iCircular3: Turning Digital Innovation into Circular Impact
As Europe accelerates its shift towards a circular economy, digital technologies are becoming essential tools for transforming how products are designed, used, and recovered. The iCircular3 Digital Circular Economy Transition project, led by academics at I-Form, University College Dublin, is tackling this challenge by helping industry move beyond linear production models and towards long-term value creation. Coordinated by Dr Pezhman Ghadimi, Funded Investigator, I-Form and Professor Nikolaos Papakostas, Principal Investigator, I-Form at UCD’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, the project focuses on how digital tools can extend product life, enable reuse, and improve end-of-life recovery.
Funded through the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, iCircular3 brings together academic and industrial partners from across Europe to develop practical approaches to circularity in industrial robotics, electric vehicles, and outdoor power tools - three sectors where complexity, cost, and long product lifetimes make circular solutions particularly challenging.
With a total project value of €2.56 million, iCircular3 aligns closely with the objectives of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, supporting climate goals while creating new economic opportunities for European manufacturers.
Current research includes:
- Upgrading ageing industrial robots using advanced sensing technologies
- Improving traceability and recycling through secure digital systems
- Assessing the remaining life of EV batteries for second-use applications
- Supporting rental, sharing, and take-back models for power tools
- These efforts aim to reduce waste, lower costs, and help companies adopt more resilient and sustainable business models.
- Training the Next Generation of Circular Economy Experts
A key element of iCircular3 is its commitment to skills development. The project is training nine early-stage researchers through an interdisciplinary programme that bridges engineering, digitalisation, policy, and business.