Publications
&
Deliverables
Publications
The Harmonised Circularity Assessment developed by EURECAT is devoted to assessing circularity at the product level
(intermediate and/or final) assisting in decision-making from an eco-design perspective.
The HCA-tool aggregates circular, environmental, economic and social spheres’ indicators (from now CEES-indicators),
to obtain a final numerical value, single-indicator, which enables products’ benchmarking in a holistic way.
Get to know the ZEvRA use cases—starting with our work on car components like fenders and bonnets made from recycled steel (with 0% virgin material). This process reduces CO₂ emissions, avoids smelting, and supports a circular economy. It’s a key step in making low-emission vehicles possible from the materials up.
Work Package 1
Circular Economy methodology
The pressing need posed by the global environmental challenges and the resource-intensive nature of the automotive industry, emphasizes the urgency for a harmonized design for circularity Methodology to foster sustainability and to diminish end-of-life wastage. This report introduces the methodological framework and the management plan of its application to ZEvRA’s project. ZEvRA’s methodological framework outlines an iterative circular design approach built upon the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework. Through training and interactive workshops, stakeholders will exchange ideas, provide feedback, and assist in the de5inition and alignment of the DfC strategies and specific actions.
Given the pressing need to address environmental challenges and promoting sustainability, circular economy has risen as a crucial strategy. The 9R framework, provides a comprehensive approach to implementing circular economy practices in various industries. Moreover, given the automotive industry’s significant role in the global economy and its major contribution to environmental impacts due to its resource-intensive manufacturing processes and high levels of waste generation, embracing circular economy principles, particularly the 9R framework, becomes essential for reducing the automotive industry’s footprint.
This deliverable introduces the Harmonised Circularity Assessment (HCA) developed by EURECAT to assess circularity at the product level. The HCA-tool aggregates circular, environmental, economic and social spheres’ indicators (CEES-indicators; a preliminary list is given in this document), to obtain a final numerical value, which enables a benchmarking exercise among the evaluated products. This holistic life cycle sustainability assessment extends beyond environmental concerns, encompassing a broader sustainability perspective.
The key point of HCA is data transformation, which entails converting a raw data source, the CEES-indicators values for each of the products analysed, into a ready-to-use format which enables their processing and integration. This conversion process involves a polarity transformation followed by a scaling process and a rating process. Through a standardize evaluation and comparison of alternatives, the HCA-tool serves as a critical decision-support tool to enhance circular performance-based strategies.
The application of the HCA methodology in ZEVRA’s solutions can greatly contribute to reducing their environmental impact, promote sustainability and align these solutions with circular economy goals. This deliverable describes in detail the methodological framework and implementation plan for the HCA-tool, emphasizing its sustainability benefits within the automotive industry.
As the automotive industry faces pressing environmental challenges, the need to transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy, becomes more critical. This report underscores the practical application of the ZEvRA Design for Circularity (DfC) Methodology established in D1.1, to identify viable circular approaches for ZEvRA use cases and define concrete actions that enhance the circularity and sustainability throughout the use cases lifecycle.
D1.1 provided a methodological framework that in addition with the 9R strategies aims to foster more sustainable and circular performance throughout the EV lifecycle. As part of the DfC process, a series of workshops has been conducted to facilitate the collaboration between project partners and apply Step 3: Re-adaption of Technological Procedures to Selected Strategies and Step 4: Selection of Concrete DfC Actions and Conceptualized Design of the methodology.
Building on the foundational work established in D1.1, through the application of the ZEvRA Design for Circularity Methodology, this report presents the insights collected from the two workshops corresponding to steps 3 and 4 of the methodology. The first workshop assessed the feasibility of the application of the different 9Rs to ZEvRA use cases, while the second workshop provided a platform for collaboration, enabling a brainstorming on the specific DfC actions for each use case. From the first workshop it can be concluded that the most feasible strategy in most use cases is R8 Recycling, though R2 Reduce is also considered somewhat feasible as well. The second workshop included the use of AI to optimize resource use, the standardization of design and material classes as well as an increased use of secondary materials to reduce dependency on primary resources.
