Additive Manufacturing (AM) is proving to be a disruptive enabling technology with a huge potential to be applied in the Health Sector (HS) . If there was still any doubt, the current situation with COVID19 has shown the potential, flexibility and agility of this technology to answer critical situations (1).Then why has not been globally integrated in hospitals? There are recognised barriers to the integration of AM in HS, one of them being the lack of knowledge and skills on the use of technology and the related organizational models (2).ALADDIN aims to contribute to this integration by developing a specific training programme on AM in Hospitals (as health cornerstones they will have a multiplying effect in the whole HS) for two key players identified in the European value chain on AM medical devices (3): - health professionals working in hospitals (doctors, surgeons, biotechnologists, ...) - engineering students for their future incorporation into the health sector.It will have the next specific objectives:- Develop an innovative training on AM in Hospitals. (First version m12 final version m24).- Assess the training programme, the materials and the contents developed through pilot training courses.- Disseminate project results to the main stakeholders at European Level. It is estimated to reach 5000 stakeholders (see Follow-up section for more information).- Exploit project results after the end of the project.The execution of the Project will be structured according to:1.Development of Training Methodology and the Teaching guide.2.Development of Training Contents.3.Development of the E-learning Platform.4.Pilot Training activities.Consortium is composed by 6 members with complementary capacities and in charge of different project activities.- AIMPLAS, the Technological Institute of Plastics with more than 500 associated companies. They have participated in more than 100 EU projects (FP5, FP6, FP7, LIFE+, EcoInnova. & H2020). AIMPLAS will coordinate the project and will be in charge of the Development of the Training Contents.- Jobs@skills (Belgium) is an incubator of high level innovative lifelong-learning training programs located in Belgium. They gather local universities, higher education schools and local public training centers around strategic and innovative training topics. Very much active in “New ways of learning”, with lot of expertise, methodologies and top level equipments to produce Digital learning and Hybrid learning products such as MOOCS, SPOCS, Webinars, Virtual classrooms, Gamification. They will be in charge of the Development of the Training Methodology.- The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre is part of the AMRC Group, a cluster of world-class centres for industry-focused research and development of technologies used in high-value manufacturing sectors. It has a global reputation and has become a model for collaborative research involving universities, academics and industry, worldwide. AMRC will be in charge of the Development of the Eplatform.- ITEMAS aims to promote innovation in medical technology as an essential tool in making the Spanish National Health System more sustainable. The core of the ITEMAS comprises the innovation units of 30 large hospitals, in addition to the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality and the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC). They will be in charge of the Validation Actions as well as of the quality assurance of the project.- NUI Galway representing the Translational Medical Device Lab & Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI). Partnership of clinical and academic centres. HIHI works directly with 23 public hospitals in Ireland.. HIHI will be in charge of the Exploitation and Sustainability activities of the project.- The European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE) is a European non-profit association that includes national hospital associations or representatives from national hospital owners’ organisations of the 27 Member States of the European Union. HOPE members cover almost 80% of hospital activity in the EU. They will be in charge of Communication Activities.The main results of the project will be the Training on AM for health professionals working in hospitals and engineering students for their future incorporation into the health sector, which will have an impact at long term by allowing HS to get the most of AM technology so it will on one side contribute to increase the quality of the Healthcare system and on the other increase the competitivity of the AM Industry.(1)https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/eu-industry-touts-3d-printing-as-immediate-solution-to-covid-19-shortages/ (2)The future of Health Care. Potential impacts and models of 3D printing in the Health Care sector. Deloitte 2018(3)https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/kets-tools/sites/default/files/documents/analytical_report_nr6_3d_printed_medical_devices_fina

The 75% of the EU building stock is energy inefficient. Buildings hold a large untapped potential for renewables and energy efficiency in order to decarbonise the EU economy, to ensure security of supply and to provide cost savings to EU households and businesses alike. In this context, Shallow Geothermal Energy Systems (SGES) are a stable, reliable and renewable energy source with some key features compared to many other RES: being available everywhere and being capable of providing not only heating, but also cooling with unparalleled efficiency. Amongst SGES, closed loop systems with vertical Borehole Heat Exchangers enjoy the widest deployment in the EU where the total installed number of GSHP units amounts nowadays to about 1,4 million, representing an installed capacity of about 16.500 MWth. Against this background, there is still a need to remove market barriers and gain competitiveness, but also to develop the next generation of geothermal systems with new materials for penetrating further the market of building construction and renovation. Also the area of District Heating and Cooling needs improved heating and cooling storage technologies which could largely benefit from enhanced Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) technologies. By a smart combination of different material solutions under the umbrella of sophisticated engineering, optimization, testing and on-site validation, GEOCOND will develop solutions to increase the thermal performance of the different subsystems configuring an SGES and UTES. An overall cost reduction of about 25% is the overall aim, leading to a substantial gain in competitiveness. GEOCOND, with a unique consortium of Companies and leading Reseach Institutions in the area of SGES and Materials, will focus on four key development areas in a synergeic and system-wide approach: development of new pipe materials, advanced grouting additives and concepts, advanced Phase Change Materials and system-wide simulation and optimization.

