Partners of the European REMAIN project meet in Zaragoza to share progress in robotics for industrial remanufacturing
The Interreg SUDOE REMAIN project, coordinated by Inescop, held its fourth transnational meeting to review progress across the various research lines of an initiative making key strides toward the conclusion of a project that combines robotics and sustainability to implement industrial remanufacturing in Europe.
The REMAIN consortium met this week in Zaragoza for its 4th transnational meeting, a pivotal event in which partners shared advancements and defined the next steps to successfully complete the project. The meeting took place at the iconic Paraninfo of the University of Zaragoza, which hosted the event. This event not only marked significant progress in the development of robotic remanufacturing technologies, but also came at a crucial moment — right at the start of the project’s final year, when the development of demonstrators that concretely reflect the progress made becomes especially important.
During the session, key progress was presented by the three REMAIN working groups, each focused on different aspects of robotic remanufacturing. One of the most notable achievements was in damage detection and classification in products such as footwear, where significant progress has been made using vision systems, advanced tactile sensors, and machine learning models. These innovations allow the automation of damage identification and evaluation, as a preliminary step toward addressing the potential remanufacturing of industrial products.
Another highlighted aspect was the development of tools to reintroduce damaged products into the production chain, where successful tests were carried out on the handling of deformable objects using robots supported by innovative technologies such as multispectral vision sensors. These advances pave the way toward creating an efficient robotic system that facilitates the repair, remanufacturing, and reuse of damaged or obsolete products, thus fostering a circular economy model.
In addition, the evolution of the Eco-Design Guide was presented — a fundamental document that focuses on essential principles such as durability, reparability, and modularity of products from the very moment of their conception, considering both design and materials involved, with the aim of facilitating their repair and remanufacturing and promoting a more sustainable production model.
The event also provided an opportunity to review the communication and dissemination activities carried out by REMAIN partners in the recent period, and to present the action plan for 2026 — which will strengthen the global communication strategy to maximize its reach both within the industry and among the general public.
Thus, REMAIN continues to advance in the development of innovative solutions in the field of robotic remanufacturing, promoting sustainability and the circular economy across the SUDOE region. These achievements are fundamental for reducing the environmental impact of production, offering new opportunities for the industrial sector and contributing to the creation of a more sustainable and responsible future.
Project partners
The REMAIN project is led by Inescop – Footwear Technology Centre, with the participation of the Universities of Zaragoza, Alicante, Coimbra and Clermont Auvergne INP; the Spanish Footwear Industries Federation (FICE); as well as SMA-RTY, Automática y Control Numérico S.L., AIDA CCI, and, as a collaborating entity, the charity Proyecto Lázaro.