II-CIRCLE

In the II-CIRCLE project, companies, material/recycling (plastic) value-chain actors and knowledge institutions in the German–Dutch border region are developing an integrated, SME-ready approach that uses virtual models to re-use knowledge and shorten development cycles.
In many SMEs in the plastics processing industry—who will increasingly have to comply with EU requirements on recycling—product development still follows a trial-and-error approach: materials are tested and adjusted until they “fit”. This costs time and money, and the knowledge gained is often not properly documented. With recyclates and bio-based materials the problem becomes more severe due to missing material property data and batch-to-batch differences, leading to unstable processes, additional prototypes, more test cycles and higher failure costs. At the same time, requirements driven by eco-design and DPP/ESPR are increasing: material choice, origin/traceability and recyclability must be evidenced early and documented consistently.
For the first time, four building blocks are combined into one workflow:
1) Validated measurement and test data in a materials database (mechanical and rheological properties, processing windows, cycle time, traceability),
2) Digital Twin for virtual assessment of manufacturability, performance and failure risks,
3) AI-based decision support providing an explainable, robust recommendation (less scrap/rework despite variability), and
4) DPP/ESPR core fields for substantiation and reporting.
Validation will be carried out in two complementary pilots using different material types: the Philips OneBlade (10 prototypes) and a German injection moulding use case with recycling assessment. Targets include: >20% shorter development time, >20% fewer physical test cycles, >25% less material loss/overdesign, and improved circularity in the design phase. Results will be made available to SMEs through trainings, an adoption toolkit and the Virtual Lab 4 Circularity. TRL: 4 → 7–8.