Li-ion batteries are fundamental components for the energy transition of the European eco-system. Currently Europe lags behind Asia in terms of Li-ion battery cell manufacturing and more than 90% of the world's production takes place in China, Korea and Japan. To overcome this situation, there is an ambitious ramp-up plan of 25 new gigafactories in Europe with an expected value of €35 billion by 2030. However, in the ramp-up phase of these Gigafactories, a massive production of defects is expected, between 15% - 30%. The new European Gigafactories will also bring demand for €150 bn of battery manufacturing equipment. To support this demand, the EU production equipment industry needs to fill the current knowledge gap and gain competitiveness towards Asian providers, grounding on its world-wide leadership in high-tech, green technologies, enhanced by industry 4.0 digital solutions, exploiting the European Zero-Defect Manufacturing paradigm. The objective of BATTwin is to support this scenario by developing a novel Multi-level Digital Twin platform towards Zero-Defect Manufacturing in battery production, that will reduce defect rates in battery production lines. The solution integrates four pillars, namely (i) a multi-sensor data acquisition and management layer, supported by data semantics through a Digital Battery Passport data model, (ii) process-level digital twins, modeling the critical stages of electrode manufacturing, cell assembly and conditioning through multi-physics, data-driven and hybrid approaches, (iii) system-level digital twins, based on simulation and analytical modeling, (iv) user-centric, goal-driven digital twin workflows, increasing the explainability of digital twins and driving the user in system design and control. The approach will be tested in two industrial pilots producing different battery chemistries and geometries, validating the flexibility and scaleability of the approach towards Zero Defect European Gigafactories.

Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies (BDLTs) cover a revolutionary potential but their uptake and deployment to value chains other than financial ones remains slow. Among other causes, fragmentation and a series of obstacles to their market deployment hamper the diffusion and pace of adoption of BDLTs by SMEs. Blockpool.eu (https://blockpool.eu/) aims to enhance SME innovation capacity by providing better innovation support. We will use the power of intermediary organisations (clusters, federations...) and cross-regional industrial networks to Pilot the acceleration of SME uptake and deployment of BDLTs. Our consortium thus aims to accelerate the cross-border uptake and deployment of BDLTs by/to European SMEs. Blockpool.eu aims to grow beyond the Pilot Project to become a sustainable Portal for BDLT deployment. We will build and strengthen SMEs’ and intermediaries’ BDLT capacity in a cross-value chain fashion, and strengthening both supply and demand sides through 1) a Blockchain “deployment pool” and 2) generic support activities. Besides enabling actions toward framework conditions and the capacity increase of SMEs, intermediaries and to another extent policy makers and regulators, Blockpool.eu will develop a Deployment Pool: 25 SME projects will be selected through an Open Call allocating at least 50% of the total project budget to test and validate new BDLT solutions (TRL7+) in most prominent sectors (e.g. supply chain, energy, healthcare, Fintech, Insurance, Legal, Shipping & Social Good). SMEs will also benefit from the support of our Mentors Network, training (MOOC/Webinars), as well as other innovative tools. That way, Blockpool.eu will contribute to the demonstration of BDLTs to SMEs across EU value chains but also generate impacts at a broader level than the one of its Deployment Pool: we will generate impacts at the level of the framework conditions (economic, social, legal and regulatory) conditioning the uptake and deployment of BDLTs.

PERMANET is a Sustainable REE Innovation and Supply Network covering the full Rare Earth Elements (REE) Permanent Magnet (PM) value chain. It is structured upon 5 layers: 1) Three Sustainable, Connected Tech ‘Hubs’ segmented along the full REE PM value chain and organizing thematic collaborative R&D and supply ecosystems 2) 13 fully Scalable Innovations to reach TRL7 and expand in scale and deployment range along the entire value chain 3) A structural layer of R&D infrastructure, equipment and services to fuel Pilot and Demonstration activities 4) Five Enabling “Engines” addressing the key conditions for sustainable and competitive REE supply 5) All embedded within a single PERMANET Network Infrastructure with its own, sustainable organizational model. The Network accelerates leading-edge innovations, from REE extraction from mining tailings and hydrometallurgical processes to oxide reduction and innovative production processes, all the way to the production of innovative PM and their testing by end users in industrial environment across 1/ E-Mobility 2/ Energy 3/ Industrial Equipment. PERMANET also secures key sources of REE such as leading mining projects from the EU and Partner Countries, as well as End of Life (EoL) sectors (WEEE, EV, etc.). The project relies on enabling activities ranging from strategic venturing to investment support to build sub-optimal EU REE PM Segments. The project unlocks viable reserves of REE including unconventional sources and will demonstrate novel, cost-effective, and environmentally sound REE extraction, processing, and separation routes, as well as demonstrate the first EU hub for PM boosting circular PM technologies to deploy at market scale. The project is ready to be fully integrated with other EU-backed PM Hubs and aims to grow into a fully-fledged Pan-EU pilot and demonstration infrastructure to remain sustainable post-funding.