The aim of the current project is to bring about the development of the full demonstrator of DiCiM, a set of integrated digital solutions that makes use of Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning (ML) based Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Image Processing and Augmented Reality (AR) to support different actors of the industrial value chain such as managers, engineers and operators in their decision making and to carry out value recovery activities for circular economy. The integrated digital solutions include an open access digital platform for lifecycle information management and support solutions for value recovery activities. DiCiM project revolves around the value use and value recovery phases of the Circular Value Model (CVM) with the specific data, technology and the management needed to support its implementation. In particular, it focuses on integrated digital solutions to enabling condition monitoring during the use phase, optimizing the reverse logistics, and achieving efficiency and responsiveness in the value recovery activities (i.e. collection, inspection, sorting, disassembly, testing and repairing/refurbishing/remanufacturing/recycling) to enable reuse of products, parts and materials. DiCiM project will demonstrate integrated digital solutions in four use cases in three industrial sectors that represent over two thirds of the European Economy. They include whitegoods (i.e. refrigerators, washing machines), electronics (i.e. printers) and automotive. With important gains such as increase in spare part recovery efficiency by 90% (which means 126 000 labour hours are saved for refrigerator demonstrator) and increase in spare part recovery rate by 20% (about 2920 tons net material saving for washing machines and 6000 tons for automotive). DiCiM digital solutions will boost new circular economy business models based on value recovery activities to sustain and encourage remanufacturing throughout Europe.

The overall goal of ReCiPSS is to explore success factors for circular manufacturing systems in two cases where OEMs have different levels control over their value chains: one case with full control, and one case with partial control. The project will achieve this goal through two industry-driven large-scale demonstrators of circular manufacturing systems in two key industries The white goods demonstrator relates to a tightly connected value chain and will demonstrate the successful implementation of circular manufacturing systems where the OEM (Gorenje) is in full control of the entire product throughout all stages (i.e. design, manufacturing, forward supply chain, customer use phase, reverse supply chain, recovery activities and re-distribution). The demonstrator will develop and implement a pay-per-wash offering for 300 washing machines, using co-creation methods. Each washing machine will be refurbished twice and serve over 3 life cycles of 5 years. The generalization of this new business model should lead to additional revenues of €150M per year. The automotive spare parts demonstrator relates to a more complex value chain where the OEM (Bosch) does not have full control of the product throughout all stages. In order to demonstrate how third-party automotive remanufacturers can be effectively integrated in circular supply chains while keeping their independence from the OEM, the demonstrator will streamline the reverse logistics flow for 80,000 cores, enabling aftermarket stakeholders to close the loop by using a single service provider for reverse logistics. Cores will be identified and evaluated only once and then directly shipped to the final destination (remanufacturer), allowing cost savings of €5 per core i.e. potential savings of €175M per year if generalized throughout the industry. Co-creation workshops with stakeholders will ensure that the way the used cores are identified and transported is optimally aligned with the needs of all parties involved.

DigiPrime has the mission to develop a new concept of Circular Economy digital platform overcoming current information asymmetry among value-chain stakeholders, in order to unlock new circular business models based on the data-enhanced recovery and re-use of functions and materials from high value-added post-use products with a cross-sectorial approach. DigiPrime will create and operate a federated model of digital platforms for cross-sector business in the Circular Economy. Nodes of the federation will offer interoperable functions and data, that can be accessed by other nodes, combined with local data and services, that are not exposed outside; connectors and open interfaces enable easy integration of new services, provided by third parties, that are not made accessible outside. Specific attention will be devoted to create trustable data sharing mechanisms, preserving the confidentiality of business-critical data. Security and sovereignity of information are guaranteed by IDSA (Industrial Data Space Association)-based solutions for on-demand and controlled sharing of data among organisations, regulated by smart contracts and tracked by block-chain. The services covers: i) the cross-sector value-Chains dimension (De- and remanufacturing oriented product information management, product co-creation, LCA-LCC for eco-design, demand-supply matching, sustainable value network and reverse logistics barriers identification and legislation support, etc.), ii) the operational dimension (rediction of product conditions, de-and remanufacturing decision support system, demand and supply forecasting, circular production planning and control, material testing and certificationetc). DigiPrime, will be thoroughly validated through 6 cross-sectorial pilots, further detailed in 20 use-cases covering 5 different European industrial sectors (automotive, renewable energy, electronics, textile, construction), and by additional pilots in new sectors, funded through an Open Call mechanism.

Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (E&HEVs) will be an opportunity to drastically innovate mobility products and services in the direction of sustainability and of higher accessibility for customers. If coupled with innovative services offered by car manufacturers in a network of well coordinated partners supporting extensive and efficient End-Of-Life operations, the advent of E&HEVs could revolution the current mobility consumption uses of people and preserve the environmental much more than the only substitution of traditional cars with E&HEVs could do. In particular, non-ownership based models of E&HEVs with additional added-value services (leasing or renting contracts with periodic upgrade through remanufacturing, pay per use, etc.), would give OEMs the possibility to establish long-term customers relationships on one hand, and of setting-up innovative supply chains that performs systematic remanufacturing and reuse of E&HEVs parts in order to maximize the residual value of components and materials on the other. Remanufacturing, reuse and recycling would become the strategies upon which car manufacturers would base future competitiveness, leveraging on the benefits of costs saving and, at the same time, guaranteeing environmental benefits and superior performances to customers. However, there are substantial barriers to implement these new business models. The main one is developing adequate capabilities to remanufacture and reuse E&HEVs’ components and materials in order to provide customers with added value. This is significantly difficult especially from the technological point of view, since E&HEVs determine a fundamental transformation in vehicles design, featuring a substantial evolution in the critical components and materials. The CarE-Service project will demonstrate new enabling technologies and service to systematically perform innovative reuse and remanufacturing as key-processes to provide value to customers and, at the same time, to minimize environmental impacts.