WeldGalaxy project will deliver, a B2B online Platform that brings together global buyers (end-users/OEM) and EU sellers (manufacturers/suppliers/distributors/service providers) of welding equipment along with auxiliaries/consumables and services, thereby enhancing the visibility of EU’s welding products/prototypes/services to global users (via digital marketing strategies) and providing innovative web-based services (e.g. equipment selection and inventory management, digital design/testing of equipment capabilities) to boost EU market share and competitiveness. The digital platform will incorporate Knowledge base engineering (KBE) tool that streamlines equipment selection process for end-users and allows ‘plug and produce’ digital manufacturing of the right equipment to specified customers’/end-users’ requirements and regulatory compliance. Though the full capability of the WeldGalaxy platform including associated product services (including the services from all third parties) will be demonstrated in welding equipment (along with auxiliaries) and consumables manufacturing domain, yet, the conceptual and functional framework of WeldGalaxy technology concept can be used in any industrial domain related to manufacturing. The Dynamic Knowledge Management based B2B platform will be designed by following the standard 3-tier architecture. Scalability and reliability will be assured by the use of: RESTfull architecture for API layer, cloud-based backend platform hosted on mainstream cloud providers like AWS or Google Cloud Platform who offer clustering, loading balancing, caching to support scalability and redundant data backup to ensure reliability. Use of blockchain/Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) will make the platform inherently stable, highly scalable and always up. The digital platform, supported by integrated blockchain/DLT for improved reliability/visibility/ transparency/ security of transactions, will enhance the competitiveness of EU manufacturing sec

The GEOFLEXheat project aims to revolutionize the European geothermal energy sector by introducing an innovative suite of technologies to enhance the extraction, efficiency and application of geothermal heat across diverse industrial sectors. This initiative is driven by a consortium that synergizes leading research institutions, SMEs, and industry experts to tackle the challenges of scalability, integration, and social acceptance associated with geothermal systems. At the core of project lies the development of a Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger coupled with an advanced Scaling Reactor to improve heat recovery from geothermal brine while simultaneously providing valuable mineral byproducts. This is complemented by a novel High-Temperature Heat Pump that delivers cost-effective and high-temperature heat, crucial for a wide range of industrial processes and beyond. The project will also deliver a state-of-the-art Control Strategy and Digital Twin, optimizing system performance and enabling real-time management of geothermal plants. Through comprehensive simulation and modelling, the project will showcase the full potential of geothermal energy to provide stable, affordable, and sustainable heat supply. The ambitious goals include fostering Europe's global leadership in renewable technologies, ensuring reliable energy supply for industries and households, and accelerating the integration of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage with geothermal systems. To ensure the project's outcomes have a lasting impact, GEOFLEXheat will execute robust commercialization strategy, including the establishment of a spin-off company, extensive environmental and economic assessments, and the creation of a Social Acceptance Guide to facilitate policy influence and community engagement. Embracing a future where geothermal energy is a cornerstone of Europe's renewable energy mix, GEOFLEXheat is poised to become a catalyst for energy sustainability, economic growth and environmental stewardship.

Remanufacturing is critical for Circular Economies, extending product life, creating jobs and revenue streams, and reducing waste, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. The main challenges that need to be addressed for successful remanufacturing in an industrial value chain or, more appropriately, value cycle are related to process, design, and business models. To meet these challenges, RESTORE will offer sustainable by design remanufacturing process and materials along with supporting tools for digitalization of remanufacturing ecosystem or value chain. RESTORE is aiming to advance potential SoA cladding technologies including laser direct energy deposition, plasma transfer arc process for sustainable remanufacturing application. To increase the deposition rate for large scale applications, we are aiming to develop a novel hybrid process combining laser and PTA process. We are aiming to manufacture wire feedstock with recycled content and develop a wire feeding system coupled with auxiliary feeding system to transfer machining swarf/unused powder directly into the melt pool, this will pave the way to zero waste and low-cost remanufacturing technology. For digitalization, we are also aiming to develop RESTORE platform, which will offer digital technologies and tools, which are digital technologies to increase process automation, recipe book and simulation tools for product and process optimisation, decision support framework, ecoDESIGN framework, blockchain enabled digital product passport, digital marketplace, business model templates, and collaborative spaces that can help to facilitate and streamline the remanufacturing process, providing greater traceability, transparency, and efficiency. The digital collaborative space will bring all relevant actors of the remanufacturing domain under one umbrella to share data and leverage a decision support framework and supporting tool, guiding the optimal remanufacturing of industrial products and components.

Geothermal is the most under-utilized of renewable sources due to high investment costs and long development cycle. A big part (53%) of the cost is in drilling and it is time-dependent. Geo-Drill aims to reduce drilling cost with increased ROP and reduced tripping with improved tools lives. Geo-Drill is proposing drilling technology incorporating bi-stable fluidic amplifier driven mud hammer, low cost 3D printed sensors & cables, drill monitoring system, Graphene based materials and coatings. Geo-Drill fluidic amplifier driven hammer is less sensitive to issues with mud and tolerances, less impact of erosion on hammer efficiency and it continues to operate with varying mud quality in efficient manner. It is also less affected by the environmental influences such as shocks, vibrations, accelerations, temperature and high pressures. Low cost and robust 3D-printed sensors & cables along the surface of the whole length of the drill string provides real-time high bandwidth data during drilling; e.g. estimation of rock formation hardness, mud flow speed, density, temp, etc. Flow assurance simulations combined with sensor readings and knowledge-based system will assist in optimizing drilling parameters and cuttings transport performance and safety conditions. Graphene's ability to tune the particular form lends itself uniquely as a component in a wide variety of matrices for coating developments with enhanced adhesion and dispersion properties and improved resistance to abrasion, erosion, corrosion and impact. Placing few mm hard-strength materials on drill bit, drill stabilizer through diffusion bonding improves their wear resistance and improve the lifetime. Geo-Drill's hammers improved efficiency and lifetime, drill parameter optimisation and CTP via sensors, reduced time in replacing tools with improved lifetime work together to improve ROP & lifetime resulting in reduced drilling time. Thereby, Geo-Drill will reduce drilling cost by 29-60%.

The main objective of COMPAS is to develop a compact, inexpensive and ultrasensitive PIC sensing platform (PSP) for air and water monitoring, relying on the co-integration of light source, detectors and electronic IC for on-chip signal processing. The PIC sensor principle will be based on interference between two guided light modes, one of which interacts with analytes and the other being a reference. The resulting intensity changes offers excellent sensitivity to changes in concentration of analytes in air or solution. Multiple light paths can be placed on the same device offering multi-analyte sensing in an ultracompact device. COMPAS builds a first-of-a-kind fully integrated system around this principle (including light source, detectors and signal processing). The COMPAS PSP begins at TRL2 and will end with TRL5 validation in relevant environment by end-users towards air and water monitoring. The project will - Define sensing parameters for validating developed PIC Sensor Platform (PSP) towards three use-cases in relevant environments, being in line with the European Green Deal’s zero pollution ambition - Develop core photonic technology for implementing photonic based sensing. These include a novel photonic IC material system (Aliminium Nitride), BiModal waveguide interferometers that show superior temperature stability and sensitivity, novel material coating systems for enhanced sensing selectivity and innovative nano structured metasurfaces for novel mode engineering for increased sensitivity and optimized light coupling to facilitate the use of low power laser diodes. - Develop a Chiplet approach to co-integration of photonic sensor with microelectronic IC and photodetectors, and a coherent light-source. This will combine heterogeneous integration of a laser light source and monolithically integrated photodetector in the silicon base material.