Deliverable 8.6: CircThread Circular Economy Services Hackathon Event Summary

This project has received funding from the European Union’s H2020 Programme under Grant Agreement No. 958448 WP8 EXPLOITATION, IPR MANAGEMENT AND CIRCTHREAD CONTINUATION Task 8.5 CIRCTHREAD CIRCULAR ECONOMY SERVICES HACKATHON Deliverable 8.6 CircThread Circular Economy Services Hackathon Event Summary Ref. Ares(2025)2602040 - 01/04/2025 2 DISCLAIMER The opinion stated in this report reflects the opinion of the authors and not the opinion of the European Commission. All intellectual property rights are owned by CIRCTHREAD consortium members and are protected by the applicable laws. Reproduction is not authorised without prior written agreement. The commercial use of any information contained in this document may require a license from the owner of that information. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement Nº 958448. 3 Project Data Project Acronym CircThread Project Title Building the Digital Thread for Circular Economy Product, Resource & Service Management Grant Agreement number 958448 Call identifier H2020-LCCI-2020-EASME-twostage Topic identifier CE-SC5-31-2020 Develop, implement and assess a circular economy-oriented product information management system for complex products from cradle to cradle Funding Scheme IA - Innovation action Project duration 48 months (From 1 June 2021) Coordinator FUNDACION CARTIF Website https:// circthread.eu Deliverable Document Sheet Deliverable No. 8.6 Deliverable title CircThread Circular Economy Services Hackathon Event Summary Description Report on February Hackathon in Mullingar, Ireland WP No. WP8 Related task T8.5 CIRCTHREAD CIRCULAR ECONOMY SERVICES HACKATHON Lead Beneficiary IMR 927973393 Author(s) Sophie Reynolds, Enya O’Connell Hussey, Leanne Conroy, Patrick Cronin, Micheal Dowling, Emre Yontem, Geraldine Brennan. Contributor(s) Patxi Sáez de Viteri Type R Dissemination L. Public Language English – GB Due Date 31/03/2025 Submission Date 01/04/2025 Version Action Owner Date V.1.5 Reviewed Dr Geraldine Brennan, David Keeley, IMR 13/03/2025 V1.6 Reviewed Patxi Sáez de Viteri, Mondragon 19/03/2025 V1.6 Reviewed Emre Yontem, EKODENGE 24/03/2025 V1.8 Reviewed Fernando Burgoa Francisco, CARTIF 27/03/2025 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CircThread is a European Union H2020-funded project, involving 30+ pan-European partners, which runs from 2021 - 2025. The main objective of CircThread is to advance a circular economy information system that can help make products sustainable from circularity, environmental and social perspectives. This report, D8.6: CircThread Circular Economy Services Hackathon Event Summary, provides an overview of the CircThread Circular Economy Services Hackathon, which was delivered as part of Task 8.5. The hackathon aimed to enhance third-party SME services within the CircThread ecosystem by facilitating open innovation, API integration, and digital circular economy solutions. The report outlines the hackathon setup, including its objectives, structure, and outreach strategy. A key element was the IMR Digital Accelerator Pilot, which played a central role in marketing the event and attracting participants. This was further supported by highprofile speakers from the Government of Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) and leading national and international DPP experts and innovators, to drive engagement and attendance at the event. The execution of the hackathon is detailed, covering the agenda, participant activities, and the tools and resources provided. A major focus was showcasing the CircThread API, demonstrating its capabilities through a mock service demo, to illustrate potential applications for SMEs and developers. Key outcomes and findings from the hackathon include: • The development of new tools and services, expanding the CircThread marketplace. • Insights into barriers to DPP adoption and digital circular economy growth. • Opportunities for API enhancements and cross-sector scalability. The report also outlines follow-up actions, including third-party service integration strategies, and pathways for continued collaboration. These steps aim to sustain the momentum generated by the hackathon and drive the long-term growth of the CircThread ecosystem. On behalf of Authors, Sophie Reynolds, Irish Manufacturing Research (CircThread Project Manager) 5 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 4 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 9 1.1 Purpose of the Report .................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Definitions / Glossary ................................................................................................... 9 1.3 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... 10 1.4 Contributions of partners (M12) .............................................................................. 10 1.5 Relation to other Project activities .......................................................................... 11 1.6 Structure of the Report .............................................................................................. 11 2 Objectives and aims of hackathon ........................................................................ 13 2.1 Hackathon objectives ................................................................................................ 13 2.2 Hackathon context: The CircThread platform ..................................................... 14 2.3 Digital Product Passports (DPPs) & Regulatory Considerations ...................... 15 3 Hackathon planning, digital accelerator and participant recruitment ............ 16 3.1.1 Event Planning & Structure ................................................................................. 16 3.1.2 Coordination & Logistics ..................................................................................... 16 3.1.3 Key Planning Meetings with Delivery Partners .............................................. 16 3.2 Post-Hackathon Digital Accelerator Pilot .............................................................. 17 3.2.1 High-level overview of the Accelerator’s 5-Stage Process .......................... 17 3.3 High-Profile Speaker Engagement Strategy ......................................................... 