Humanity has exceeded planetary boundaries as is evident by the ongoing climate crisis. The linear economic model of ‘produce-use-dispose' has a major role in this, having driven manufacturing to operate in open-loop and even disregard for the environment. The transition to circularity is an imperative goal, yet there is a very slow uptake of circular practices and business models. ENCIRCLE aspires to accelerate this transition through technologies and solutions that optimize manufacturing towards sustainability and incentivize companies and consumers to think and act circularly. ENCIRCLE proposes a novel framework for environmental impact assessment via Digital Twins and Soft Sensors, incorporated in a virtual production line. Utilizing this virtual environment as a simulation and training space for AI, ENCIRCLE will decarbonize manufacturing, searching for sustainable production configurations and designs that reduce environmental footprint without compromising quality. This virtual space will be used for workforce training through gamification, cultivating new skills and fostering a new circular mindset. ENCIRCLE will follow a human-centered design and propose a symbiotic ecosystem of humans and AI through explainable Human-in-the-Loop methodologies. Building on the Digital Product Passport concept and product traceability via IoT and blockchain, ENCIRCLE will support circular business cases through a Digital Marketplace. On the producer’s side, a circular CRM, will enable companies to track their products and offer personalized, circular products and services. On the consumer’s side, a mobile app will empower users with sustainable consumption choices, expanding the lifespan or salvaging the remaining value of old products. ENCIRCLE will also explore the legal and ethical implications of its research, validating its research outcomes and hypotheses, through a series of demonstrators across the entire value chain.

The EU guidelines for circular production and supply chains require a strategic approach at every stage of the product lifecycle. The shift towards circularity starts with circular design principles, where the linear “take-make-dispose” model is superseded by the one that prioritizes reusability, reparability, and recyclability. CIRCMAN5.0 combines advanced industry 4.0 technologies with human-centric design principles to assess and demonstrate how waste reduction and optimization of raw material can be feasible and profitable while significantly reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing processes. CIRCMAN5.0 delivers a Human-Centred AI-aided Framework for the Photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing industry, entailing: (I) AI-driven modelling and circular-by-design simulation techniques for product design; (II) ML algorithms for dynamic production process reconfiguration; (III) A Cognitive Digital Twin environment supported by AAS models for testing and verification of manufacturing processes for efficient resource utilisation, waste management etc; (III) A Circularity and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Framework to help with comprehensive evaluation of the sustainability aspects of products and processes using data/feedback from AI-based process optimisation, forecasting models, energy and emissions metrics etc.; (IV) The Human-in-the-Loop (HitL) Recommendation Engine to provide actionable and explainable recovery strategies for EoL products; (V) The Digital Product/Material Passport (DPP) enabled by Distributed Ledger Technology enabling secure and trustworthy information sharing. The learning resources developed in the project will equip the EU industrial workforce with digital, circular and transversal skills. CIRCMAN5.0 will be tested in four (4) PV manufacturing industries providing different type of products (e.g., perovskites PV, BIPV, BAPV, OPV).

The Cir4Fun Project endeavours to transform the furniture industry by championing circular economy principles across the product life cycle. Through innovative strategies, DPP and digital solutions supporting mechanisms, it aims to enhance furniture sustainability, eco-labelling, and consumer engagement while aligning with relevant regulations and initiatives. Cir4Fun's approach involves creating a comprehensive circular economy roadmap, defining content for a Furniture DPP, developing circular business models and eco-design guidelines, and establishing new assessment methodologies for maintenance, reparability, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recyclability. All this knowledge will be integrated in a holistic Furniture Assessment System (FAS) including a Sustainable Index System, d-LCA, LCC, SLCA. FAS will support the furniture eco-scoring system and DPP. Additionally, it focuses on interoperability, data sharing and data management with reliable approaches to enable simulation testing to inform supply chain strategies and extend product lifespan. Social engagement with stakeholders is emphasized to promote sustainable behaviours and circular practices, ultimately supporting new regulations and standardization in the furniture industry. The project outcomes will be implemented and validated in 3 use cases addressing different value chains across Europe and the findings will be widely circulated across the furniture ecosystem in Europe.