This report concludes the first iteration of ZEvRA’s DfC Methodology, establishing a foundation for the continued refinement, in collaboration with all ZEvRA’s consortium, in pursuit for a more sustainable and circular EV.
Work Package 2
Digital tools
This Deliverable is per the Grant Agreement the digital tool itself (Type: OTHER) and thisdocument is the accompanying report that points to the tool and explains how to use it. The report has two parts:
- a link to the tool repository, and
- the user manual for operating the tool.
The tool helps designers assess the Design-for-Circularity (DfC) suitability of a component or product already during the design phase. It brings the circularity assessment for the individual Rstrategies, developed in Task 1.2, into a digital environment. The tool itself, named Circular DESIGNer, is a stand-alone desktop application with a graphical user interface which is operated through a sequence of dialog windows. The assessment covers the ten R-strategies (R0 Refuse to R9 Recover) and addresses material, disassembly/assembly and logistics aspects. A product is described component-by-component through a structured profile, geometric and material data as well as additional attributes. The datasets are imported from a CAD STEP file and user input through guided forms. Each component is compared against a classification of typical vehicle parts that can be configured for the relevant domain, so that no second comparison variant must be modelled. The material database can be filled manually or e.g. imported from the Catena-X network. Each component design is added through projects, and the classification can be adapted to suit individual areas of application. The strategy evaluation is tuned via parameter-to-goal assignment and goal-to-strategy weighting. Results are presented as KPIs, charts of suitability per R-strategy and of goal achievement per life-cycle stage, with drill-down for the individual parameters.
This document refers to the tool version in the repository as of 30 June 2026. Due to bug fixes, new features and adjustments, newer versions may be available in the repository in future, and there may be differences from this manual.
Work Package 5
Awareness, Acceptability and Training: Robust Educational Platform
This Awareness and Acceptability Report presents the foundational work carried out under Task 5.1 to advance the awareness and acceptability of circular economy (CE) principles and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based design for zero-emission solutions in road transport. Despite the
increasing relevance of circularity in sustainable manufacturing, knowledge gaps persist, particularly within the industrial workforce, where only a fraction of employees are familiar with CE concepts. ZEvRA aims to bridge this gap through a structured awareness and acceptability
program that engages key stakeholders, strengthens human capital in research and innovation, and provides specialised training to facilitate the adoption of CE practices.
A structured methodology was applied to assess the current state of CE awareness and acceptance. The report first provides a state-of-the-art (SOTA) analysis, examining existing policies, training programmes, industry initiatives, and best practices to establish a comprehensive understanding of CE education and workforce development. This is followed by an in-depth identification of gaps and barriers hindering the integration of CE principles in the automotive sector, with a particular focus on technical, economic, regulatory, and organisational challenges. Key barriers identified include the necessity for recycled materials to meet stringent performance standards, the limited and inconsistent supply of high-quality secondary materials, economic constraints affecting cost competitiveness, and integration challenges within design and production processes. Broader systemic challenges, such as consumer perceptions, aesthetic limitations, and logistical costs,
further complicate the transition toward circularity.
To address these barriers, a multistep approach has been carried out. The first step involved conducting targeted interviews with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Original Equipment Services (OES) to gather industry-specific insights into the feasibility of CE innovations and the factors limiting their adoption. The second step, which is currently in progress, will involve a broader survey of industry and academia to validate and deepen the findings from the interviews. Based on this analysis, concrete measures will be developed to facilitate the implementation of CE innovations, focusing on regulatory alignment, technical integration, economic incentives, and workforce upskilling. A key component of this approach will be the creation of tailored communication and awareness tools, including newsletters, symposiums, presentations, and digital learning platforms, designed to engage stakeholders and increase the visibility and acceptability of CE solutions.