18 3.4 Outreach & Recruitment Strategy .......................................................................... 19 3.4.1 Overview of strategy ............................................................................................ 19 3.5 Participant recruitment ............................................................................................. 20 3.5.1 Identifying in High-Impact Sectors .................................................................... 20 3.5.2 Targeted Nodes, Networks, and Academic Outreach ................................... 21 3.5.3 Strategic Email and Phone Outreach Campaign ............................................. 24 3.5.4 Social Media Promotion Campaign ................................................................... 25 3.5.5 Events and personal outreach ............................................................................ 28 3.6 Recruitment campaign results ................................................................................. 28 4 Hackathon design and execution ........................................................................... 29 4.1 Development of the Hackathon Structure ............................................................ 29 4.2 Internal Hackathon Co-design workshop ............................................................. 29 4.3 Finalised hackathon format ...................................................................................... 32 6 4.4 Agenda & Key Activities ............................................................................................ 33 4.4.1 Overview of the Two-Day Schedule ................................................................. 33 4.5 Showcasing the CircThread API & Mock Service Demo ..................................... 36 4.5.1 Introduction to the CircThread API ................................................................... 38 4.5.2 Live Demonstration of API Capabilities ............................................................ 40 4.5.3 Mock Service Walkthrough: Practical Application for SMEs and Developers 41 4.6 Tools & Resources Provided ..................................................................................... 42 4.6.1 Training Materials & API Documentation ........................................................ 42 4.6.2 Walk In Live Demos .............................................................................................. 43 4.6.3 Guiding Participants through the Ideation Process ....................................... 43 4.7 Participant Engagement & Collaboration ............................................................... 47 4.7.1 Interactive Sessions & Teamwork...................................................................... 47 4.7.2 Support from Mentors & Experts ...................................................................... 49 5 Results and outcomes .............................................................................................. 50 5.1 Attendance & Participation Breakdown ................................................................. 50 5.2 Ideas, Tools, and Services Developed ..................................................................... 52 5.3 Feedback from Participants ...................................................................................... 57 5.3.1 Motivation and value of event: .......................................................................... 57 5.3.2 Service concept development post-hackathon .............................................. 58 5.3.3 Improvements ........................................................................................................ 61 5.3.4 Participant testimonials: ...................................................................................... 61 5.4 Follow-Up Actions for Third-Party Service Expansion ........................................ 63 6 Key Findings AND Lessons Learned ..................................................................... 64 6.1 Barriers to Adoption (DPPs & Digital Circular Economy).................................... 64 6.2 Opportunities for DPPs and digital economy adoption ...................................... 65 7 Conclusions and recommendations ....................................................................... 67 7.1 Summary of Key Achievements ............................................................................... 67 7.1.1 Advancing the Digital Circular Economy ............................................................. 67 7.1.2 Supporting Ongoing Exploitation and Dissemination of the Results ................ 67 7.1.3 Expanding Third-Party Services ............................................................................ 67 7.1.4 Driving Open Innovation ........................................................................................ 68 7.1.5 Enhancing API Usability ......................................................................................... 68 7.1.6 Ensuring Long-Term Impact .................................................................................. 68 7.2 Next Steps for Integration & Further Development ............................................ 68 7 7.3 Broader Lessons for Future Digital Circular Economy Hackathons ................. 69 7.3.1 Challenges to the hackathon design – regulatory uncertainty .................... 69 7.3.2 Challenges to hackathon execution – attendee dropout over multi-day event 69 7.3.3 Successes – reframing the DPP conversation from compliance to digitally enabled commercial circular innovation ............................................................................ 69 Annex I – Additional documentation ............................................................................ 71 List of Figures Figure 1: Hackathon Accelerator follow-up plan..................................................................... 18 Figure 2: Details of Hackathon keynotes and presenters ..................................................... 19 Figure 3: Agenda for marketing during recruitment phase ................................................... 24 Figure 4: Example graphics from LinkedIn posts from IMR promoting the hackathon ... 26 Figure 5: Post with an engagement rate of 9.57% .................................................................. 