POLYMEER is dedicated to play a part in establishing a new bio-based value chain for bioplastic products from sustainable sourcing through the effective exploitation of the potential of brewers’ spent grain (BSG) reuse. This entail the efficient conversion of wet BSG into versatile bioplastics tailored for three for three crucial application. These applications are characterized by technical demands that existing bioplastics struggle to meet or where conventional fossil-based plastics still dominate: 1) mulch films suitable for agricultural use, 2) textile for the automotive industry, and 3) tertiary packaging films for industrial purposes, that can be recycled and/or biodegraded in specific environments. The project is a holistic endeavour aimed to achieve this goal. It involves the entire production process, starting with BSG fractionation into key biopolymers, primarily cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These valuable components are then transformed into specific polymers and copolymers exploiting green, waste-minimised processes. Finally, through blending, formulation and processing we will create cutting-edge bioplastics suitable for the designated fields. The most promising results from our lab-scale production will undergo upscaling to demonstrate economic and technical feasibility, paving the way for market launch within 3-5 years post-project completion. Furthermore, we thoroughly evaluate these materials' properties, considering their environmental, social, and economic impacts during large-scale production. We ensure product safety and explore biodegradability potential and recycling processes throughout the production process. In essence, POLYMEER is not just about bioplastics; it's about redefining sustainability in the bioplastics industry with tailor-made solutions derived from BSG.

SMILE CITY provides realistic circular systemic solutions to support the evolution towards a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free, circular economy by 2050. The contribution to C02 reduction works on two levels: - an intensive use of recycled materials in replacement of virgin ones, without decreasing the performance of final products; - the use of such products and applications to increase sustainable mobility. The project aims to integrate innovative systemic solutions in up to 100 km of cycling paths and implement 20 e-bike charging stations, developed using different types of recycled urban waste: construction materials, EoL tyres and EoL batteries from Electric Vehicles. The foreseen innovations include the creation of e-bike charging stations made of recycled concrete precast elements and PV panels equally produced with recycled materials, the installation of recycled rubber moulded products for urban furniture such as rubber bollard, lane dividers, and rubberized asphalt, which contributes both to increase sustainability and safety. SMILE CITY will thus assemble the technological state of the art of the different value chains involved to implement circular systemic solutions in 7 different EU and non-EU countries, backing the transition towards a regenerative, inclusive and circular economy at local and regional scale across Europe and therefore boosting interregional and cross-border cooperation. In addition, the project will also increase resource efficiency, reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy and reduce the negative environmental footprint related to current recycling techniques of the considered urban waste value chains. By supporting awareness raising and information spreading, SMILE CITY will engage both citizens and industrial leaders in the green transition towards climate-neutral solutions for Circular Cities, bolstering the market uptake of circular solutions through regional and local actions. Two partners are CCRI members.

ECOBULK through a large scale demonstration effort will contribute to “closing the loop” of composite products in the automotive, furniture and building sectors by promoting greater re-use, upgrade, refurbishment and recycle of products, parts, and materials. It will bring opportunities for both the environment and the economy by offering business opportunities along the entire new defined supply and value chains. ECOBULK approach will be based on identifying and promoting commonalities in processes, technologies, products and services ensuring replicability and transferability to other industrial sectors. The ambitious application of the circular economy model in the three selected sectors is justified by the high numbers of synergies, in terms of the design (design for modularity, design for disassembly/dismantling), materials (fibre and particle reinforced plastic composites), manufacturing technology (moulding, extrusion, hot pressing, thermobonding) and business models (leasing, renting, PSS, fix-it shops, etc.). The methodology will embrace and focus on large scale demonstration activities in 7 countries and more than 15 demonstrators to address the key components of the circular economy solutions; rethinking product design to shift towards a Design Circular Framework, validation of material and product manufacturing technologies to ensure technical and economic feasibility, new reverse logistics for the recovery of products and parts from consumers or users and into the supply chain, implementation of Innovative business models exploring C2C, B2C and B2B opportunities, and dissemination to raise awareness and knowledge sharing activities on circular economy solutions. Finally, an end-user and Stakeholder platform linking end users with relevant actors from the early design stages will foster second life, reuse and recycle of product and parts as well as material recovery for reintroduction into a circular production chain.