The work described in this report establishes the framework for ongoing efforts in Task 5.1. The findings from the interviews and surveys will inform the next phase, where targeted strategies will be refined and tested in real-world applications. The development of structured evaluation mechanisms will allow for continuous assessment of the effectiveness of awareness and training measures, ensuring that the project remains adaptive to industry needs and policy developments. This deliverable represents a key milestone in advancing circularity in the automotive sector by providing a structured, data-driven foundation for stakeholder engagement, workforce training, and the large-scale implementation of sustainable innovation.
This updated version of the Awareness and Acceptability Report presents the foundational work carried out under Task 5.1 to advance awareness and acceptability of circular economy (CE) principles and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based design for zero-emission solutions in road transport. Despite the increasing relevance of circularity in sustainable manufacturing, significant knowledge gaps persist, particularly within the industrial workforce. ZEvRA addresses this challenge through a structured awareness and acceptability programme aimed at engaging key stakeholders, strengthening human capital in research and innovation, and supporting the adoption of circular economy practices in the automotive sector.
A structured methodology was applied to assess the current state of CE awareness and acceptance. The report presents a state-of-the-art analysis of relevant policies, training programmes, industry initiatives and best practices, followed by an in-depth identification of gaps and barriers affecting CE implementation. These barriers include stringent performance requirements for recycled materials, limited availability of high-quality secondary materials, economic constraints affecting cost competitiveness, and integration challenges within design and production processes. Broader systemic factors, such as consumer perceptions, aesthetic considerations and logistical constraints, further complicate the transition towards circularity.
Based on interviews with OEMs and OESs and supported by ongoing survey activities, the report develops concrete measures to address the identified barriers, focusing on regulatory alignment, technical integration, economic incentives and workforce upskilling. Particular emphasis is placed on tailored communication and awareness tools, including newsletters, events, presentations and the ZEvRA Annual Conference, to improve stakeholder engagement and acceptability. The results presented establish a solid, data-driven foundation for the next phases of Task 5.1 and contribute to advancing circular economy solutions and sustainable innovation in the automotive sector.
This report details the design and development of the ZEvRA project’s training platform, a comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) built on the open-source Moodle platform. The platform is designed to support the project’s goal of enhancing the circularity of light-duty electric vehicles across their entire value chain.
Key features of the platform include:
- User-friendly interface with customizable roles and permissions
- Robust content management system supporting various media formats
- Flexible course creation tools with templates and guidelines for educators
- Assessment and feedback instruments for tracking learner progress
- Multilanguage support and accessibility features
- Communication tools to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing
- Comprehensive reporting capabilities for administrators and educators
The platform employs modern training methodologies, including Connectivism and Instructional Design, to ensure effective knowledge transfer and skill development. It caters to a diverse audience, including automotive professionals, researchers, students, and citizens.
By providing a centralized, scalable, and cost-effective solution for delivering educational content, the ZEvRA training platform plays a crucial role in upskilling the automotive workforce and disseminating project findings. Its open-source nature and easy maintenance ensure long-term sustainability beyond the project’s duration, contributing to ongoing professional development in the automotive sector.
This report outlines the platform’s structure, management features, and pedagogical approach, demonstrating its alignment with the project’s objectives and its potential impact on advancing sustainable practices in the automotive industry.
This deliverable presents the full suite of training resources developed under Subtask 5.2.2 (Concept and Material Development for Specific Groups) of the ZEvRA project, led by Northumbria University (UNN) in collaboration with NTNU, UBO, RKW, FRA, and EUT. It documents the design, development, and delivery of ZEvRA’s training and knowledge transfer activities at M30, covering the complete portfolio of courses, webinars, in-house workshops, and annual educational conferences produced during the first thirty months of the project.