27 Figure 6: Post with an engagement rate of 9.02% .................................................................. 27 Figure 7: Registration by sector for the CircThread Hackathon .......................................... 28 Figure 8: Strawman Proposal of the Hackathon at co-design workshop ........................... 30 Figure 9: Screenshot of Miro exercise intended to refine the Hackathon’s scope .......... 31 Figure 10: Registrees' self-reported experience with coding ............................................... 33 Figure 11: Infographic of CircThread Hackathon aims and structure ................................. 34 Figure 12: EC Registry Services – Ref: DG Grow Presentation Alexandru Ion ................. 36 Figure 13: CircThread Reference Architecture ........................................................................ 36 Figure 14: CircThread Platform demonstration ....................................................................... 37 Figure 15: CircThread Platform API Documentation Page ................................................... 37 Figure 16: CircThread Platform Swagger Page for API Endpoints ...................................... 38 Figure 17: Screenshot of GRETA service .................................................................................. 39 Figure 18: Access Digital Product Passport via CircThread Platform ................................. 39 Figure 19: Authorised Repairer Organisation .......................................................................... 40 Figure 20: Product Lifecycle Event Entries in DPP ................................................................. 40 Figure 21: Hackathon Participant Booklet cover .................................................................... 42 Figure 22: Concept Refinement Worksheet............................................................................. 45 Figure 23: Prototype Planning Worksheets ............................................................................. 46 Figure 24: The Winning Textiles Hackathon Team are pictured with the Judges ............ 47 Figure 25: The ICT and EEE Team pitch to Judges ................................................................. 48 Figure 26: The Construction and Textiles Groups on Day Two ........................................... 48 Figure 27: Attendee sector breakdown ..................................................................................... 51 Figure 28: Answers to survey question on hackathon experience ...................................... 57 Figure 29: Participants' reported motivation for attending Hackathon .............................. 58 Figure 30: Participants’ reported understanding of DPPs and circular economy after attending the hackathon ............................................................................................................... 58 Figure 31: Participants’ reported intention to continue developing hackathon idea ....... 59 8 Figure 32: Participants’ responses to supports helpful to idea development ................... 59 Figure 33: Participants’ responses to networking opportunities ......................................... 60 Figure 34: Participants' reported likelihood of engaging with IMR again........................... 60 Figure 35: Participants' responses to the biggest barrier to DPP adoption in their sector ........................................................................................................................................................... 65 List of Tables Table 1: Abbreviations of report ................................................................................................. 10 Table 2: Overview of the partner-led hackathon task forces ............................................... 10 Table 3: Hackathon delivery team .............................................................................................. 16 Table 4: Key Nodes (by Target Sector) ...................................................................................... 22 Table 5: Irish HEIs engaged with for Hackathon Outreach ................................................... 23 Table 6: Mass email lists sent for Hackathon promotion ....................................................... 24 Table 7: Consortium Feedback on the Hackathon’s Final Design ....................................... 31 Table 8: Agenda of the hackathon .............................................................................................. 35 Table 9: Day one attendee breakdown ..................................................................................... 50 Table 10: Day two attendee breakdown ................................................................................... 51 Table 11: Packaging team concept ............................................................................................. 52 Table 12: ICT and EEE team concept ......................................................................................... 53 Table 13: Construction team concept ....................................................................................... 55 Table 14: Textile team concept ................................................................................................... 56 Table 15: Testimonials of participants of the CircThread Hackathon ................................. 61 Table 16: Circular opportunities for DPPs and Digital Economy Adoption ....................... 