Horizon Europe-backed REWIRE project brings robotics, AI and digital tools together to strengthen circular smart manufacturing across key industrial sectors.
Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) has unveiled a €6.9 million pan-European initiative aimed at accelerating the adoption of advanced remanufacturing technologies across industry.
The project, named REWIRE, is being funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. It is designed to help manufacturers increase efficiency, recover more value from used products and strengthen circular supply chains through the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence and digital technologies.
“By combining industrial know-how with robotics, AI and digital technologies, the project will help manufacturers recover more value from products and components”
REWIRE will focus on sectors such as heavy machinery, automotive and electronics, where remanufacturing has historically faced barriers linked to complexity, variability and cost. By addressing these challenges, the consortium aims to create scalable and reliable remanufacturing processes that can compete with first-time manufacturing.
The future of manufacturing
Barry Kennedy, chief executive of IMR, said the initiative represents a significant opportunity for Europe’s industrial base.
“REWIRE represents an important step in building Europe’s capability in advanced future remanufacturing,” he said. “By combining industrial know-how with robotics, AI and digital technologies, the project will help manufacturers recover more value from products and components, strengthen competitiveness, and support the transition to a more circular and sustainable industrial base.”
The project brings together a consortium of 13 partners across eight European countries, including three research and technology organisations, four research-performing organisations, one non-governmental organisation and five industrial partners. Among the Irish participants are University College Dublin and Dromone Engineering, an Enterprise Ireland client company.
Enterprise Ireland has supported IMR in developing and coordinating the project through its Horizon Europe network. Kevin Burke, national director for Horizon Europe at Enterprise Ireland, highlighted the strategic importance of the collaboration.
“Enterprise Ireland has, through its Horizon Europe support team of National Contact Points, supported IMR to build and coordinate this important Horizon Europe project,” he said. “We are particularly pleased that the consortium includes a dynamic Enterprise Ireland client company, Dromone Engineering, as well as UCD together with project partners from across Europe.”
He added that projects of this scale underline the impact of Ireland’s Technology Centres Programme in translating innovation into commercial outcomes in international markets.
Sustainability at its core
At a technical level, REWIRE will develop a suite of integrated solutions designed to address long-standing barriers in remanufacturing. These include gaps in traceability, fragmented digital systems and the limited availability of adaptable robotics.
The programme will focus on enabling traceability and lifecycle data systems, modular robotics platforms and AI toolkits tailored to remanufacturing environments. It will also deliver adaptive AI planners for automated disassembly and inspection, along with digital product passport capabilities to support transparency and compliance.
Dr Aswin Ramasubramanian, robotics technologist at IMR and coordinator of the REWIRE project, said the goal is to make remanufacturing a practical and trusted alternative to new production.
“As REWIRE coordinator, I am proud to lead this multi-million euro project and bring together a talented European expert team to show that remanufacturing can be just as fast, flexible and trusted as first-time manufacturing,” he said. “By combining advanced robotics, AI, digital twins and traceability, we want to make it easier for manufacturers to recover value, cut waste and build more resilient supply chains.”
The project also includes workstreams focused on skills development, predictive safety systems and compliance. Upskilling toolkits will be designed to help workers adapt to new technologies, while fast-track compliance modules aim to simplify regulatory requirements for remanufacturing operations.
REWIRE is expected to begin in May 2026 and will contribute to broader European objectives in circular manufacturing. Among its targets are increasing the volume of remanufactured components, strengthening industrial resilience and supporting the development of common standards across the sector.
By aligning technology development with industrial needs, the project is intended to help bridge the gap between innovation and large-scale adoption, positioning remanufacturing as a core element of Europe’s sustainable manufacturing strategy.
Image at top: Aswin Ramasubramanian, Robotics Technologist at IMR; Ronan Timmins, Product Design Engineer, Dromone Engineering; Kevin Burke, National Director for Horizon Europe, Enterprise Ireland); and Lise-Ann Sheehan, Senior Programme Manager, IMR. Photo: Fintan Clarke
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