Lugano, Switzerland / Brussels, Belgium — October 2025
The CIRCMAN 5.0 consortium continues to advance Europe’s transition toward sustainable and circular manufacturing through a series of high-impact collaborative and dissemination activities.
3rd Plenary Meeting in Lugano, Switzerland
Partners from the CIRCMAN 5.0 consortium recently gathered for the 3rd Plenary Meeting, hosted by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) in Lugano.
Set against the stunning backdrop of Lugano’s lakeside and mountains, the meeting brought together experts from across Europe to exchange insights, review progress, and align on upcoming milestones. The project aims to advance a new generation of intelligent, sustainable, and secure manufacturing through six core objectives: AI-driven Modelling & Simulation to support sustainable, circular product design using eco-design principles; Machine Learning for Production Reconfiguration to optimise manufacturing in real time and reduce waste; a Human-in-the-Loop Recommendation Engine to guide stakeholders in maximising material reuse and extending product lifespan; a Cognitive Digital Twin Environment to model and optimise manufacturing processes for resource efficiency and cybersecurity; a Circularity & Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Framework to evaluate environmental impact, energy use, and carbon footprint; and the development of a Digital Product/Material Passport (DPP) to enable traceability, transparency, and circular material management across the entire value chain.
The consortium extends heartfelt thanks to SUPSI for their warm hospitality and excellent organisation, and to all partners for their valuable contributions. The collaborative spirit and shared commitment demonstrated during the plenary will continue to drive CIRCMAN 5.0 towards its next ambitious objectives.
CIRCMAN 5.0 at EFFRA Events
Dr. Angeliki Zacharaki, Project Coordinator of CIRCMAN 5.0, represented the consortium at the EFFRA Event on Manufacturing Innovation, presenting the project’s vision for advancing circular manufacturing and digital transformation across Europe’s industrial landscape. On the second day, CERTH highlighted CIRCMAN 5.0’s work in building circular value chains for the photovoltaic (PV) sector, using human-centred AI and digital frameworks to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste, and promote sustainability, both through a presentation and an exhibition booth.
Dr. Angeliki Zacharaki’s presentation showcased CIRCMAN 5.0’s achievements and its collaborative approach to creating sustainable, data-driven, and resilient manufacturing environments — fully aligned with the goals of the Made in Europe Partnership.
CIRCMAN 5.0 was delighted to share the stage with sister projects from the EU Circularity Cluster, including ENCIRCLE and Digi4Circular, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange across Europe’s circular economy research community.
Together, we continue driving innovation toward a more sustainable, resilient, and human-centric industrial future.
About CIRCMAN5.0
CIRCMAN5.0 is a Horizon Europe-funded project uniting leading research institutes, industry experts, and technology providers to develop circular, human-centric manufacturing solutions aligned with Industry 5.0 principles.
Consortium Members Include:
Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Institute of Communication and Information Systems (ICCS), University of Oslo (UIO), Polytechnic University of Milan (POLIMI), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), European Research Centre for Technologies, Design and Materials (CETMA), EXUS Software (EXUS), Technology Transfer System Ltd (TTS), Xgility Ltd (XGL), RINA Consulting – Materials Development Centre (RINA), Association of Technological Companies Innovalia (INNO), J&G Engineering & Architecture Ltd (JGEA), I4ByDesign Competence Centre (I4bd), Green Deal Data Space Association (GDDS), Onyx Solar Energy Ltd (ONYX), Sunage Ltd (SUNAGE), ASCA Ltd & Co. KG (ASCA), SoliTek Research & Development (SOLITEK).
For more information, follow CIRCMAN5.0 on LinkedIn(@circman5.0) and X(@circman5)