From Research to Industrial Practice: First rEUman Conference ShowcasesSolutions for Smart, Human-Centric Remanufacturing
Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1 October 2026 – How can European remanufacturing companies overcome technological barriers, improve operational efficiency and unlock new market opportunities? These questions were at the centre of the first rEUman Conference, Solutions for Smart Human-Centric Remanufacturing, held at Center Rog in Ljubljana and online.
Organised within rEUman, and part of the Challenge Circularity initiatives, the conference brought together representatives from industry, research, technology development, and regulatory experts to discuss practical solutions for advancing remanufacturing. The programme combined insights into industrial applications of emerging technologies with discussions on market opportunities and the evolving European regulatory framework.
A central message emerged: Scaling up remanufacturing requires more than individual technological innovations. It depends on connecting information, processes and people across factories and value chains. The rEUman project addresses these challenges by developing and integrating digital, automated and human-centric solutions for industrial remanufacturing.
Connecting data, processes and decisions across the remanufacturing value chain
Remanufacturing companies operate under conditions that differ significantly from conventional manufacturing. Returned products, known as cores, arrive in varying conditions and quantities, often with limited information about their previous use, maintenance history or technical condition.
These uncertainties complicate production planning, inspection and decisions on whether a product can be economically remanufactured.
As Konstantinos Grevenitis from rEUman partner SYXIS explained:
"Europe's barrier to circular manufacturing is not a shortage of clever machines. It is that the used product arrives without a story — and the factory has no reliable way to write one down."
To address these information gaps, rEUman is developing an integrated data management platform connecting previously separate information systems and digital tools. The objective is to support data-driven decisions throughout the remanufacturing process, from initial core assessment to production planning, component replacement, testing and traceability.
Complementary developments include digital value stream mapping and simulation tools, presented by SimPlan, as well as planning approaches combining reverse bills of materials with component failure predictions, presented by Blue Yonder.
Together, these approaches demonstrate how digitalisation can support more transparent, coordinated and predictable remanufacturing operations.
From technological development to industrial applications
A major focus of the conference was the application of rEUman innovations in industrial environments. The project brings together technology providers and industrial partners to develop and evaluate solutions across three sectors, with end users from the automotive, home appliances, and optoelectronics industries.
In the automotive sector, BORG Automotive presented its work on remanufacturing electric drive motors. The company has developed a remanufacturing process covering inspection, diagnostics, functional testing and logistics, alongside an assessment of the business case. C.R.&C. presented its expertise in electronics remanufacturing and the development of diagnostic and testing technologies for electric and hybrid vehicle powertrains.
In the home appliance sector, Beko demonstrated how remanufacturing can be integrated into existing industrial operations. Its washing machine use case addresses improvements in disassembly and reassembly, supported by digital inspection and fault detection technologies.
One example connecting these industrial applications is the Reman Guidance System (RGS), developed by CORE Innovation. The AI-supported system assists in assessing the technical and economic remanufacturability of returned products. Depending on the application, it can support core valuation or analyse visual and acoustic information to identify potential faults.
These examples illustrate how rEUman technologies are being adapted to different industrial requirements, with the aim of supporting their future adoption beyond the project's demonstrators.
Automation and human-centric technologies for flexible remanufacturing
Despite advances in industrial automation, many remanufacturing operations remain labour-intensive. High product variety, uncertain product conditions and limited standardisation make conventional automation approaches difficult to implement.
The conference highlighted technologies designed to address these challenges.
HEPENIX presented a universal collaborative disassembly station combining robotic systems, interchangeable tools, machine vision and human-machine interfaces. The approach aims to provide greater flexibility when handling different products and disassembly tasks.
HUN-REN SZTAKI introduced MICROBO, a robotic probing system for diagnosing electronic circuit boards in high-mix, low-volume applications, with development activities extending towards automotive electronic control modules.
Importantly, rEUman also considers the people working alongside these technologies. Marta Gandolla from Politecnico di Milano presented an ergonomic assessment approach using sensor-based measurements to evaluate muscular fatigue and identify potentially demanding working conditions.
These developments reflect the project's human-centric approach: Automation should not only improve productivity but also support workers, reduce physical strain and enable effective human-machine collaboration.
Market opportunities and the evolving EU regulatory framework
Beyond technological development, the conference examined the economic and regulatory conditions influencing the future of European remanufacturing.
Slaven Mičković from Gm Circularity presented findings from a market study examining remanufacturing opportunities in Europe and the sectors targeted by rEUman. The study estimates the current European remanufacturing market at approximately €31 billion, with potential growth towards €100 billion by 2030.
These figures indicate substantial market potential, although future growth will depend on industrial investment, viable business models and supportive market conditions.
Electrification, changing product technologies and increasing demand for circular solutions are creating both opportunities and challenges for established remanufacturing businesses.
The regulatory discussion highlighted differing industry perspectives. Findings presented by Kemény Boehme Consultants showed that some companies consider European regulation an important driver for remanufacturing, while others associate new requirements primarily with additional administrative costs.
Alberto Baesso, President of the Italian Remanufacturing Network (SIR), emphasised the importance of integrating conventional manufacturing and remanufacturing into coordinated business operations, and of implementing standards to facilitate the wider adoption of remanufacturing.
The discussions underlined that technological innovation, business models and regulatory developments must be considered together when assessing opportunities for industrial uptake.
Supporting the next steps towards industrial uptake
The conference demonstrated the breadth of technologies being developed within rEUman, from AI-assisted core assessment and digital planning to collaborative disassembly and worker assistance.
As the project progresses, attention is increasingly turning towards the integration and evaluation of these solutions in industrial use cases and the preparation of their future exploitation.
The final presentation of the event was delivered by ETRA d.o.o., a potential early adopter of rEUman innovations. Representatives from ETRA introduced the company and shared their interest in remanufacturing, highlighting key challenges and opportunities from an industrial perspective. The discussion offered valuable insights into the potential application and uptake of rEUman technologies beyond the project's original pilot use cases.The exchange between technology developers, industrial users and other stakeholders remains essential to ensuring that project results address practical remanufacturing needs.
Next opportunity to meet the rEUman consortium is at Rematec Amsterdam, 13–15 April 2027! Come to learn more about the project's innovations and discuss their potential applications in the remanufacturing industry.