66 9 1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose of the Report This report, D8.6: CircThread Circular Economy Services Hackathon Event Summary, provides an overview of the CircThread Circular Economy Services Hackathon, delivered as part of Task 8.5. The hackathon aimed to enhance third-party SME services within the CircThread ecosystem by facilitating open innovation, API integration, and digital circular economy solutions. The report outlines the hackathon setup, including its objectives, structure, and outreach strategy. A key element was the IMR Digital Accelerator Pilot, which played a central role in marketing the event and attracting participants. This was further supported by highprofile speakers from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and leading national and international DPP experts and innovators, to drive engagement and attendance. The execution of the hackathon is detailed, covering the agenda, participant activities, and the tools and resources provided. A major focus was showcasing the CircThread API, demonstrating its capabilities through a mock service demo to illustrate potential applications for SMEs and developers. Key outcomes and findings from the hackathon include: • The development of new tools and services, with potential to support the expansion of the CircThread marketplace in future. • Insights into barriers to DPP adoption and digital circular economy growth. • Opportunities for API enhancements and cross-sector scalability. The report also outlines follow-up actions, including third-party service integration strategies, and pathways for continued collaboration. These steps aim to sustain the momentum generated by the hackathon and drive the long-term growth of the CircThread ecosystem. 1.2 Definitions / Glossary Hackathon: An event where participants form teams to solve challenges by building software, prototypes or creative solutions Circular economy: An economic system that uses a systemic approach to maintain a circular flow of resources by recovering, retaining or adding to their value, while contributing to sustainable development (Source: ISO 59004:2024) Digital Product Passport: a digital record that provides comprehensive information about a product and its entire value chain. Paper prototype: A sketch of potential flows, concepts or ideas on paper mock-ups Wireframe: a visual guide that represents the skeletal framework of a software solution 16 3 Hackathon planning, digital accelerator and participant recruitment 3.1.1 Event Planning & Structure Hackathon planning began in March 2024. Given the hackathon was closely linked to the development timeline of the CircThread platform, it was decided to host the hackathon in February 2025 to allow for the platform development milestones that would enable a live API demo for attendees. Finalised delivery partners were decided in November 2024. A save-the-date was sent to internal CircThread participants at the November General Assembly meeting. The save-the-date for participants was circulated on the 13th of December 2024. Earlier proposals regarding the hackathon design and structure which were tested out with consortium partners at the consortium-only co-design workshop influenced the eventual scope and focus of the two days (discussed in Section 5 below). 3.1.2 Coordination & Logistics To ensure timely delivery of the hackathon, four task forces were established to progress all aspects of the hackathon’s design and delivery, as is outlined in the table below. Table 3: Hackathon delivery team Delivery Team IMR lead person Supporting project partners Logistics and Project Management IMR MONDRAGON Marketing & Communications IMR COMET, BEC Hackathon Design & Facilitation IMR EcoWise, COMET Technical Development IMR EcoWise 3.1.3 Key Planning Meetings with Delivery Partners Meetings were held with task partners at least monthly starting in March 2024. Key delivery partners both within IMR and among CircThread partners were identified in October 2024 after a co-design workshop hosted with CircThread partners. This session clarified the scope, aim and goals of the hackathon and the partners’ roles. The November general assembly meeting in Istanbul clarified further the availability, resources and relevance of partners to the hackathon delivery. The finalised team of delivery partners for the hackathon delivery were COMET, BE Commons, ECOWISE, EKODENGE and IMR’s digitalisation, software engineering and circular economy teams. Mondragon served as work package leader. 17 Delivery partners met weekly from the end of December until the hackathon delivery on the 25th of February. 3.2 Post-Hackathon Digital Accelerator Pilot To ensure the CircThread Hackathon served its strategic goal of accelerating digitallyenabled circular innovations, the IMR team explored piloting a post-hackathon Digital Accelerator to support teams to progress their hackathon concepts beyond the two-day event. The inclusion of the Accelerator in the delivery team’s outreach efforts also served as an important attractor for hackathon participants, ensuring there was a clear prize offering for the top placed hackathon teams. Leveraging IMR’s extensive technical expertise, it was decided that the team would support crafting a proof of concept tailored to the client’s specific needs. By incorporating cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions, the Digitalisation Team would offer to work closely with the top-placed hackathon teams to support them to understand best in class industry standards. In the lead up to the hackathon, internal alignment sessions were organised between IMR’s Circular Economy, Digitalisation and Commercialisation Teams to scope out the goals and high-level structure of the Accelerator. It was agreed that IMR’s Digitalisation team would offer to support top-placed hackathon teams to navigate the complexities of developing digital platforms, notably the creation of a digital passport. On Day One of the event, a brief presentation was given to hackathon participants, outlining what was on offer with the Accelerator. On Day Two, the Judging Panel announced the top three placed teams whose concepts were commended for entry onto the Accelerator. 