From November 12th to 13th, 2024, ECOFACT hosted its Month 48 General Assembly in Ulmi, Romania, at Beko’s factory (Arçelik), one of the project’s demo site partners. The assembly gathered representatives from all consortium partners to engage in critical discussions on progress, challenges, and next steps.
Day 1: The first day kicked off with consortium participants being warmly welcomed in Ulmi factory. The agenda commenced with a global project overview, where partners discussed project progress.
The morning sessions featured updates on Work Packages (WPs):
- WP2: Holistic Monitoring and Data Acquisition Solutions
- WP3: Energy and Resource Management System (ERMS)
- WP4: Dynamic LCA/LCC Software Module
- WP5: ECOFACT Platform and ICT Framework Development
- WP6: Demonstration
- WP7: Standardization, Certification and Regulation of Energy Efficient Manufacturing Practices
- WP9: Communication and Dissemination
The afternoon sessions focused on discussions for use cases from key demonstration sites, including Athenian Brewery, TOFAS, and Gullón. Each session combined short presentations and discussions to address implementation challenges and strategies for successful deployment.
The first day of activities concluded with a network dinner in Bucharest, offering a chance for informal networking and reflections on the day’s discussions.
Day 2: The day began with an in-depth discussion on the Arçelik (Beko) use cases, followed by updates on WP8 replication and exploitation strategies. The sessions provided valuable insights into how the ECOFACT solutions can be scaled across industries.
The afternoon introduced the second ECOFACT Training and Educational Workshop, aimed at disseminating project knowledge through structured training modules.
Participants also toured Beko’s washing machine production plant, gaining first-hand insights into sustainable manufacturing practices implemented at the demo site.
Key Takeaways and Looking Ahead
The assembly underscored ECOFACT’s significant contributions to sustainable manufacturing, including:
- Progress on digital twin technologies, LCA, and energy/resource management systems.
- Insights from demonstration sites on the practical applications of ECOFACT’s innovative tools.
- The importance of collaboration between industry and research to drive the green transition.
As ECOFACT nears completion, the general assembly highlighted the consortium’s dedication to advancing innovative solutions for sustainable production systems. Stay tuned for updates on the project’s final milestones and impacts across the manufacturing sector.
