CREATE – Embedding advanced urban material stock methods within governance processes to enable circular economy and cities resilience

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CREATE – Embedding advanced urban material stock methods within governance processes to enable circular economy and cities resilience

The project aims at supporting urban transformation processes towards the circular economy by making an inventory of the existing material stocks within urban construction, developing reliable scenarios for future expected material flows, and providing governance arrangements on how to approach the circular economy transition. The project will focus on the largest urban infrastructures and communal assets, namely buildings, municipal roads, water, and wastewater pipes.

A truly transdisciplinary consortium will work with a mixed research design that integrates quantitative modelling with qualitative study and design of governance aspects. The project will further improve already existing, validated, and applied tools and arrangements and combine them with new digitalization technologies to inform decision-makers and enable a circular built environment. This will be achieved by engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in a co-creation process with three urban living labs and six fellow cities in five countries, which will result in numerous capacity building moments throughout the entire project.

A thorough analysis of best practices of cities steering the circular economy transition together with new governance interventions will result in concrete proposals of tailored governance arrangements for the participating cities including a concrete proposal for an upscaling strategy for Europe.

Phase 1 – European needs analysis and requirements definition (01/04/2022 – 31/12/2022)

  • Activity 1.1 – Needs identification on a European level through the circular economy

This activity describes the history, evolution, concept and benefits of circular economy, as well as the principals behind it.  The needs identified at European level were analyzed from the point of view of the circular economy, with an emphasis on the field of constructions and buildings. The concept of “circular city” and the benefits of such an approach were also addressed. It was also presented to the state of the circular economy in Romania.

  • Activity 1.2 – Definition of data visualization tools functional and technical requirements

As part of this activity, an analysis of the data visualization software tools currently on the market, as well as their advantages and disadvantages were presented. Grafana data visualization tool was described in detail as well as its main utilization in BEIA`s applications.

Dissemination activities

  • SCEWC 2022 Our company participated in SCEWC (Smart City Expo World Congress) 2022 from November 15-17, 2022, in Barcelona, Spain. Held in Barcelona since 2011, the Smart City Expo World Congress is the leading international event for cities. Our mission is to empower cities and to bring together urban innovation from around the world.
    Website: https://www.smartcityexpo.com/

  • GoTech World 2022
    BEIA participated as an exhibitor at GoTech World 2022 from November 3-4, 2022, in Bucharest, Romania. It was an excellent opportunity to disseminate the CREATE project to participants.
    Website: https://www.gotech.world/

  • SID 2022 – Sibiu Innovation Days
    BEIA participated online in the Sibiu Innovation Days from September 29-30, 2022. During the networking sessions, BEIA had the opportunity to disseminate the CREATE project.
    Website: https://events.ulbsibiu.ro/innovationdays/

  • Romania Info Day – INNOVEIT Weeks 2022 – HYBRID event
    BEIA participated in Romania Info Day – Innoveit Weeks 2022 on October 21, 2022. The CEO gave an interview on the topic of Cyber Security – a hybrid roundtable discussion moderated by Prof. Anca Andreica, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Babeș-Bolyai University. It was an excellent opportunity to disseminate the CREATE project.

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/romania-info-day-innoveit-weeks-2022-hybrid-event-tickets-422427099827?utm_campaign=Oktopost-Innoveit2022&utm_content=Oktopost-Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Twitter

  • MDPI Mathematics 2022
    The article “AI-Empowered Attack Detection and Prevention Scheme for Smart Grid System” is also based on the CREATE project.

Phase 2 – Design, testing and validation of data visualisation tools

Activity 2.1 Define the architecture and design of the data visualisation tools

This activity presented a brief description of the CREATE project, the current state of knowledge of the data visualisation tools, the identification of the requirements of the data collection platform, the needs analysis at the living lab level based on the literature, the semi-structured interviews and the questionnaire that were addressed to the three municipalities participating in the project, the requirements and performance indicators needed for the development of the data visualisation tool. Finally, the preliminary architecture of the CREATE data visualisation tool was presented.

Activity 2.2 Integration, testing and validation of data visualisation tools

In this activity a review of the data analysis and visualisation software tools was carried out.  Also, a set of possible use scenarios based on the information and needs provided through the semi-structured interviews and questionnaire to municipalities were presented. Finally, preliminary results related to the CREATE data visualisation tool were presented.

Dissemination activities

  • Official CREATE flyer

Phase 3 – “Economic efficiency modeling, impact assessment, and optimization of circular economy processes; dissemination of results” (01.01.2024 – 31.12.2024)

  • Activity 3.1 Defining the business strategy (correlated with T5.1, T5.2, T5.3)

In this activity, a market analysis for the circular economy, waste management, and data visualization software tools was conducted, covering market size, trends, demand, market segmentation, competitors, market potential, opportunities, challenges, and risks.