The training portfolio has been built on the principle that knowledge of circularity in the automotive sector must be as diverse in format as it is in content. Six original ZEvRA-developed courses are now live on the ZEvRA Academy — the project’s Moodle-based educational platform, hosted by EUT — spanning topics from Circular Economy fundamentals and Life Cycle Assessment to Lightweight Design by Recycling-based Aluminium Foam, Design for Circularity, Quality and Traceability of Recycled Materials, and Secondary Aluminium Alloys for High-Pressure Die Casting. Two further courses — Industry 4.0 Digital Enablers for Circular Automotive Value Chains (NTNU) and Eco-Design (UNN) — are in active development and will be published before the project’s conclusion. All live courses award a digital certificate upon completion and are freely accessible to anyone who registers on the ZEvRA Academy. The platform has received 2,156 visits since February 2026 and has registered a total of 60 enrolments across the six live courses.
Alongside the digital course portfolio, ZEvRA’s training programme encompasses a rich programme of live events. Three in-house workshops have been delivered — by Fraunhofer IWU (November 2024), Northumbria University (April 2025), and EURECAT (June 2024) — each meeting the minimum attendance KPI of 25 participants and each tailored to its host institution’s thematic expertise and audience profile. The first annual educational conference, Breaking Down the Barriers Toward a Circular Automotive Industry, was held on 27 November 2025 at EURECAT’s facilities in Cerdanyola, Spain. With 98 total participants drawn from OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, research organisations, universities, and consultancies across Europe, the event substantially exceeded its attendance target. Post-event satisfaction survey results — with an overall average score of 4.29 out of 5 across ten evaluation dimensions — confirmed strong participant endorsement. The second annual conference, CIRMA 2026 (Circular Materials and Mobility Conference: From Innovation to Implementation), is planned for 24–25 November 2026 at the Gläserne Manufaktur in Dresden, with proceedings to be published by Springer Nature. A third and final conference, co-located with the ZEvRA project’s closing Final Exhibition, is planned for the project’s final quarter.
The ZEvRA Zero-Emission Solutions Series — a programme of expert-led knowledge transfer webinars covering each of the project’s material use cases — is now underway. Session 1 (The Circular EV: Designing Today for Tomorrow’s Mobility, delivered by EURECAT) took place on 29 April 2026 with 19 live participants, and the recording is available on the ZEvRA Academy. Sessions B2 through B8 are scheduled across June to September 2026, covering secondary aluminium, aluminium foam, steel, digital product passports, Industry 4.0, regulatory compliance, and thermoplastic composites. Short video nuggets, led by RKW Sachsen under the technology transfer strand of Task 5.2.2, are currently in production.
The content and priorities of ZEvRA’s training activities have been directly informed by evidence gathered from value-chain practitioners. A structured diagnostic workshop conducted with consortium members — using live interactive polling to map the barriers preventing circular automotive solutions from reaching the market — identified cost competitiveness, regulatory uncertainty, and quality and traceability of recycled materials as the dominant challenges. These findings directly shaped the training portfolio: they validated the development of a dedicated course on recycled material quality and traceability (A5), confirmed the prominence of regulatory content across multiple courses, and reinforced the conference strategy of convening cross-sector stakeholders around shared implementation challenges.
Against the project’s key performance indicators, the training programme is tracking well in several areas. Six certificate-backed courses are live; the total participants figure exceeds 150 when conference and workshop attendance is included alongside platform enrolments; and the quality threshold of 3.8/5 has been met with substantial margin in the first conference. The most outstanding risk is the virtual sessions KPI, which requires at least three sessions with more than 25 live attendees — a threshold was met for one session A1. Sessions A2 and A3 represent the immediate opportunities to address this and we are confident that we will meet the KPI. Detailed KPI monitoring and final evaluation will be reported in D5.6 (Training Implementation and Evaluation, due M33) and D5.4.
This deliverable directly contributes to ZEvRA Objective 5 — to strengthen human capital in research and innovation by developing skills in the Design for Circularity methodology, circular EV technologies, and digital manufacturing — and is structured to provide the Project Officer with full documentary evidence of all training activities completed to date, together with clear visibility of the activities still in progress. Section 2 sets out the scope, methodology, and objectives of WP5’s training approach; Section 3 documents the full training materials portfolio; Section 4 covers workshops and conferences; Section 5 provides an integrated KPI monitoring dashboard; and Section 6 reflects on achievements and the project’s training legacy.
