2nd Press Release

Press Release
1st Plenary Meeting of the ENCIRCLE project

Date: 16 May 2025

Location: Thessaloniki, GREECE

ENCIRCLE Project Marks Key Milestone at First Plenary Meeting, Driving Digital and Green Transition in Manufacturing

The ENCIRCLE project, funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 101178230), recently held its first plenary meeting on May 8–9, 2025. Hosted in a hybrid format by the Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH in Wuppertal, Germany, the meeting marked a pivotal moment for the consortium to assess early progress, align on objectives, and chart the next steps toward its ambitious goals.

ENCIRCLE is at the forefront of promoting the twin transition—digital and green—within the manufacturing sector. The project aims to establish circular value chains by harnessing advanced digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Twins, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Blockchain, all embedded in a human-centric innovation ecosystem. This integrated approach seeks to reduce the environmental footprint of production and enable low-carbon, sustainable manufacturing practices.

The two-day plenary featured detailed presentations across all key Work Packages (WPs), underscoring the strong momentum achieved since the project's launch. A standout element of the event was the on-site visit to the production facilities of ZINQ, offering partners a firsthand view of operational processes. The visit provided valuable insights for real-world application of research, particularly in terms of data accessibility and use-case development.

Collaborative sessions during the meeting addressed core challenges, including the standardization of Digital Product Passport (DPP) metrics and the refinement of communication interfaces between technological components. These discussions laid the groundwork for future integration efforts and reinforced the project’s commitment to practical, scalable innovation.

With clear action points and strengthened cross-partner collaboration, ENCIRCLE is advancing steadily toward its vision of digitally empowered, circular manufacturing.

For more information, please visit the project website (www.encircle-project.eu) and/or contact us directly:

Dr. Nikolaos Dimitriou
Project Coordinator
nikdim@iti.gr

1st Press Release

The ENCIRCLE project officially kicks off to revolutionize sustainable manufacturing

Date: 6 November 2024

Location: Thessaloniki, GREECE

The European Union-funded project “Enabling Circular Value Chains via Production Digitization and Human Empowerment” (ENCIRCLE) officially launched on the 1st of October 2024. The ENCIRCLE project is setting a new benchmark in sustainable manufacturing by offering an advanced framework for environmental impact assessment. This European initiative leverages state-of-the-art technologies, including Digital Twins, Soft Sensors, and Digital Product Passports, to transition traditional manufacturing methods toward sustainable, circular models. The ENCIRCLE project is supported by the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Grant Agreement No 101178230, and will run for three years, bringing together a dynamic consortium of 15 partners across Europe, including top research institutions, industry leaders, and specialized SMEs.

The kick-off meeting, held on 29 and 30 of October 2024 in Thessaloniki, Greece, gathered all partners to outline objectives, defined roles, and set the project’s anticipated impact towards transitioning from linear to circular manufacturing by building on and advancing digital technologies. The ENCIRCLE project aims to:

1. Decarbonize manufacturing, searching for sustainable production configurations and designs that reduce environmental footprint without compromising quality.
2. Train workforce through gamification, cultivating new skills and fostering a new circular mindset.
3. Follow a human-centered design and propose a symbiotic ecosystem of humans and AI through explainable Human-in-the-Loop methodologies.

Aligned with the EU’s guidelines on sustainable production, ENCIRCLE emphasizes a strategic approach to circularity at each stage of the product lifecycle, with key objectives focusing on:

1. AI-enabled control loops for sustainable manufacturing

2. Circularity and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Framework

3. Production virtualization for first-time right manufacturing

4. Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) Decision Support System

5. Gamification for circular value chains

6. Digital Product Passport (DPP)

With the achievement of the above objectives, ENCIRCLE’s end goal is to create a culture of sustainable consumption and responsible production, encouraging businesses to adopt circular CRM systems and empowering consumers with digital tools for sustainable choices. By exploring legal and ethical dimensions, the project is committed to creating a model for the industry that aligns with the environmental needs of the planet, ultimately contributing to the global effort of mitigating climate change and fostering a sustainable economy.

For more information, please visit the project website (www.encircle-project.eu) and/or contact the project coordinator:

Dr. Nikolaos Dimitriou
e-mail: nikdim@iti.gr