Subsequently, several software tools with applicability in the circular economy field for data visualization of material stocks and flows (features, functionalities, methods of use) were presented.

At the end of this activity, the business plan (financial forecasts) for the products and services resulting from the CREATE project was presented.

  • Activity 3.2 Communication and dissemination (correlated with T1.1, T1.2, T6.1, T6.2)

In this phase, the dissemination and communication events in which BEIA participated for the CREATE project were presented.

Dissemination activities

  • Participation in SIITME2024 – IEEE 30th International Symposium for Design and Technology in Electronics Packaging on 16th – 19th October 2024 in SIBIU, Romania. BEIA had the opportunity to disseminate the CREATE project. https://beiaro.eu/participation-in-siitme-2024/

Papers:

  • 2024 IEEE 30th International Symposium for Design and Technology in Electronic Packaging (SIITME), Sibiu, Romania, October 16th–18th, 2024 – “An interactive visualisation tool for circular economy and building materials recovery” – POSTER PAPER (Status: accepted and presented)

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ETAPA 1 – Analiza nevoilor pe plan European și definirea cerințelor (01/04/2022 – 31/12/2022)

  • Activitatea 1.1 – Identificarea nevoilor pe plan European prin prisma economiei circulare

Această activitate descrie istoricul, evoluția, conceptul și beneficiile economiei circulare, precum și principiile care stau la baza acesteia.

S-au analizat nevoile identificate la nivel European din punctul de vedere al economiei circulare, cu accent pe domeniul construcțiilor și clădirilor. A fost de asemenea adresat și conceptul de oraș circular șibeneficiile unei astfel de abordări.

A fost prezentat și stadiului economiei circulare în România.

  • Activitatea 1.2 – Definirea cerințelor de ordin tehnic și funcțional ale instrumentelor de vizualizare a datelor

În cadrul acestei activități s-a făcut o analiză a instrumentelor software de vizualizare a datelor existente pe piață la momentul actual, precum și avantajele și dezavantajele dintre acestea.

La final, s-a descris în detaliu instrumentul de vizualizare a datelor Grafana, instrument folosit cu precădere în cele mai multe soluții oferite de compania BEIA Consult.

Etapa 2 – Proiectarea, testarea și validarea instrumentelor de vizualizare a datelor (01.01.2023-29.12.2023)

  • Activitatea 2.1 Definirea arhitecturii și proiectarea instrumentelor de vizualizare a datelor, T3.2, T3.3

În cadrul acestei activități s-au prezentat o scurtă descriere a proiectului CREATE, stadiul actual al cunoașterii a instrumentelor de vizualizare a datelor, identificarea cerințelor platformei de colectare a datelor, analiza necesităților la nivel de living lab pe baza literaturii, interviurilor semistructurate și chestionarului ce au fost adresate celor trei municipalități participante în proiect, cerințele și indicatorii de performanță necesari pentru dezvoltarea instrumentului de vizualizare a datelor. În final, s-a prezentat arhitectura preliminară a instrumentului de vizualizare a datelor CREATE.

  • Activitatea 2.2 Integrarea, testarea și validarea instrumentelor de vizualizare a datelor corelata cu T3.4

În cadrul acestei activități s-a realizat o analiză a instrumentelor software de analiză și vizualizare a datelor.  De asemenea, un set de posibile scenarii de utilizare pe baza informațiilor și necesităților furnizate prin intermediul interviurilor semistructurate și chestionarului adresate municipalităților au fost prezentate. În final, s-au prezentat rezultate preliminare aferente instrumentului de vizualizare a datelor CREATE.

Etapa 3 – “Modelarea eficienței economice, evaluarea impactului și optimizarea proceselor de economie circulară; diseminarea rezultatelor” (01.01.2024 – 31.12.2024)

  • Activitatea 3.1 Definirea strategiei de business (corelată cu T5.1, T5.2, T5.3)

În cadrul acestei activități s-a realizat analiza pieței pentru economie circulară, managementul deșeurilor, instrumente software de vizualizare a datelor unde se vor prezenta dimensiunea pieței, tendințele de evoluție și cererea pieței, segmentarea pieței, competitorii, potențialul de piață, oportunități, provocări și riscuri.

Ulterior, s-au prezentat câteva instrumente software cu aplicabilitate în domeniul economiei circulare (caracteristici, funcționalități, metode de utilizare).

La finalul acestei activități a fost prezentat planul de afaceri (previziuni financiare) pentru produsele și serviciile rezultate în cadrul proiectului CREATE.

  • Activitatea 3.2 Comunicare și diseminare (corelată cu T1.1, T1.2, T6.1, T6.2)

În cadrul acestei etape s-au prezentat evenimentele de diseminare și comunicare la care a participat BEIA în vederea diseminării proiectului CREATE.

Evenimentele de diseminare și comunicare:

Website

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