Work Package 6
Dissemination Communication and Exploitation
The deliverable D6.1 Marketing basics is part of Work Package 6- Communication and Dissemination which aims to increase awareness of the ZEvRA EU project by means of a coherent visual identity and by identifying audiences for disseminating successes and results and communicating project developments and news. This document explains and shows the visual identity of ZEvRA including a colour palette and logos as well as fonts and templates. Three marketing materials for print were developed and are available on the website: a flyer, a brochure and a banner. A project website has been set up at www.zevraproject.eu and is presented in chapter 4.
The deliverable D6.2 Plan for dissemination including communication activities (first version) is part of Work Package 6- Communication and Dissemination which aims to increase awareness of the ZEvRA Horizon Europe project by means of a coherent visual identity
used on the project website, social media channels and physical marketing materials. D6.2 identifies audiences for disseminating successes and results and communicating project developments and news.
Communication measures in ZEvRA contribute to making the project visible and help explain it to various audiences in order to spread knowledge about circularity in the automotive field, particularly among the general public, media, academia, industry, policy makers.
Dissemination measures describe project results and enable their use and take-up by audiences such as academia, industry and policy makers.
This document describes communication and dissemination measures to be undertaken during the project runtime. Social media channels used include LinkedIn, X and YouTube. Target groups of dissemination measures are identified and concrete activities explained.
The deliverable D6.3 Plan for Dissemination, including Communication Activities (second version) represents one of the tasks within Work Package 6-Communication and Dissemination. The objective of this work package is to disseminate information about the ZEvRA project and to foster awareness and acceptance of circularity in the automotive sector.
Communication measures are employed to disseminate project developments and results to a wider audience. To this end, a website was developed, printed marketing material was created, press releases and a general presentation were published, and various social media channels were set up, such as LinkedIn, X, or YouTube, through which the latest news can be disseminated.
In contrast, Dissemination strategies are described to address specific target groups and deliver targeted project results to academic audiences, industry sectors or policymakers. The planned dissemination strategies included the publication of scientific articles, the attendance of conferences and trade fairs, and the conducting of physical workshops and virtual training sessions. A concluding event is also scheduled to take place at the conclusion of the project.
This deliverable provides an overview of the project’s status at the 11-month mark and offers insights into planned future Dissemination and Communication strategies, which will be implemented at a later stage of the project.
Deliverable D6.4, entitled “Plan for Dissemination, including Communication Activities (third version)”, represents one of the tasks within Work Package 6, entitled ‘Communication and Dissemination’. The objective of this work package is twofold: firstly, to disseminate information about the ZEvRA project and, secondly, to foster awareness and acceptance of circularity in the automotive sector.
The dissemination of project developments and results to a wider audience is achieved through the implementation of communication measures. At the project’s inception, a website was developed, printed marketing material was created, press releases and a general presentation were published, and various social media channels were set up, including LinkedIn, X, and YouTube. In recent months, Fraunhofer and Bax have engaged in continuous maintenance of these channels, implementing updates to events and creating new sections on the website. Furthermore, new content has been prepared for the website and social media.
In contrast, dissemination strategies are described to address specific target groups and deliver targeted project results to academic audiences, industry sectors or policymakers. In recent months, there has been a continuation of the advancement of scientific publications, in addition to the organisation of workshops and participation in trade fairs and conferences. At these events, ZEvRA has been made public and visible. Moreover, we provided our support for the establishment and publicity of the 1st Annual Conference in WP5, which was held in Catalonia in November 2025.
This deliverable provides an overview of the project’s status at the midterm of the project and offers insights into planned future dissemination and communication strategies which will be implemented at a subsequent stage of the project.
ZEvRA aims to enhance vehicle material circularity, enabling zero-emission vehicles. It will achieve this through four stages: identifying design use cases, guiding technology development, translating requirements into design strategies, integrating technology to TRL5 with zero virgin
materials, and transitioning to circular manufacturing. Collaboration with stakeholders is essential to address regulatory and logistical challenges in the vehicle manufacturing sector.
