Overview
It is time to trade in our ‘take-make-use-dispose’ philosophy for one that ends in ‘reuse.’ However, shifting to a circular economy requires a new approach. In light of this, the EU-funded DaCapo will design human-centric digital tools and services for improving the adoption of circular economy strategies along both manufacturing value chains and products lifecycles (design and engineering, manufacturing, use phase and End of Life). These tools and services, focused on the creation of new digital assets, AI-based systems and the application of process and product Digital Twins, will greatly improve sustainability.
The overall goal of this project is the creation of new methods supporting circular economy business models across three production environments (aeronautics, electronics and logistic applications). DaCapo aims at establishing a systematic approach enabling the creation of human-centric digital tools and services for improving the adoption of Circular Economy strategies along both manufacturing value chains and products lifecycles (design and engineering, manufacturing, use phase and End of Life). These tools and services, focused on the creation of new digital assets, AI-based systems and the application of process and product Digital Twins, will greatly improve sustainability, efficiency, and use of imported and CRM in manufacturing, towards digital-enabled industrial sustainability and resilience.
The backbone of the project will be a new methodological approach supporting decision-making, considering business models, material flows and circular strategies along the manufacturing value chains. Digital Product Passports and a Circular Economy Decision Support System will be developed as high-level tools, facilitating the trustful exchange of assets, the selection of optimum circular stock management strategies and tools, and the definition of informed and coordinated products lifecycle management decisions in a safe, reliable and agile way. A modular Digital Thread concept will be developed as a normalized method for orchestrating the gathering and contextualization of data at different points of the product lifecycle, enhancing data availability for the definition of indicators and optimisation criteria. On top of that, DaCapo will develop a digital architecture aligned with interoperability and connectivity standards, guaranteeing end-to-end horizontal and vertical integration, boosting data sharing and exploitation under the EU Data Spaces framework and maximizing replicability potential.
A consortium of 8 top Research Institutions and 6 relevant industry partners, backed by 1 EU association for technology standardisation, will demonstrate DaCapo on 3 relevant and EU Critical Value Chains production environments (aeronautics, electronics and logistic applications).