Welcome to the Future of Circular and Human-Centric Manufacturing
Welcome to the very first edition of the CIRCMAN5.0 newsletter! As we complete our first year, we are proud to share key milestones and activities that mark our journey towards sustainable, circular, and human-centric manufacturing aligned with the principles of Industry 5.0 and the European Green Deal.
About CIRCMAN5.0
CIRCMAN5.0 is a Horizon Europe project that brings together a dynamic consortium of over 15 partners, including leading research institutions, technology providers, and industrial stakeholders from across Europe. Our shared mission is to deliver breakthrough innovations that support circular economy principles through:
- Circular-by-design product and process development
- Smart and human-centric manufacturing technologies
- Digital tools for lifecycle and supply chain optimisation
- Sustainable and resilient production systems
Introduction to CIRCMAN5.0 Pilot Partners:
Pilot 1 – ONYX, Spain
Focus: Product Design
PV Type: Frameless Building-Integrated PV (BIPV) using 1st and 2nd generation technologies
Goal: ONYX aims to improve the sustainability of its PV modules by identifying and integrating alternative raw materials with higher recyclability. CIRCMAN5.0 supports this effort through AI-powered eco-design, lifecycle assessment, and digital tools to streamline product development, optimize the supply chain, and monitor environmental impacts throughout the manufacturing process.
Pilot 2 – SUNAGE, Italy
Focus: Production Planning & Manufacturing
PV Type: Coloured BIPV and BAPV modules using monocrystalline c-Si cells
Goal: SUNAGE seeks to reduce supply chain delays, improve circularity, and align with Environmental Product Declarations. CIRCMAN5.0 supports with AI-assisted design alternatives, production reconfiguration, and lifecycle tools to optimize environmental performance and maintain traceability through Digital Product Passports (DPPs).
Pilot 3 – ASCA, Germany
Focus: Product Design & Manufacturing
PV Type: Organic PVs (OPVs) for buildings, vehicles, and smart objects
Goal: ASCA is enhancing its low-carbon production by integrating more sustainable materials and improving design for disassembly. CIRCMAN5.0 enables material replacement strategies, environmental impact analysis, and circularity planning using Digital Twins, AI-based eco-design, and DPPs for full lifecycle tracking.
Pilot 4 – SOLITEK, Lithuania
Focus: End-of-Life (EoL) Management
PV Type: TopCon bifacial, tandem, and encapsulation-free modules
Goal: SOLITEK focuses on EoL strategies to maximize reuse and recyclability of PV components. With CIRCMAN5.0, the company implements circular design, disassembly planning, and data-driven recovery methods—leveraging AI tools, Digital Twins, and collaborative data spaces to close the loop in its PV lifecycle.
Key Milestones & Highlights from Year 1
🚀 Project Kick-Off Meeting | September 2024
Our journey officially began in Thessaloniki, Greece, with a two-day kick-off meeting hosted by CERTH. The gathering was instrumental in aligning expectations, defining collaboration frameworks, and identifying key tasks across the project’s seven work packages.
🏢 Formation of the EU Circularity Cluster
CIRCMAN5.0 has joined forces with six other Horizon Europe projects under the HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-05 call to form the EU Circularity Cluster. This collaboration aims to share knowledge and amplify impact in areas such as recycling, digital product passports, and data spaces.
📍 2nd Plenary Meeting | March 2025, Dublin
Hosted by XGL, our second plenary meeting in Ireland featured comprehensive updates from all work packages and focused technical discussions. A major highlight was the dedicated pilot session with contributions from:
- Sunage SA
- ASCA GmbH & Co. KG
- SoliTek
- Onyx Solar Energy
These sessions deepened the dialogue around use case scenarios and pilot-specific innovations in sustainable PV manufacturing.
📕 CIRCMAN5.0 Webinar | May 2025
Our webinar on “Circular Manufacturing in Photovoltaics” was successfully delivered and is now available online. The session featured real-world insights and solutions being developed by our four pilot partners:
- ONYX (Spain) – Sustainable-by-design BIPVs using alternative raw materials
- SUNAGE (Italy) – Environmental impact assessments and circular digital product registries
- ASCA (Germany) – Circular design and AI-based production impact analysis for OPVs
- SOLITEK (Lithuania) – End-of-life management optimisation across PV technologies
🌎 Data Spaces Symposium | March 2025, Warsaw
At this high-profile event, CIRCMAN5.0 was showcased during a session on circular digital transformation. Presented by Advaneo GmbH, our project highlighted AI-driven supply chain innovation and sustainable manufacturing enabled by interoperable data spaces.
☀️ Norwegian Solar Cell Conference | May 2025
IFE represented CIRCMAN5.0 with a poster titled “Exploiting Circular Manufacturing and Standardization within Integrated PV.” The presentation drew strong interest and reaffirmed the importance of circularity, lifecycle analysis, and digital tools in the PV sector.
📆 Technical Meeting & Pilot Site Visit | June 2025, Germany
Our first technical meeting was hosted by ASCA GmbH at their facilities. Partners explored ASCA’s OPV technologies, touching and inspecting innovative materials in diverse forms and colours, including leaf-shaped designs. We also toured the full production line with hands-on insights at each stage—from substrate preparation to cutting, printing, and lamination.
Thank you to ASCA for the warm hospitality and to all WP leaders for their technical updates:
- WP1: CERTH
- WP2: ICCS-NTUA
- WP3: TTS
- WP4: EXUS
- WP5: CERTH
- WP6: RINA
- WP7: XGL
Looking Ahead to Year 2
CIRCMAN5.0 will continue to:
- Develop and deploy more than 5 new digital tools
- Implement cradle-to-grave lifecycle assessments
- Advance interoperable Digital Product Passports (DPPs)
- Drive the uptake of sustainable product design and reuse strategies
- Disseminate project results through webinars, conferences, and scientific publications
Stay Connected & Join the Community
We are actively building our online presence. Please follow and engage with us:
- Website: https://circman5.eu/
- X: @circman5
- LinkedIn: @CIRCMAN5.0
Project partners are encouraged to share their social media handles so we can tag and promote your contributions.
Thank You
Thank you for your continued interest and support. The CIRCMAN5.0 project is a collaborative journey, and we look forward to advancing the frontiers of circular and human-centric manufacturing with you.
The CIRCMAN5.0 Consortium Team