3.2.1 High-level overview of the Accelerator’s 5-Stage Process The Accelerator will apply a 5-stage process. The 5 stages will progress from the Stage 1 Hackathon output to a Stage 5 proof of concept: • Stage 1: Hackathon Winners. Teams were selected during the Hackathon event and tasked with providing an idea for a digital passport service concept. The teams focused on the technical challenges and presented the business case for offering the solution to the market. Teams entered a dragon’s den style pitch event, and the winner was selected by a panel of judges. • Stage 2: Onboarding and support alignment. The IMR team scheduled a 1st preaccelerator screening call key representatives from all top-placed hackathon teams. This call will cover the 5-stage process and provide additional information to the stakeholders, setting expectations from all parties, and ensuring that teams are fully committed before on-boarding them onto the accelerator. The discussion will detail the steps to activate the digital accelerator service, and the requirements from the stakeholders in terms of time commitment to participate (+2 weeks). • Stage 3a: One-to-One feasibility workshop. Having established the teams’ engagement and commitment to the process, the IMR team will host a workshop to focus and detail the technical challenges for digital passport-powered service concepts. The workshop will focus on identifying the problem statement, and the time and resources required from all stakeholders to deliver on a proof of concept. The team will identify the vision and objectives for the digital-enabled circular service solution. As part of this process, use cases will be asked to prepare: 18 • A definition of the type of stakeholders in the Circular value chain, such as manufacturers, users, collectors, etc. • A description of the data management tools currently used to manage processes, if any. • A basic definition of the type of material, by product, and waste (secondary raw material) flows among actors, including flow amounts per day/month/year if a continuous flow exists. • Assumptions regarding expected economic benefits. • Assumptions about known barriers and risks involved in the chain for the business model to function (c. +2 weeks) • Stage 3b: DPP Integration Exploratory workshop. Led by EcoWise/EKODENGE, with involvement from IMR, here participants will be offered the opportunity to engage with at a Discovery Clinic to ensure that solutions are developed with a view to supporting longer-term integration with the CircThread and Circular Intelligence Platforms. • Stage 4: Agile development programme. The client and IMR team will identify the minimum viable product (MVP). This stage will focus on compliance requirements, choice of technologies to develop the solution, and creation of initial wireframes and user journeys. This will plot the product lifecycle for the proof of concept, and will additionally cover potential features, as well as identifying servicing and product maintenance. (+4 to 6 weeks) • Stage 5: Proof of concept and evaluation. The team will have the working prototype and will test and refine the proof of concept. This could include security and performance testing. Sufficiently progressed solutions may retrieve feedback and data from pilot users and analyse data for the MVP. The team will provide a final review and identify improvements and next steps (c. +2 weeks). Figure 1: Hackathon Accelerator follow-up plan 3.3 High-Profile Speaker Engagement Strategy To help demystify the topic and inspire participants about the circular innovation opportunities afforded via DPPs and digital services, the two days were designed so that participants would hear directly from DPP regulators, thought leaders and innovators. Keynotes were presented on day one from government representatives, such as Aisling McCarthy, from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who provided an Stage 1 Hackathon Pitch Event Stage 2 Onboarding & support alignment Stage 3a and 3b Concept and technical feasibility workshop Stage 4 Agile development programme Stage 5 Proof of concept evaluation & exploitation 19 overview of the regulatory landscape related to ESPR and DPPs. Thought leaders (like Rüediger Fritz, Founder of Twindustry), helped to reframe the narrative from moving beyond regulatory compliance to thinking ahead of the innovation opportunities and circular benefits of DPPs for businesses. Elsewhere, presentations and Q&A sessions were organised with DPP innovators and solution providers, from DPPs working in different sectors and jurisdictions, including Matthew Ekholm (Protokol), Koen Warmerdam (Aware), Katelyn O’Riordan, (of Irish DPP-provider, Kinset), and Anastasia Stella (CircuLand). Figure 2: Details of Hackathon keynotes and presenters 3.4 Outreach & Recruitment Strategy 3.4.1 Overview of strategy The recruitment campaign began on the 13th December 2024 and ran until the 21st February 2025. The campaign was led by IMR with input from COMET, EKODENGE, BE COMMONS and MONDRAGON. The recruitment campaign used the following communication channels: Social media; Personal contacts; Phone calls; Emails (Broadreach and personalised); Leveraging other external events. Participants were sourced from three main channels: IMR members, CIRCULÉIRE members and cold contacts. CIRCULÉIRE is Ireland’s national platform for circular innovation, (which IMR is the Secretariat of) with a cross-sectoral industry member network of 50+ companies active in circular economy efforts. Contacts were tracked using a communication log. Over 1650 Irish-based industry contacts, with many in packaging, plastics, construction and electronics, and textiles, were emailed or called about the event by IMR representatives between December 2024 and February 2025. Analysis of the total number of impressions on social media posts highlight that over 11k views were reached through IMR, CIRCULÉIRE and CircThread social media channels. 20 As a result of the vast combined recruitment efforts made by the IMR delivery team and consortium partners, there were 93 external registrants, which transitioned into 59 attendees across the two days of the Hackathon event. In addition, circa 25 representatives from across the consortium came together to support and deliver the two-day event. 