Task 6.2, “Exploitation of Innovations and Circular Business Models,” focuses on creating a viable exploitation strategy, guiding the consortium toward maximizing the project’s most promising Key Exploitable Results (KERs). This deliverable identifies ZEvRA’s exploitable results and presents
the methodology that will be followed for strategizing the KERs and align project outcomes with broader societal and economic impacts.
Three deliverables will be elaborated to report the results of T6.2 (D6.6, D6.7, D6.8) and the present document at Year 1 describes the process that will be followed to do so as well as the first outcome of such process. In this sense, the exploitation strategy of ZEvRA will utilise the Horizon Results Booster initiative. The Horizon Results Booster will help ZEvRA maximise the impact of its results. As well as the results booster, the results will take into consideration the EXPLOITT® methodology developed for H2020 and validated by the European Commission. EXPLOITT® is a methodology for industrial exploitation and take-up developed by IK4-IDEKO in the FOCUS EUProject. The methodology is based on four phases: A) technology assessment, B) business plan, C) competitive intelligence activities and D) clustering activities. The methodology will generate the
inputs required by the Horizon Results Booster.
Phase A on technology assessment is integrated by two parts. The first one addresses the technology identification, in which 15 KER project results are identified at proposal stage. These KERs will then, in D6.7 and D6.8, be further characterised and later prioritised. A second part focus on evaluating the technologies behind the most important KERs. The identification of results is done based on the KERs identified at proposal stage and the further characterisation is done for those with a potential to be exploited by using specific templates that were shared with the ZEvRA
partners. After the characterisation, all partners will participate in an upcoming workshop in which a prioritisation exercise is done based on the innovativeness of the result, exploitability level, and the impact in industry. The 3-5 most important KERs will be fully evaluated with regards ground identification, contribution-benefits matrix, patents analysis, competitors’ analysis, market research, IPR and exploitation claims, standardisation process, and risk assessment. After this evaluation, dedicated business plans will be developed. The version of this deliverable at M24 and M36 will include the findings arising from the prioritisation exercise and the further business models creation.
ZEvRA aims to enhance vehicle material circularity, enabling zero-emission vehicles. It will achieve this through four stages: identifying design use cases, guiding technology development, translating requirements into design strategies, integrating technology to TRL5 with zero virgin materials, and transitioning to circular manufacturing. Collaboration with stakeholders is essential to address regulatory and logistical challenges in the vehicle manufacturing sector. Task 6.2, “Exploitation of Innovations and Circular Business Models,” focuses on creating a viable exploitation strategy, guiding the consortium toward maximizing the project’s most promising Key Exploitable Results (KERs). This deliverable identifies ZEvRA’s exploitable results and presents the methodology that will be followed for strategizing the KERs and aligning project outcomes with broader societal and economic impacts.
Three deliverables will be elaborated to report the results of T6.2 (D6.6- presented in M12, D6.7, D6.8). The present document (D6.7) at Year 2 describes the process that has been followed to make progress with the exploitation plan that was set out in D6.6. So far, the results are based on the EXPLOITT® methodology developed for H2020 and validated by the European Commission, and the Horizon Results Booster (HRB), recommended by the European Commission. EXPLOITT® is a methodology for industrial exploitation and take-up developed by IK4-IDEKO in the FOCUS EU-Project. The methodology is based on four phases: A) technology assessment, B) business plan, C) competitive intelligence activities, and D) clustering activities.
