industrial internet-of-things (IIoT) devices, data analytics, digital twins and dynamic life cycle models to support decision-making in industrial operations. By doing so, it enables companies to cut energy bills, reduce CO2 emissions, minimise waste and improve process sustainability.
The project focused on four industrial demonstrators from different sectors: Athenian Brewery (beverages), Arçelik (household appliances), Gullón (food) and Tofaş (automotive). These sites served to test the platform under real operating conditions, proving its adaptability and sectoral transferability.
The overall objectives were to (i) validate the ECOFACT platform up to TRL7 in complex industrial environments, (ii) demonstrate average reductions of 20–25% in energy use and 5–10% in environmental impacts, (iii) create methodologies and guidelines for replication, (iv) support standardisation and certification schemes for sustainable manufacturing, and (v) prepare exploitation strategies and business models for market uptake.
By the end of the project, ECOFACT has successfully moved from concept to demonstration in real plants, providing clear evidence that digitalisation and sustainability can go hand in hand, contributing directly to the European Green Deal and the path towards climate-neutral industry.
From its launch, ECOFACT designed and implemented a holistic monitoring architecture that links local data acquisition systems with a central platform. Smart sensors and interoperability modules were deployed in all demonstrators, enabling the seamless flow of energy and production data. This information was channelled to the Energy and Resource Management System (ERMS), which supports predictive maintenance, production planning, resource optimisation and energy flexibility.
A major innovation was the creation of digital twins for critical processes such as beer fermentation, washing machine assembly, biscuit ovens and automotive paint booths. These virtual models allow operators to simulate scenarios, forecast energy use, detect inefficiencies and anticipate failures. In parallel, dynamic LCA/LCCA models were connected to production data, enabling real-time evaluation of environmental and cost impacts.
The platform was validated under real industrial conditions, reaching TRL7. Results include energy savings of up to 25% in specific processes, significant reductions in downtime and material losses, and measurable decreases in CO2 emissions (5–10%). In addition, optimised planning and predictive maintenance reduced operational costs, including an estimated €250,000 in maintenance savings across the pilots.
ECOFACT also worked beyond the demonstrators. Replication guides were created, and five feasibility studies with external companies in food, packaging, wine and dairy confirmed the wider applicability of the methodology. Dissemination was extensive, with nine newsletters, six webinars, 25+ international conferences, and training sessions at pilot plants. In total, the project reached over 50 institutions and more than 8,000 citizens through communication campaigns.
Exploitation planning was consolidated in the Final Exploitation Plan, defining business models such as Software-as-a-Service, licences and partnerships. Key Exploitable Results (KERs) include the ECOFACT platform, digital twin modules, predictive algorithms and dynamic LCA tools. Protection strategies were prepared through an IPR framework to secure sustainability and market readiness.
Finally, ECOFACT contributed to standardisation with the publication of CWA 18188, providing guidelines for sustainable manufacturing certification. This ensures that the project’s legacy will influence both industrial practices and European policy frameworks.
A major innovation was the creation of digital twins for critical processes such as beer fermentation, washing machine assembly, biscuit ovens and automotive paint booths. These virtual models allow operators to simulate scenarios, forecast energy use, detect inefficiencies and anticipate failures. In parallel, dynamic LCA/LCCA models were connected to production data, enabling real-time evaluation of environmental and cost impacts.
The platform was validated under real industrial conditions, reaching TRL7. Results include energy savings of up to 25% in specific processes, significant reductions in downtime and material losses, and measurable decreases in CO2 emissions (5–10%). In addition, optimised planning and predictive maintenance reduced operational costs, including an estimated €250,000 in maintenance savings across the pilots.
ECOFACT also worked beyond the demonstrators. Replication guides were created, and five feasibility studies with external companies in food, packaging, wine and dairy confirmed the wider applicability of the methodology. Dissemination was extensive, with nine newsletters, six webinars, 25+ international conferences, and training sessions at pilot plants. In total, the project reached over 50 institutions and more than 8,000 citizens through communication campaigns.
Exploitation planning was consolidated in the Final Exploitation Plan, defining business models such as Software-as-a-Service, licences and partnerships. Key Exploitable Results (KERs) include the ECOFACT platform, digital twin modules, predictive algorithms and dynamic LCA tools. Protection strategies were prepared through an IPR framework to secure sustainability and market readiness.
