RWTH, Peter Winandy
Pictures: hakelbudler and geralt on pixabay
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
Workshop on Innovative and digital solutions for circularity and sustainability in textiles organized by
the European Commission – 15th October 2021 – Jan Vincent Jordan (revised version)

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• Tagging along the value chain
• Electronic Passport + Database „ePRODIS“
• „Systemic Tranistion Support Tool“
1. Inform on applicable legislation, standards,
collection schemes
2. Outline potential scenarios (re-use, recycling) for
EoL flooring waste
3. Provide instructions for tagging and linking to the
ePRODIS platform
4. Propose material (combinations) and
manufacturing options
5. Offer an overview of potential circular business
models and corresponding value chains
• https://www.cisuflo.eu/
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
Innovation Action „CISUFLO“
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101003893

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The CISUFLO project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101003893 www.cisuflo.eu
• Excellent consortium
• ~7.7M€ EC contribution & enough time
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
Proposal success - a privilege… „against all odds“?

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The CISUFLO project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 101003893 www.cisuflo.eu
• Excellent consortium
• ~7.7M€ EC contribution & enough time
• Among 6.2% of proposals receving funding
in Focus Area „[…]the Circular Economy“
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
Proposal success - a privilege… „against all odds“?
Statistics for H2020-SC5-2020-2:
Source: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101003893 Source: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dashboard/sense/app/acca8e11-2235-4d15-
ab0d-be30331e7b79/sheet/9ccb6c45-f749-4b6a-aecd-eeb2868d5916/state/analysis

SMEs‘ proposal success
Source: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dashboard/sense/app/acca8e11-2235-4d15-ab0d-be30331e7b79/sheet/9ccb6c45-f749-4b6a-aecd-eeb2868d5916/state/analysis

EU proposal writing is worth the effort! Also for SME
Even if not successful – network of potential future partners & knowledge (state of the art, methods,…)
Nevertheless their question remains „What will be our return on (time) invest…?“

Mittelstand 4.0 Centre of Competence „Textile connected“
3000 SMEs seeked support
Source: https://www.kompetenzzentrum-textil-vernetzt.digital/presse/pressemeldungen/details/textil-vernetzt-begleitet-kmu-fuer-weitere-zwei-jahre.html

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• Is very diverse and heterogeneous in their
process chains
• Supplies numerous industry sectors (B2B)
and consumer groups (B2C)
• Can often look back at decades of history
and face constraints with regard to
expansion/adaption at production sites
• Still exists, as companies have established
USPs
• Significantly faces challenges of ageing
employees‘ structure
• Is aware of its responsibility with regard to
sustainability but is very much occupied with
orders, day-to-day business and availability
of raw materials
• Consists of 99.8% MICRO and SMEs‘
enterprises (https://euratex.eu/wp-
content/uploads/EURATEX-Facts-Key-
Figures-2020-LQ.pdf p.10)
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
The textile industry in Europe
• Digitalization concept “off the shelve”?
Difficult!
• Standards for data transfer and interfaces?
Rarely established or known!
• Integration into Digital Platform Concepts
reasonable/possible?
• Digital concepts which require space?
• Protection of know-how is crucial
• Need for conservation of knowledge and
acquisition of skilled new personnel
• Capacity for transition activities very limited
• Low impact as separate entities –
attractiveness for customization for big IT
providers?

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• Transfer of production data makes us vulnerable. How can we save our know-how? And who owns the data?
• How can we define our next step in digitalization?
• Which concept of digitalizations are available and which should we consider for implementation first?
• Which Service Providers are competent and trustworthy?
• Implementation of digital concepts costs money and takes time. We don‘t have the capacity currently!
• Can you provide an example of implementation in the industry?
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
Questions & Concerns expressed by > 80 textile SMEs since 2015 (BMBF FutureTex „Smart
Factory“, DFG WiSoTex4.0, Mittelstand 4.0 Centre of Competence „Textile connected“)

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• 1 of 26 Centers of Competence in
„Mittelstand Digital“ (BMWI)
• Cross-sectoral/Interregional
• Demonstration of Digital Concepts &
Up-Skilling
• Matchmaking between IT expertise
and textile SMEs
• SME support free of charge
(5-10 consulting days per project)
• Very simple access: 2 page fact sheet
(similar to competitive calls and calls
for third parties in CSAs)
• 3000 SMEs seeked support
• 60 SMEs engaged in
conceptualization projects
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
Center of Competence – Textile Connected

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• 1 of 26 Centers of Competence in
„Mittelstand Digital“ (BMWI)
• Cross-sectoral/Interregional
• Demonstration of Digital Concepts &
Up-Skilling
• Matchmaking between IT expertise
and textile SMEs
• SME support free of charge
(5-10 consulting days per project)
• Very simple access: 2 page fact sheet
(similar to competitive calls and calls
for third parties in CSAs)
• 3000 SMEs seeked support
• 60 SMEs engaged in
conceptualization projects
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
Center of Competence – Textile Connected
62 Conceptualisation/Implementation projects with textile SMEs since 2017
Updated: Februar 2021

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• Focus on CSAs (free of charge for SMEs, low bureaucratic effort)
• IAs! If RIAs: make sure that (side-)results are applicable/available ASAP
• Make sure that funded projects interact with each other -> knowledge transfer!
• Support exchange of best practices and networking
• Promote existing databases, networks, centers of competence
• Facilitate implementation of available tools
• Consider further entities as DIHs
• Promote supporting networks (e.g. ADMA) and enhance visibility/usability of
existing tools and platforms also beyond Europe
(JRC EPLCA, European Circular Economy Stakeholders Platform)
• Remote upskilling tools as enabler for the attraction of future skilled workers from
other sectors or continents and for facilitation of SCP (e.g. via Switch-Asia)
• Support SMEs in engaging in standardization work -> e.g. Small Business
Standards SBS
Thank you for your kind attention!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-vincent-jordan-b60828179
Digitalisation of SMEs and aspects related to circular economy
Suggestions to the European Commission Examples / Best practices:
Sources: https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/;
https://ecocalculator.eucia.eu/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2F;
https://www.smartx-europe.eu/

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Thank you
for your attention!
Current events:
Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) der RWTH Aachen University
Otto-Blumenthal-Straße 1, 52074 Aachen
Phone (direct):
Phone:
E-Mail:
www:
+49 241 80-23401
www.ita.rwth-aachen.de
www.ita.rwth-aachen.de/events
Visit us online:
jan.jordan@ita.rwth.aachen.de
+49 241 80-23462
Dr.-Ing. Jan Vincent Jordan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-vincent-jordan-b60828179
Photography: Felix Merkord