One of the main challenges of EU battery sector to achieve the net-zero emissions objectives for 2050 consists of keeping the added value of EoL batteries, enabling their 2nd life, and improving recycling and recovery of critical materials. REINFORCE aims at designing, developing and deploying a novel sustainable, and highly efficient circular value chain serving as a reference for automated, safe and cost-efficient logistics and processing of EoL batteries from EV and stationary applications for repurposing and recycling. REINFORCE will demonstrate all technological solutions and processes in a real environment at TRL6, and the viability of the new circular value chain and business model innovations for EoL battery repurposing. This will be achieved by: (i) an optimisation of collection and reversed logistics focussed on efficient diagnostics for early battery status cut-off decision-making and safe and smart transportation solutions; (ii) safe and improved battery diagnostics and speed-up discharge and energy recovery systems adapted to the current batteries stream; (iii) adaptable and safe dismantling and sorting of EoL batteries and components based on robotics, Machine Learning and Industry 4.0, including fully automated pack-to-module disassembly and advanced module-to-cell-to-electrode disassembly; (iv) an innovative traceability system along the battery value chain based on a battery passport for the 2nd and 3rd life battery user; (v) the definition of standardisation guidelines in line with current and upcoming regulations; all revolving around (vi) robust sustainable circular business models demonstrating the application of REINFORCE proposition in a circular economy strategy and implement actions towards full market maturity. For this, REINFORCE is bringing together a wide experienced consortium led by INE, involving a team of leading industrial technology developers and providers, R&D centres and academic institutions, and end-users, at European level.

REMHub project proposal will create a cutting-edge digital innovation hub propelling EU excellence for Rare Earth Elements (REEs ) and magnets. REMHub will develop test and pilot novel technologies for exploration and primary production of rare earths and recovering rare earths from side streams to enhance supply security of REEs in EU. In addition, Re-X (Recycle, Reuse, refurbishment and repurposing) technologies for rare earths and valuable metals from end-of-life products as well as electric machine design for easier permanent magnet recycling will be developed. The project will also identify and engage relevant stakeholders for developing REE value chain in EU. In addition, in the innovation hub will ensure that the novel technologies developed in the project will be commercialized and offered as services in a digital platform. The project will also have dynamic communication and dissemination with the aim to involve and engage the public to develop trust and awareness related to REEs as well as to build capacity in EU. The hub targets transformative material sourcing for REEs and REE magnets, including traceability, digital twinning, and digital passport. The project partners cover the entire REE value chain starting from mineral exploration, through mineral processing and refining to metal production and magnet making as well as recycling. The project incorporates safe and sustainable by design framework (SSbD) including design for Re-X (recycling, re-use, refurbishment, repurposing) approach integrating easy dismantling and circularity properties. REMHub will significantly improve the supply security of REEs in the EU and with the digital innovation hub considerably accelerate the development of technologies and services to faster and easier market entry.

Circular TwAIn will lower the barriers for all the stakeholders in manufacturing and process industry circular value chains to adopt and fully leverage of trusted AI technologies, in ways that will enable end-to-end sustainability, i.e. from eco-friendly product design to the maximum exploitation of production waste across the circular chain. To this end, the project will research, develop, validate and exploit a novel AI platform for circular manufacturing value chains, which will support the development of interoperable circular twins for end-to-end sustainability. Circular TwAIn will unlock the innovation potential of a collaborative AI-based intelligence in production based on the use of cognitive digital twins. Moreover, based on the use of trustworthy AI techniques, Circular TwAIn will enable human centric sustainable manufacturing, fostering the transition towards Industry 5.0. Furthermore, Circular TwAIn will enable the integration and combination of different data from various sources over entire product life cycle considering sustainability aspects. The goal is to create and deliver innovative services among the members of the data ecosystem; these services will be embedded in AI-based Digital Twins, supporting an unambiguous communication when realizing complex services for sustainable manufacturing. The ambition of Circular TwAIn is to unleash the sustainability potential of AI technologies in circular manufacturing chains through: (i) Introducing AI optimizations in stages where AI is still not used (e.g., AI-based product design); (ii) Using AI for multi-stage and multi-objective circular optimizations that could improve sustainability performance. In this direction, the project will leverage information from a circular manufacturing dataspace that will provide access to the datasets needed for multi-stage and multi-objective optimizations.

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.