3.5 Participant recruitment 3.5.1 Identifying in High-Impact Sectors T8.5 specified the inclusion of the following sectors in the hackathon: • Electronics, electrical and electromagnetic parts (EEE) • Built Environment and Construction • Packaging Given the development of the ESPR, and related national and sectoral regulations since the inception of the project, the following sectors were deemed as a strategic inclusion for the hackathon: • Fashion and Textiles • Plastics • ICT Fashion and textiles have seen significant development in DPP technology in recent years in comparison to other sectors. Moreover, representatives from IMR’s Circular Economy team sit on the Irish Government-led DECC Textiles Advisory Group, a multi-sectoral forum involving key representatives from various parts of the textiles value chain (from textiles producers, fashion brands and designers, retailers and recyclers), as well as third sector and NGO stakeholders. Members of this group were engaged with to join and help promote the event. Equally, members of the Irish Government-led DECC Waste Advisory Group were also engaged to join and help promote the event. IMR and CIRCULÉIRE have further connections with several companies in the plastics and ICT sector who are actively engaged in circular economy efforts and therefore would be more likely to attend and lend valuable insights for other attendees. With these sectors identified, the delivery team then mapped out stakeholders who are impacted by upcoming Digital Product Passport policy and regulation changes and the optimal outreach paths to achieve direct communication with the target stakeholders. Within sectors, the target list of actors was devised to support the IMR team’s stakeholder mapping. This list included the following: • Certification and Licensing Bodies • Distributors • Logistics and reverse logistics operators • Installers • Repairers • Collectors and collection point operators • Reuse operators • Refurbishers 21 • Recyclers • Retailers • Technology providers • Public sector organisations • Universities • Trade & Membership Bodies • Manufacturers A ‘snowballing’ marketing strategy was employed to encourage relevant stakeholders to share the event with others in their network. In addition, cold contacts were identified from industry directories relevant to the hackathon. Enterprise Ireland, Plastics Ireland’s Irish Polymers Players Map and the Irish Green Building Council’s EPD platform were some of the directories used to source new contacts in relevant sectors. 3.5.2 Targeted Nodes, Networks, and Academic Outreach In the identification phase of the recruitment strategy the delivery team identified key industry nodes, networks, and relevant academic partners that could potentially multiply outreach to the target sectors under discussion at the Hackathon. For example, WEEE Ireland has a membership programme with top producers of EEE and batteries. Additionally, cross-sectoral organisations were identified that could share the event with a more diverse range of stakeholders. In total, the delivery team contacted circa 30 potential industry-specific multipliers to promote the event within their respective networks. The sectoral breakdown can be seen in the below table. 22 Table 4: Key Nodes (by Target Sector) Sector Organisation Electronics/EEE/ICT • WEEE Ireland • ERP Ireland Packaging/Plastics • Irish Green Building Council • Engineers Ireland Construction/Built Environment • Repak • Irish Packaging Society • Irish Wood & Interiors Network • Hardware Association Textiles/Fashion • Design Crafts Council Ireland (has over 1500 members) • Textile Advisory Group • NCAD Cross-sectoral • Circular Bioeconomy South West Cluster • GS1 • Western Development Commission • Údarás na Gaeltachta • Mullingar Chamber of Commerce • Westmeath County Council • Regional Skills • Dublin City Council • Mayo County Council • Enterprise Ireland • IDA Ireland • Donegal LEO • Monaghan LEO • NSAI • InterTradeIreland • Chartered Institute of Waste Management • Kildare County Council • Cork County Council • Southern Region Waste Management office Individual representatives from each organisation were identified where possible and requested to share details of the event with their networks via membership newsletters, email, or on social media platforms. of this list, 10 organisations confirmed that they would share either internally with their teams or externally with their membership base. Many also cross-promoted the Hackathon through LinkedIn. Additional academic outreach was undertaken by identifying university lecturers or research centre managers that specialise in sustainability, circular economy, or with a research focus in one of our identified target sectors. Once this was done, an outreach email was sent requesting that these contacts help us promote the event, highlighting it as a learning and engagement opportunity for students or researchers in their wider networks. In total, thirteen universities and twenty-four individual academic professionals were identified and communicated with. 23 Table 5: Irish HEIs engaged with for Hackathon Outreach University Atlantic Technological University (Connemara) ATIM Dublin College University Limerick IT Maynooth University Munster Technological University Technological University Dublin Technological University of the Shannon Trinity College Dublin University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick As with industry nodes, the recipient was sent an email with the request to share information, a prewritten email with details of the Hackathon and the benefits of attending, and a brochure with FAQs and additional details (see D8.6 Annex). 24 Figure 3: Agenda for marketing during recruitment phase 3.5.3 Strategic Email and Phone Outreach Campaign Between the 13th December 2024 and the 10th February 2025, five separate broad-reach email newsletters were sent to promote the CircThread Hackathon. Four emails were sent from IMR and supporting IMR-project, CIRCULÉIRE, while one e-shot was sent to CircThread newsletter subscribers. Table 6: Mass email lists within the CircThread consortium sent for Hackathon promotion Date Sender Target Audience Reach (recipients) 13/12/24 CIRCULÉIRE on behalf of IMR Subset of CIRCULÉIRE’s public mailing list focused on target sectors (Electronics/EEE/ICT, Built Environment & Construction, Fashion & Textiles, Packaging) 250 22/01/25 CIRCULÉIRE on behalf of IMR Registrants from the CIRCULÉIRE Thematic Working Group series focusing on Digital Product Passport 60 30/1/25 CIRCULÉIRE on behalf of IMR All registrants of the CIRCULÉIRE Industry Members (Network) Newsletter 112 25 Date Sender Target Audience Reach (recipients) 11/12/24 24/01/24 Ekodenge on behalf of CircThread All subscribers to the CircThread Project Newsletter 300 10/2/25 IMR Subscribers to the IMR Newsletter mailing list in target sectors (Electronics/EEE/ICT, Built Environment & Construction, Fashion & Textiles, Packaging) (Link to newsletter copy) 943 Total 1665 The purpose of this aspect of the campaign was to reach a wider audience of potential participants while leveraging the pre-existing network, relationships, and credibility of