Phase A on technology assessment is integrated into two parts. The first one addresses the technology identification, where the partners complement the KERs identified at the proposal stage, and add any further KERs identified within the first 18 months of ZEvRA. These KERs were then characterised in more detail and prioritised for further technology evaluation. The technology evaluation focuses on the selected most important/most highly exploitable KERs. The processes are performed using specific templates that were shared with the ZEvRA partners. After the characterisation, all partners participated in a workshop in which a prioritisation exercise was performed based on the innovativeness of the result, the exploitability level, and the impact on industry. The 3 most important KERs are then fully evaluated combining both the EXPLOITT® methodology and the HRB to understand the individual KERs into more detail and essentially obtain all knowledge required to prepare them for commercialisation/route to market planning. As ZEvRA project has over 30 results, several of them were identified during the PR1 review meeting in Brussels (September 2025) as highly impactful, this led to a select few additional KERs also following just the EXPLOITT® methodology, as the HRB can only focus on 3 KERs. After this evaluation, dedicated business plans will be developed. Anything that has not been achieved/performed up until this D6.7 (M24) will be achieved by D6.8 (M26).
This preliminary report (Deliverable 6.9) presents a comprehensive overview of the policy and market landscape for plastics and composites in end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) within the European Union, with a focus on circularity and the utilization of recycled materials into automotive manufacturing. The main objective is to map the regulatory framework that influences the recycling and reuse of automotive plastics and composites, and to assess the current recycling capacity in Europe.
The EU’s regulatory framework is evolving, and the proposed revision of the ELV Directive introduces ambitious recycled content targets for plastics, circularity strategies as well as a circularity vehicle passport. These measures are expected to drive innovation and subsequent investment in recycling technologies, however, their success hinges on the harmonized implementation across Member states.
The EU has achieved a mature, high-performing system for metals and major components, but significant blind spots remain for polymers and composites. Most automotive plastics are not separately dismantled, and end up in the automotive shredder residue (ASR), which is predominantly incinerated or sometimes landfilled, rather than being recycled back into new materials. Market and logistical challenges persist, including the low economic value of scrap plastics, lack of advanced sorting infrastructure, and fragmented logistics. Regulatory fragmentation, especially inconsistent end-of-waste criteria, further complicates the cross-border trade and market development for high-quality recyclates. Recent market disruptions, such as declining prices of virgin plastics, and increased imports of low-cost secondary materials, have led to closures of recycling facilities in Europe, further reducing domestic recycling capacity and increasing waste exports.
Work Package 7
Project management and coordination
This deliverable will define how scientific and technical (S&T) activities will be managed and monitored throughout the project, including all design, development, prototyping, technology assessment, testing, and validation activities. This will be completed to affirm that the S&T content is of high quality. The project will be managed and monitored using work packages (WPs), tasks (Ts), deliverables (Ds) and milestones (MSs) defined in the ZEvRA Grant Agreement (GA) as well Consortium Agreement (CA). To accomplish this target, ZEvRA’s consortium will utilize various means to identify deviations in a simple manner and allow robust follow-up approaches. This document will provide a clear handbook of procedures and practical guidelines to enable the S&T of the project for all partners. It provides guidance regarding the planning and development of deliverables and identifies contractual rules and management procedures relevant to the technical management of the project as well as both internal and EC level reporting. The management structure related to S&T activities will be presented, as well as the procedures used to ensure appropriate monitoring of technical progress. This is in alignment with the procedures in the risks’ identification plan (D7.3, D7.4 and D7.5).
The deliverable defines the quality and risk management process during ZEvRA project implementation. This is to ensure the consistent quality of all project outputs, in order to fully meet the commitments (objectives and deliverables) made in the Grant Agreement. The document includes a risk assessment plan to identify potential deviations or setbacks during the entire project execution and prepare recovery actions, whenever needed. Quality and risk management should be implemented continuously throughout the project, based on the target definition and initial risk assessment carried out during the design phase.
In the 7.3 (Quality and Risk Management plan 1st version) deliverable the project partners defined the process of quality and risk identification, assessment and evaluation implemented during ZEvRA project for ensure the consistent quality of all project outputs, in order to fully meet the
commitments (objectives and deliverables) made in the Grant Agreement. The document includes the Risk Register initial version, with the identified risks, their possible affects, owners, ranking and measures to diminish the negative impacts.
The risk owners actualize the table every two month and the Technical Board monitoring those
during its meeting.
