Work Package 4: Business Case
The business cases of Work Package (WP) 4 are the ‘motor’ of the project, where each task corresponds to a business case and is led by an industrial partner. The WP leader is Maastricht University. We talked with one of the WP leaders Rucha K., about the WP activities and Maastricht University role in the project.
CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF?
Rucha: ”I am a Ph.D. researcher on the topic of Circular Product Development at the Chair of Circular Plastics at Maastricht University. Together with my promotors prof. Kim Ragaert and dr. Rudinei Fiorio, we are leading WP4 – the Business Cases (BC) – in INCREACE.
Maastricht University is the link between the BC owners and the other WPs of INCREACE, who are all working together to realize high quality products with PCR. We guide the BCs from a materials science/recycling perspective, which also aligns well with the expertise of our research group.”
What is the role of WP4 in the INCREACE project?
”WP4 is the ‘motor’ of the project. Each task is a BC – led by an industrial case “owner” – in which the consortium will use science and technology to remove existing barriers for increased uptake of recycled content in their specific product. Each BC is a unique challenge in itself and the process of solving it leads to driving questions directed towards the other WPs. The input from the other WPs is carefully aligned with the aim to form a single coherent value chain solution for the BCs. Lastly, proof-of-concept trials demonstrating the working solution(s) are an expected outcome of the project.”
What challenges do you face within the WP and how are you addressing them?
”Communication and alignment between partners and WPs in general, as well as the diversity between BCs. Some of the challenges are specific to certain material science hurdles such as electrostatic discharge properties or UL94 V0 flammability in recyclates while the others are challenging from a more regulatory aspect such as food contact applications and medical applications. Another challenge, which is raised with the BCs of WP4, is establishing a synergistic circular value chain for the specified products.”
Could you tell us about the partners involved in the Workpackage and the reasons for their participation?
”Maastricht University acts as the leader of WP4, but is very grateful to be joined by Pezy Group as a co-lead. They support mostly from an industrial product development/value chain perspective. Cabka, Skaza, Philips & Vorwerk, acting as the BC owners, lead tasks assigned to their respective BCs. WP4 is also supported by the other WPs with their input, in particular WP leaders of WP1, WP2 & WP3.”
What do you anticipate the impact of your Workpackage to be?
”The output of the work package would pave the way towards state-of-the-art value chain solutions for currently unanswered recycling challenges for high quality products.”
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Theresa Marie Aigner & Ronja Scholz
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Fraunhofer Institute for for Reliability and Microintegration IZM
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grand agreement No 101058487