Rimini, Italy – The CIRCULOOS project, funded by the European Union, participated in the European Robotics Forum 2024 in Rimini, Italy, alongside Better Factory and KITT4SME. During the event, industry leaders gathered from March 13th to 15th to discuss the future of robotics and promote innovation and sustainability.
Anchoring the discussions on the event’s inaugural day, CIRCULOOS and Better Factory appeared in the paper authored by Anatoli Tziola from the Cyprus University of Technology. Titled “Manufacturing Logistics Optimization using the SPECTER Task Planner: A Shoe Manufacturing Case Study,” the paper showcased the efficacy of the SPECTER task planner in optimising shoe manufacturing logistics. Following the presentation, participants engaged in an enriching open discussion at the poster session area, fostering collaborative insights and knowledge exchange.
Furthermore, CIRCULOOS actively participated in two workshops on the event’s second day. Under the themes “Platforms and Networks for Smart Robotics Uptake” and “Remanufacturing,” the project’s representatives, including Anastasia Garbi, Panagiotis Bouklis, from European Dynamics; Francisco Melendez, from Fiware who quoted: “CIRCULOOS bridges the gap between the system integrator and SMEs.” Followed by Andrea Bettoni, from SUPSI: “In Europe, SMEs have a very important role in the manufacturing industry, but in terms ofv digitalization, they are very left behind. Most of them are not collecting nor using data. Thus, AI can become the brain for all of it. Not only for manufacturing AI, but it can really make a difference. For SMEs, it is very difficult and costly. They cannot invest in these fields and they do not know what will be their return. That is why having projects like ours matters.”
Marta Portalés, from Mobile World Capital Barcelona; and Mayte Carracedo, from Funding Box also participated in the conversation by adding information about tips to network at events and take the most of them; and networks sustainability respectively. The workshops served as a platform to showcase the project’s innovative approaches alongside initiatives such as the European Projects REDOL, PURESCRAP, Opti Scarp, and RENÉE, amplifying the discourse on robotics, circular economy, sustainability, and manufacturing excellence.
About European Robotics Forum
European Robotics Forum event brings together leading international experts in robotics, both academic and industrial, and is attended by the main companies in the sector. The forum aims to foster interaction between end users, researchers, and technology producers to improve industrial competitiveness, drive scientific progress, enhance networking opportunities and identify new scenarios for robotics applications.
About CIRCULOOS
CIRCULOOS empowers MSMEs to embrace the circular economy with minimal investment, offering a supportive environment and continuous upskilling opportunities through RAMP, which provides free online courses, webinars, and best practice guides. Through open calls, manufacturing and innovation SMEs collaborate to propose recycling, remanufacturing, and refurbishment cases, supported by CIRCULOOS tools and a substantial investment. Three pilots in the wood, leather, and plastic sectors will demonstrate and validate the framework, integrating circular economy vision using technologies like Digital Twin and robots across the supply chain.
CIRCULOOS consortium coordinated by EUROPEAN DYNAMICS is composed of RTOs, DIH (SuPSI, CUT, INN), industrial suppliers (EDGR, ALA, FIW, INCL), Manufacturing SMEs (FactoryFicton, Contenars LOLO, KHO, B&A, THER, CAN), Industrial cluster (Innomine, Alastra), Open call (F6S), and Dissemination and Communication managers (MWCB).
For more information on the CIRCULOOS project and its initiatives, follow our LinkedIn account.
