Request for Proposals: Integrated Approaches for Remanufacturing

Scope

• Proposals should demonstrate cutting-edge remanufacturing approaches, covering de-manufacturing and appropriate manufacturing technologies, model-based systems engineering, quality control and business models. Repurposing of products (at the level of systems or components) may also be considered. This approach calls for remanufacturing technologies at the factory level, as well as for their integration into circular value loops – within specific industrial sectors or across industrial sectors. In general, the approaches should integrate traditional manufacturing processes, such as additive manufacturing, machining and welding, with automation, robotics and digitalisation.
• Proposals should address all of the following:
  • Remanufacturing technologies and processes and/or system engineering, building on advances in data sharing and AI;
  • Mass de-manufacturing, such as disassembly, separation and sorting;
  • Capability to produce high-quality products from a wide range of resources (new and remanufactured components and materials);
  • Methodologies to facilitate decisions made at the end-of-use or end-of-life phase at the level of components or systems;
  • Measurement, verification and inspection approaches assuring high quality, traceability and compliance with quality standards;
  • Stringent data sourcing, interoperability and processing, coupled to robust AI technologies (leveraging on existing ontologies and through the implementation of the FAIR data principles);
  • International standards, building on existing standards or contributing to future standardisation, with a focus on remanufacturing standards; and
  • New sets of skills required for remanufacturing implementation at the European level.
• Proposals aiming to develop new products should additionally cover the design of these products for circularity. Points to consider in this case are prioritising the use of recyclable materials and recyclable or reusable components; and increased adaptability, exchangeability and lifetime of components.
• Proposals should consider where relevant:
  • The EU regulatory framework, notably the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation and the EU waste/sectoral legislation;
  • The Ecodesign approach, especially the circular-by-design approach including modularity, repairability, adaptability and exchangeability of components as well as refurbishment and repurposing of products or components; and
  • The Digital Product Passport: information about products along their overall lifecycle needs to be collected along the remanufacturing operations.
• Proposals should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. It is essential that the business model address the entire lifecycle of remanufacturing, including logistics. They should assess the circularity and decarbonisation that can be achieved, as well as the economic case and competitiveness, and make a corresponding contribution to the standardisation of lifecycle performance metrics. Regarding decarbonisation, proposals should address the expected reductions in energy consumption and GHG emissions, and – where applicable – impact net-zero technologies and components.

Funding Information

• Budget (EUR) – Year 2025: 35 000 000
• Contributions: 5000000 to 7000000

Expected Outcomes

• The manufacturing industry should benefit from the following outcomes:
  • Enable an industrial ecosystem to double the volume of remanufactured components in the Union, compared to 2021, for the sectors and products considered;
  • Stimulate new synergies for circularity in manufacturing industries;
  • Increase significantly the capability in Europe to implement remanufacturing technologies for retaining, reusing, upgrading or adapting the function of products and components;
  • Support skills and education capabilities for remanufacturing; and
  • Support the development or revision of standards to better support remanufacturing.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entities eligible to participate:
  • Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from nonassociated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
  • A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
• To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
• To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  • the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    • Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
    • Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
  • countries associated to Horizon Europe;
    • Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

For more information, visit EC.