IMR, CIRCULÉIRE, and the CircThread Project. While engagement statistics could not be gleaned from emails sent via Outlook, statistics from IMR’s newsletter on the 10th of February 2025 had a 34.04% open rate, and a 9.66% click through rate, demonstrating an above average engagement with the target audience. The delivery team kept a detailed list of communications with prospective attendees which comprised of approximately 570 individual contacts who were invited to the Hackathon via email. To further encourage attendance members of the IMR Sustainability, Circular Economy, and Commercialisation teams divided this list to send personalised emails to recipients. Where applicable these emails included sector-specific benefits to attending the Hackathon event, e.g. compliance with upcoming sectorspecific ESPR regulations, as well as highlighting product group specific targets, such as for textiles and packaging. Contacts were followed up with after a week if there had been no response. Combining the emails sent via mailing lists and via the contact list, a total of approx. 1600 emails were sent to potential hackathon participants. A cold calling campaign was also implemented to reach out to organisations where we did not have direct contact information. In total, 30 individual organisations received phone calls from the delivery team who were deemed a high-priority to have attend the event, primarily because they represented an important yet under-represented part of the four industry clusters’ (or sectors) value chains – such as recyclers or manufacturers - based on registration at that point. 3.5.4 Social Media Promotion Campaign The delivery team primarily used IMR’s official LinkedIn profile to promote the Hackathon event. IMR’s LinkedIn profile currently has an engaged audience of 20.5k followers across a diverse range of industries and sectors and therefore an ideal platform for the CircThread Hackathon promotion. 32 Session Key Feedback & Suggestions How this was implemented in the Hackathon’s design technical experts about how their hackathon concepts could be integrated with it in future. Cross-Industry Collaboration Structure the session into short team updates. Several opportunities for industry peer feedback were designed into the process. Closing Session Encourage future collaboration and signpost to the Circular Intelligence Foundation. Over the course of the two days, attendees were verbally encouraged to join the CircThread online community. A wrap up communication to attendees included a specific call to action to sign up to the newsletter. A key action of the meeting was to identify key people across the consortium to help drive the hackathon. Relevant people from the partner organisations were invited to get involved in supporting dedicated task forces to help accelerate the hackathon’s delivery (as is highlighted in Section 4.1.2 Coordination & Logistics above). 4.3 Finalised hackathon format The finalised hackathon format was a two-day event held in person at the IMR Mullingar Lab. It was an ideation hackathon that did not require prior coding knowledge or experience. Participants could attend one or both days. The hackathon was two days to give participants enough time to learn about the technology, CircThread, and regulations before developing the service concepts. Based on industry insights within IMR and CircThread (such as D2.3 ‘Barriers and Solutions for Information Exchange and Decision Performance’), organisers assumed that most participants would only have a rudimentary grasp of both the regulations and technology behind DPPs and the CircThread platform. Therefore, to widen the appeal of the hackathon to a broader audience, it was designed as a non-technical hackathon with an option to consult on-hand software engineers and coding experts. This assumption was later confirmed by the registration page, where, as per Fig 10 below, only 3% of registered attendees indicated they had coding experience rated advanced or above. 33 Figure 10: Registrees' self-reported experience with coding The event did not have a hybrid option to encourage in-person attendance and networking during the event. Flexibility was important to increase attendance, hence the event was structured so attendees could attend one or both days, although outreach efforts encouraged attendance on both days. 4.4 Agenda & Key Activities 4.4.1 Overview of the Two-Day Schedule The two days were designed to bring participants on an immersive learning journey, first about key regulations, like ESPR, which mandated DPPs for most products placed on the European market. While later workshop sessions sought to guide participants through a self-guided ideation process to respond to a challenge and prepare an innovative digital circular economy service concept to address it. Broadly the structure of the two days was as follows: • Day One - Learn and Connect: Day one of the hackathon was dedicated to DPP regulation education and identifying appropriate circular economy challenges to tackle. Groups were asked to collaborate within and amongst teams to define a challenge area based on interest, experience and insights. Groups developed early-stage concepts for solutions to these challenges. A complimentary networking dinner was organised to support the participants to continue connecting and exchanging that evening. • Day Two – Innovate and Compete: On day two of the hackathon, teams refined their initial ideas into protype service concepts. They revisited challenge areas and created a solution with a clearly defined digital service and descriptions of functions. The solutions were designed to use the CircThread API and DPPs to achieve their purpose. These prototype services were pitched to the judges in a friendly competition. 