ENCIRCLE Project: Digital Tools for Sustainable Products

In the project "Enabling Circular Value Chains via Production Digitization and Human Empowerment" (ENCIRCLE), the Wuppertal Institute is collaborating with 14 international partner organisations to develop the industrial basis for a digitally-enabled Circular Economy. The EU-funded project aims to fundamentally transform the prevailing linear production methods.

Innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins and digital product passports are at the heart of ENCIRCLE. Using these tools, the researchers put conventional production methods to the test – and develop sustainable, circular alternatives. In this way, they create the conditions for keeping products and materials in circulation in industrial ecosystems. The focus lies on combining technological innovation, upskilling of the workforce and improved information flow as well as enabling end consumers to make more sustainable decisions.

ENCIRCLE pursues a holistic approach with three main objectives:

1. The decarbonisation of production processes through sustainable production configurations and designs to reduce the environmental footprint without compromising product quality.
2. Qualification of employees through gamification, cultivating new skills and fostering a new circular mindset.
3. Promoting a human-centered design approach that is based on combining artificial intelligence and human skills.

In addition to technological innovations, the project partners also incorporate legal and ethical issues into their research. The project is being funded as part of the EU's Research Framework Programme Horizon Europe and will run for three years.