Multimaterial systems combining metals with thermoplastic fiber reinforced polymer composites (TP-FRPC) are the key for light weight design in the automotive industry. However, the joining of the material partners remains main issue. Currently, no approach exists which sufficiently meets the three core requirements: weight neutrality, cost- and time efficiency and bonding strength. Technologies like adhesive bonding or bolted joints show good results for one or two of the criterions, but not for all three of them. The FlexHyJoin project aims at the development of a joining process for hybrid components, which satisfies all three criterions. Induction Joining (IJ) and Laser Joining (LJ) are combined, since they have complementary fields of application and most of all they do not require additional material and are therefore weight neutral joining methods. Thus, the full lightweight potential is preserved. Additionally, a surface texturing method for the metal is integrated in the approach, which leads to a form closure bonding, providing a high mechanical bonding performance. Finally, a main aspect of the FlexHyJoin project is to integrate the surface texturing as well as both joining methods in a single, continuous, and fully automatized pilot process with an overall process control and supervision system. This leads to a maximum of time- and cost-efficiency and will allow the future application of the approach in the mass production of automotives. The key for the automation is an online process control and quality assurance. The FlexHyJoin project provides an essential enabler technology for future mobility concepts. The final result is an innovative joining process for fiber reinforced polymers and metals, suiting the strict requirements of automotive industry and enabling the broad application of hybrid material systems.

The urgency to address the environmental impact of the prevailing linear economic paradigm has intensified, stressing the need for optimizing resource utilization, minimizing waste, and maximizing product value to achieve ecological and economic benefits. This is particularly critical in the automotive industry, where a significant volume of primary materials is employed. Recycling scrap materials in this sector can yield impressive 85% reduction in CO2 emissions. However, designing automotive parts for circularity requires innovative (1) tools and infrastructures to close current information gaps as well as (2) multi-purpose alloys with enhanced compatibility and processibility for scrap materials to increase recyclability of materials. This requires a comprehensive consideration of life cycle scenarios, potential constraints on recycled material, and adherence to changing standards and regulations. Digi4Circular project tackles these challenges by creating a robust digital workflow for circular product development integrated into the Synera low code platform, demonstrated on aluminium casting use case in the automotive sector. Through automated workflows, the project facilitates the generation of circular product designs and manufacturing possibilities, contingent on environmental impact assessments for different end-of-life scenarios. The approach relies on novel methods for material design and property prediction of circular alloys, rapid LCA and LCC analysis, knowledge extraction from norms and expert know-how, integrated by rule- and knowledge-based systems for automated product design generation. The workflow connects all necessary software tools and data generated throughout the value chain in a dedicated information space, whereas life cycle data for individual products is systematically stored in a Digital Product Passport accessible for all developers in the value chain.

MAST3RBoost will bring to the stage of maturation a new generation of ultraporous materials (Activated carbons, ACs, and MOFs) with a 30% increase of the working capacity of H2 at 100 bar (reaching 10 wt% and 44 gH2/lPS), by turning the lab-scale synthesis protocols into industrial-like manufacturing process. Densified prototypes of ACs and MOFs will be produced beyond 10 kg for the first time using pre-industrial facilities already in place. The process will be actively guided by unsupervised Machine Learning, while the foundations for an in-depth supervised learning in the sector of H2 storage will be established with harmonized procedures. Recycled raw materials for the manufacturing of the ultraporous materials will be actively pursued, both from waste agroforestry biomass and from solid urban waste (PET and Al-lined bricks). In parallel, new lightweight Al and Mg-based metal alloys will be adapted to Additive Manufacturing, via the WAAM technology. Databases for mechanical properties relevant to pressure vessel design will be improved, covering gaps for testing under compressed H2. WAAM and engineering capacities (COMSOL numerical calculation) will allow to produce an innovative type I vessel demonstrator including balance of plant and with a dedicated shape to better fit on-board. A unique combination of maximum pressure (up to 100 bar) and carefully selected temperature swing will allow producing a system storage density as high as 33 gH2/lsys. The system will be manufactured to embed 1 kg of H2, becoming a worldwide benchmark for the adsorbed storage at low compression with a highly competitive projected cost of 1,780 ? for the automotive sector. This demonstrator will embody an actual and techno-economically feasible solution for transportations sectors that require storage capacities beyond 60 kg H2 such as trucks, trains and planes. LCA and risk & safety assessment will be performed with high-quality data and shared with stakeholders of the sector.

The COMPASS project is driven by the needs to on the one hand increase the efficiency of recycling and remanufacturing processes (for sheet metal parts) and on the other hand by the need to find a solution for large quantities of thermoplastic fibre-reinforced components at their end of life. In both cases the proposed approach is to take a shortcut by remanufacturing the components at the level of sheet metal and composite panels instead of converting them to secondary raw material. This will be achieved through (thermo-)forming processes that allow the re-shaping of parts and components to give them a second and third life. These remanufacturing processes will be supported by a set of digital tools that build upon a digital component passport. The tools will enable efficient dismantling processes to extract sheets or panels e.g. from an aircraft and will help to collect relevant information about the components during their lifetime. The main use cases are from the aerospace and automotive sector and include key actors along the value chain. By using digital information about defects, re-work or repair done during the lifetime of the components. The quality of the resulting, remanufactured output parts will be optimized. A remanufacturing process planning software will also optimize the match between input components and targeted output parts. The COMPASS project will initiate more than 6M€ of private investments in technology development and implementation of remanufacturing process in the use cases investigated in the project. The overall goal is to enable the remanufacturing of about 30% of sheet metal parts and thermoplastic composite panels.

Islands are characterized by massive touristic flows concentrated in specific high-season Islands are characterized by massive touristic flows concentrated in specific high-season peaks, temporarily amplifying the local consumption of products and the consequent generation of waste materials. ReBoat aims at designing, developing and demonstrating a novel decentralized systemic circular solution focused on plastics and textile, exploiting a mobile, modular, sorting, recycling and reprocessing plant on a Boat that will transform local waste into new products, meeting the needs of island citizens, tourists and local artisans and workers. Three complementary pilots at Eolian, Ioninan and Azores islands, will CoCreate new objects, spaces and experiences through an Island Participatory Approach supported by Collaborative Digital tools, by the Boat technical infrastructure with recycling and reprocessing machineries onboard, and by Artists, working-holidays Students, and Designers who will animate a 2 weeks event in each pilot engaging people. Newly designed Tourism Packages will empower the engagement and enrich the offering, promoting conscious and sustainable holidays in European Islands. 15 partners from 7 Eu Member States, experts in heterogeneous and complementary sectors will cooperate to demonstrate the feasibility of the 6 innovation pillars and to provide a concrete experience to citizens and tourists that will be made publicly available through training materials, success stories, open access data. Replicability will be studied with the objective to obtain a concrete exploitation after the project ends. The project will obtain results in the following innovation pillars: a Boat for local recycling, the digital solutions for the CoCreation and scheduling in exploitation, the new touristic packages and signed agreements, the generation of new circular products to be sold, the engagement of local stakeholders and PAs, and the definition of the final business model.