Because during the first period of the project, the used process proved suitable and usable, there
is no need to modify.
The up-to date Risk Register indicate the recent risks and respond plans to mitigate the identified risks.
In deliverable D7.3 (Quality and Risk Management Plan, Version 1), the project partners defined the quality and risk identification, assessment, and rating process implemented during the ZEvRA project. In the D7.3 deliverable, the first procedure was updated based on experience gained to date, which did not involve any significant changes, only the addition of the Risk Register. Based on experience gained since then, which shows an increase in the importance and effectiveness of risk management.
The necessary modifications are as follows:
- The procedure has been supplemented with the immediate reporting of critical risks directly to the Steering Committee.
- The Risk Register has been supplemented with separate worksheets breaking down the activities planned to mitigate each risk into phases and setting deadlines for them.
These modifications are intended to improve the response time to risks threatening the project and the traceability of the interventions to be implemented to manage them.
The ZEvRA project generates a substantial amount of data, necessitating a robust Data Management Plan (DMP) to ensure effective data handling throughout the project’s lifecycle. This DMP is designed to align with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), Horizon Europe guidelines, and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Key focuses include data security, Gender Dimensions, ethical considerations, and clear allocation of resources and responsibilities among partners.
The DMP, presented initially at the sixth month (M6) of the project, is a dynamic document that will be updated annually to incorporate new developments and necessary revisions. This ensures continuous alignment with best practices and project needs.
The DMP is structured into seven comprehensive chapters:
- Chapter 2 (Introduction) Introduces the DMP and its structure
- Chapter 3 (Data Summary) Summarises for each of ZEvRA´s work packages an overview of the data to be collected, detailing the purpose, types, formats, origin, expected volume, and potential stakeholders.
- Chapter 4 (FAIR Data) explains how ZEvRA will manage all data to ensure the FAIR principles.
- Chapter 5 (Allocation of Resources) estimates the resources needed and identi7ies data management responsibilities.
- Chapter 6 (Data Security) explains the data security strategy applied in ZEvRA, including the securing storage solutions employed.
- Chapter 7 (Ethical Aspects) explains the ethical considerations related to the data collected/generated.
- Chapter 8 (Gender Dimension) explains the actions that will be undertaken to ensure fair treatment to all genders.
- Chapter 9 (Conclusion) summarizes the DMP and outlines forthcoming steps regarding data control and the project’s data management plan.
This DMP is essential for maintaining data integrity, security, and accessibility in the ZEvRA project. By adhering to the outlined protocols, the project aims to ensure that all data-related activities are conducted in a secure, ethical, and ef7icient manner, supporting the overall success and sustainability of the project.
The ZEvRA project generates a substantial amount of data, necessitating a robust Data Management Plan (DMP) to ensure effective data handling throughout the project’s lifecycle. The First DMP, which is deliverable 7.6 laid the groundwork for ZEVRA´s compliance with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), Horizon Europe guidelines, and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as data security, Gender Dimensions, ethical considerations, and clear allocation of resources and responsibilities among partners. These sections are not repeated and if requested we refer the reader to the first deliverable (D7.6).
This DMP version describes the DMP improvements and results so far. It is structured into 4 chapters:
- Chapter 2 (Data Summary) Summarises for each of ZEvRA´s work packages an overview of the data to be collected, detailing the purpose, types, formats, origin, expected volume, and potential stakeholders.
- Chapter 3 (Open science practices) Describes what has been done during the first year of the project with regards ZEVRA’s results and outcomes.
- Chapter 4 (Allocation of Resources) Estimates the resources needed and identifies data management responsibilities.
- Chapter 5 (Conclusion) summarizes the DMP and outlines forthcoming steps regarding data control and the project’s data management plan.
This DMP is essential for maintaining data integrity, security, and accessibility in the ZEvRA project. By adhering to the outlined protocols, the project aims to ensure that all data-related activities are conducted in a secure, ethical, and efficient manner, supporting the overall success and sustainability of the project.