Finally, ECOFACT contributed to standardisation with the publication of CWA 18188, providing guidelines for sustainable manufacturing certification. This ensures that the project’s legacy will influence both industrial practices and European policy frameworks.
ECOFACT has gone well beyond the state of the art in factory management by creating a holistic and user-oriented platform that combines energy efficiency, production optimisation and environmental sustainability into a single tool. Traditional factory monitoring solutions usually focus on isolated aspects, such as energy consumption or production scheduling. ECOFACT integrates all these dimensions and enhances them with predictive simulations, digital twins and dynamic life cycle models, enabling real-time decision-making for sustainable manufacturing.
In practice, this means that operators and managers can anticipate problems, test alternative production scenarios and immediately evaluate the environmental and cost implications of their choices. For example, in the automotive demonstrator, digital twins of paint booths reduced material losses and optimised oven energy use, while in the brewery demonstrator, predictive cooling models enabled significant cuts in electricity consumption. These results demonstrate that ECOFACT not only saves energy, but also directly improves productivity and product quality.
The project has validated its solutions across four diverse industrial sectors, proving their versatility and scalability. Demonstrated impacts include up to 25% reductions in energy consumption, 5–10% lower environmental footprints, notable decreases in life cycle costs and more efficient integration of renewable energy sources. The replicability of the ECOFACT methodology was confirmed through five external feasibility studies in packaging, food, wine and dairy industries, where energy savings of 8–22% and reductions of up to 18% in CO2 emissions were estimated.
The expected impacts extend beyond technical results. For industry, ECOFACT offers lower costs, greater resilience against energy price volatility, and a competitive advantage through sustainable production and greener products. For society, it supports European climate neutrality goals, reduces the industrial sector’s carbon footprint, and fosters more circular and resource-efficient value chains.
Importantly, ECOFACT has also influenced the policy and regulatory landscape. The publication of CWA 18188 provides a reference for future European standards on sustainable manufacturing, ensuring that the project’s outcomes contribute to shaping the next generation of certification schemes. The development of exploitation plans, business models and training materials ensures that the platform is not only a research result, but a ready-to-use solution for market uptake.
Overall, ECOFACT demonstrates that sustainable, digitalised manufacturing is both feasible and profitable. It paves the way for widespread adoption of smart energy and resource management systems, offering a concrete pathway for European industry to lead the global transition to climate-neutral, competitive and socially responsible production.
In practice, this means that operators and managers can anticipate problems, test alternative production scenarios and immediately evaluate the environmental and cost implications of their choices. For example, in the automotive demonstrator, digital twins of paint booths reduced material losses and optimised oven energy use, while in the brewery demonstrator, predictive cooling models enabled significant cuts in electricity consumption. These results demonstrate that ECOFACT not only saves energy, but also directly improves productivity and product quality.
The project has validated its solutions across four diverse industrial sectors, proving their versatility and scalability. Demonstrated impacts include up to 25% reductions in energy consumption, 5–10% lower environmental footprints, notable decreases in life cycle costs and more efficient integration of renewable energy sources. The replicability of the ECOFACT methodology was confirmed through five external feasibility studies in packaging, food, wine and dairy industries, where energy savings of 8–22% and reductions of up to 18% in CO2 emissions were estimated.
The expected impacts extend beyond technical results. For industry, ECOFACT offers lower costs, greater resilience against energy price volatility, and a competitive advantage through sustainable production and greener products. For society, it supports European climate neutrality goals, reduces the industrial sector’s carbon footprint, and fosters more circular and resource-efficient value chains.
Importantly, ECOFACT has also influenced the policy and regulatory landscape. The publication of CWA 18188 provides a reference for future European standards on sustainable manufacturing, ensuring that the project’s outcomes contribute to shaping the next generation of certification schemes. The development of exploitation plans, business models and training materials ensures that the platform is not only a research result, but a ready-to-use solution for market uptake.
Overall, ECOFACT demonstrates that sustainable, digitalised manufacturing is both feasible and profitable. It paves the way for widespread adoption of smart energy and resource management systems, offering a concrete pathway for European industry to lead the global transition to climate-neutral, competitive and socially responsible production.