S2: High-tech circular economy Europe at the forefront of sustainable reindustrialisation

Action plan

Detailed actions

1. Adopting cutting-edge technologies for circularity

• Objective: Incorporating advanced technologies (AI, IoT, blockchain) in order to improve circular processes.
• Action: Obtaining financial and technical support to adopt AI and IoT in local industry, and approaching companies that enable this integration of technologies.
• Concrete example: Drawing on Grand Est Développement's expertise in AI and in connecting companies with solution providers. ELA Innovation specialises in industrial IoT and supports its customers from the design to the remanufacture of objects - incorporating a complete material chain to ensure long-term traceability of industrial assets and their reuse. Akanthas combines IoT sensors (optical), AI (vision) and data visualisation in order to provide real-time monitoring of waste and identify its nature, with the aim of optimising sorting at treatment centres. For funding, turn to "ECONUM - Support for the development of an innovative, circular digital economy with a lower environmental impact" under France 2030, managed by ADEME.

2. Developing local technology skills

• Objective: Training employees in new sustainable technologies.
• Action: Setting up specific training with local universities and institutes.
• Concrete example: The Alsacetech network offers series of conferences, workshops and support on artificial intelligence: from data collection to model deployment, with a focus on their industrial uses. Well suited to projects combining AI and circularity

3. Strengthening collaboration with start-ups

• Objective: Incorporating local innovation into industrial processes.
• Action: Creating or joining start-up incubators in partnership with Grand Est Développement.
• Concrete example: Approaching the "La Lucarne" incubator run by Initiatives Durables, Quest For Change/Semia and France Active Alsace, which supports promoters of social and environmental impact projects.

4. Optimising supply chains

• Objective: Reducing dependence on critical resources.
• Action: Incorporating blockchain-based traceability technologies.
• Concrete example: the TRICK project aims to provide a platform enabling SMEs to collect and manage product data on the basis of a blockchain model supporting supply chain traceability.

5. Promoting partnerships in order to pool costs

• Objective: Pooling technology development costs for SMEs.
• Action: Joining industrial consortia in order to pool circular technologies.
• Concrete example: EDIH Grand Est (European Digital Innovation Hub). A European/Grand Est hub bringing together chambers of commerce, universities (Strasbourg, UHA, Lorraine, etc.), the CEA, Cetim and others. It gives SMEs shared access to AI, cybersecurity, high-performance computing and prototyping platforms, and to joint funding

6. Incorporating smart infrastructure

• Objective: Optimising resource use in industrial facilities.
• Action: Taking part in the development of smart cities in order to strengthen circular economy loops.
• Concrete example: The Strasbourg Eurometropolis is leading a green city project incorporating smart energy management infrastructure for local industry. For example the Citadelle district, awarded the "Sustainable City Demonstrator" label under the France 2030 / ANRU programme. This new Deux-Rives district is designed as a low-carbon, resilient neighbourhood, with bio-based materials, calmed traffic and river logistics.

7. Developing predictive maintenance systems

• Objective: Reducing energy demand through predictive maintenance and extending the service life of equipment.
• Action: Using IoT to detect faults in advance and schedule maintenance.
• Concrete example: Partnership with the start-up Uptime to install predictive maintenance systems in Grand Est manufacturing plants. This modular, scalable and open-source platform, launched in 2017 as part of a Horizon 2020 project, aims to help manufacturers anticipate machine failures through IoT + AI + big data. It collects real-time and historical data, detects anomalies, assesses remaining service life and proposes the optimal maintenance actions in order to minimise costs and maximise availability. Demonstrations have been carried out at manufacturers such as Whirlpool, at metallurgical sites (cold rolling) and in aerospace.

8. Accelerating the implementation of sustainable energy solutions

• Objective: Having reduced energy needs, diversifying energy sources in order to reduce the carbon footprint.
• Action: Collaborating with local partners in order to incorporate the reuse of waste heat and renewable energy, in line with resource availability. Seeking funding
• Concrete example: A project for a solar thermal plant combined with a heat pump to recover heat from vapour in order to supply a malt house in the Aube. Investment by the paper manufacturer Exacompta Clairefontaine at its Vosges plant to move away from gas in favour of biomass. ADEME funding through schemes such as the "Heat Fund" (renewable heat and waste heat recovery), the "Decarbonisation Fund", or ACT.

9. Embedding sustainable purchasing in company policy and strategy

• Objective: Developing local supply chains
• Action: Enabling companies to frame and set their direction, and to meet suppliers matching their needs (local suppliers, recyclable materials, etc.)
• Concrete example: Thanks to the chamber of commerce's collective support programmes, companies such as NORCAN formalise their purchasing policy and set up monitoring of eco-responsible products, add indicators for suppliers on recyclability and product origin, and ask their suppliers to make commitments on the origin of raw materials.

10. Supporting the change in business model

• Objective: Training executives on the business model changes that this scenario entails
• Action: Developing training to support executives in the face of the business model change brought about by a technology-driven circular economy.
• Concrete example: The Grand Est chamber of commerce, working with the EDIH, offers assessments and collective workshops for executives, focused on the business model and on the green and digital transition. Co-funded by training bodies and Europe, with regular sessions in the region. The CEC (companies' convention for the climate) programme, the functional and cooperative economy club, and certain training courses provided by BPI France or ADEME are other schemes that can be drawn on.

Summary table