The ALICIA project (Horizon Europe Framework; EU contribution: € 5.859.525,50) introduces a groundbreaking circular manufacturing ecosystem with profound societal, economical, ethical, and environmental implications, aligning with the principles of Industry 5.0.
By prioritizing sustainability and resilience in production resource management, ALICIA aims to revolutionize industrial practices by facilitating the reuse and circulation of second-hand assets within a closed-loop system, enabled by digitization, AI and data sharing. The goal is to reduce new production lines’ material and energy requirements by at least 70 % and achieve a reuse rate of up to 100 % using second-hand production equipment. This transition to a circular economy not only reduces waste and enhances resource efficiency but also upholds ethical standards by extending the lifespan of valuable production assets.
Through a human-centric approach, the project aims to provide re-and up-skilling of workers and equal opportunities for women workers to engage in and benefit from the circular economy model, thereby advancing gender equality and fostering diversity in industrial settings.As a key partner, Surplex will act as a hub and will facilitate the matchmaking process between incumbent factory assets and second-hand equipment, by providing its own database of used-assets and the know-how of a similar platform for sales of these assets, of its data structures and internal processes.
Additionally, the collaboration with important industrial partners like “Continental” and “Comau” brings valuable expertise in automotive engineering and robotics, respectively, enriching the ALICIA ecosystem with innovative solutions and necessary industry insights. The ALICIA project brings together 12 international partners and is led by the Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management at the Technical University of Munich, in Germany.