SMART CIRCUIT

Project description

SMART CIRCUIT addresses a key challenge of Central Europe’s manufacturing sector: high resource consumption, waste generation and emissions on the one hand, and largely untapped potential of the circular economy on the other. Industrial value chains such as electronics, construction and textiles still show major gaps in the implementation of circular models. At the same time, more and more circular economy initiatives are emerging in Central and Eastern Europe – yet their impact often remains fragmented and regionally limited.

Digital, technology-driven business models are essential to scale circular economy – for example through digital product passports, data-driven reverse logistics or connected material and component flows. However, access to such solutions is uneven across the region. This is where SMART CIRCUIT comes in: the project connects leading Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) and technology centres in Central Europe and supports manufacturing companies in integrating digital and circular solutions into their operations.

Through a transnational DIH network, proven approaches along the entire circular economy cycle – from design for circularity and circular production to reuse, repair and recycling – are identified, transferred and demonstrated in pilot activities. In this way, SMART CIRCUIT helps to accelerate the uptake of digital circular economy practices and to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of Central Europe’s manufacturing sector.

Project objectives and technical innovation

SMART CIRCUIT aims to drive the adoption of digital and technology-based circular economy solutions across Central Europe’s manufacturing industry in a systematic way. At its core stands a strong network of Digital Innovation Hubs connecting companies, technology providers and policy makers.

The key innovations are:

• Establishing a transnational DIH network that bundles and provides access to circular best practices, tools and services along the entire value chain.
• Developing and testing multi-stakeholder solutions that leverage digital technologies – such as data platforms, AI-based analytics or tracking systems – for circular business models.
• Systematic excellence transfer: solutions from regions with a high circular-economy maturity are adapted and rolled out in less advanced regions to close operational and strategic gaps.
• Supporting manufacturing companies through pilot implementations, training and innovation services to accelerate their transition towards resource-efficient, circular production systems.

SMART CIRCUIT provides added value

• For manufacturing companies: Easier access to digital circular-economy solutions, concrete pilot activities and services via DIHs, reduced resource consumption and costs, and increased resilience and competitiveness.
• For Digital Innovation Hubs & clusters: A more strongly connected service portfolio, shared methods and tools for circular economy, and higher visibility within the European innovation landscape.
• For policy makers & regions: A faster transition towards a greener, more resource-efficient industrial base in Central Europe, aligned with EU objectives and funding programmes, and strengthened regional value creation and sustainable growth.