53% 35% 9% 2% 1% 0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% No experience Beginner (Familiar with some concepts but limited hands-on experience) Intermediate (Comfortable with coding and API integration) Advanced (Experienced with complex coding and API development) Expert (Professional experience with coding and APIs) n=93 Responses How would you rate your current knowledge and experience with coding and APIs? (Please note no prior experience or knowledge is required to attend) 34 The aims and structure of the hackathon are laid out in the infographic below: Figure 11: Infographic of CircThread Hackathon aims and structure 35 Table 8: Agenda of the hackathon Day Time Session Title Day One – February 25 10:30 - 11:00 Registration & Coffee 11:00 - 11:30 Welcome & Opening Remarks 11:30 - 12:00 Keynote & Panel: The Role of DPPs in Supporting Circular Economy 12:00 - 12:40 Inspiring Best Practices – Part I 12:40 - 13:15 Lunch 13:15 - 14:00 Interactive Session: Assessing DPP Readiness 14:00 - 14:45 Live Demo: CircThread API in Action 14:45 - 15:00 Coffee Break 15:00 - 17:00 Challenge Co-Creation & Exploration 17:00 - 17:30 Day 2 Overview & Expectations 17:30 - 18:30 Event close 18:30 - 20:00 Networking Dinner Day Two – February 26 9:00 - 9:30 Registration & Coffee 9:30 - 9:50 Welcome & Day 1 Reflection 9:50 - 10:15 Inspiring Best Practices – Part II 10:15 - 10:35 Coffee Break & Team Formation Exercise 10:35 - 10:45 Transition to Breakout Sessions 10:45 - 11:15 Sectoral Breakout Workshops: Refining Challenge Areas 11:15 - 12:35 Concept Refinement & Prioritization 12:35 - 13:00 Lunch 13:00 - 14:30 Rapid Prototyping & Collaborative Ideation 14:30 - 15:10 Preparing & Practicing Team Pitches 15:10 - 15:20 Transition to Judging Session 15:20 - 16:30 Dragon’s Den: Team Presentations 16:30 - 16:45 Break 16:45 - 17:00 Awards & Closing Remarks 36 4.5 Showcasing the CircThread API & Mock Service Demo As a starting topic in the Services demo, the European Commission Timeframe for DPP Framework(s) and the European Commission DPP Vision has been presented, to give a perspective of what the expected interoperability and registry systems will entail. This has been referenced to the scope and capabilities of CircThread platform, with respect to acting as a centric registry among Circular Economy stakeholders and their data exchange needs. Figure 12: EC Registry Services – Ref: DG Grow Presentation Alexandru Ion Figure 13: CircThread Reference Architecture 37 The technical presentation then included three core sections of demonstration: • The CircThread Platform capabilities, acting as the registry service for organisations, products, their respective DPPs and available services • A repair pilot service developed for a mock repair logging service using the CircThread APIs • A DPP service showcasing the product item level verifiable traceability of logs and life cycle phases of the product. Figure 15: CircThread Platform API Documentation Page Figure 14: CircThread Platform demonstration 38 4.5.1 Introduction to the CircThread API CircThread API allows different types of users to post or get information to/from CircThread platform. The provided API documentation page shows methods and endpoints. The swagger page: https://pilot-ct.circthread.com/api/swaggerui/index.html#/ provides sample code snippets as well. Figure 16: CircThread Platform Swagger Page for API Endpoints CircThread API endpoints include below operations: • Authorisation • Add Product Model • Update, and Delete Product Model • Get Product Model Information • Search Product Models • Get registered services In addition to those main API endpoints, CircThread platform enable its users to utilise API endpoints for external services for selected product models. The example is shown below for specific product model to utilise S10: Circular Sustainability Advisory Service – GRETA: 39 Figure 17: Screenshot of GRETA service Furthermore, CircThread Platform has capability to integrate with DPP providers transfer DPPs. This capability aims to transfer operations performed by external services (e.g. repair log entry) during the product lifecycle to digital product passports, and it acts as a Central Registry for all DPPs to establish interoperability between DPPs. Figure 18: Access Digital Product Passport via CircThread Platform 40 4.5.2 Live Demonstration of API Capabilities In live demonstration, the integration between repair mockup service and CircThread Platform Services Container was built. The repair mockup service was activated for specific product model (XS-1 Washing machine) which was already registered to CircThread Platform by providing credentials to “repairer organisationHome Appliance Centre” from ecosystem admin. Figure 19: Authorised Repairer Organisation The repair logs that were entered into repair mockup service was posted to Tracid Product Journey module and displayed in the TRACID DPP. Figure 20: Product Lifecycle Event Entries in DPP 41 4.5.3 Mock Service Walkthrough: Practical Application for SMEs and Developers An example software application was developed with the aim of increasing participant's understanding of the CircThread API and ultimately assist in conceptualising their own use-cases. The app in question was a mock repair service - a web-based application that would be accessible by repair shops. The application was written in TypeScript – using the Angular framework to power the frontend SPA and Node.js on the backend for its custom API. It had a rudimentary database separate to CircThread that could be used to store auxiliary data. The application had a wizard-style approach to guide participants through how one would use the API to construct their own applications via a step-by-step process. Each step had accompanying explanatory documentation. The first step was a search - powered by the CircThread API - that a repair technician could utilise to search for a product/appliance by using a product name’s, a brand, etc. This showcased the logical entry point in most applications utilising CircThread. In addition to demonstrating the searching capabilities of CircThread, it displayed some additional information garnered from the JSON document in the API response. Next, the application used the same JSON document to locate the DPP provider and DPP id for any matching products that were returned. The DPP of any product returned in the search results could then be queried to return extra pertinent information about the product and its components. In the repair application, some static data points were chosen such as washing machine drum size, motor energy usage, and a link to the motor’s own DPP. Visualising DPP data in this way highlighted some potential use-cases which DPPs could be leveraged to realise and demonstrated the capability of DPPs to be included within DPPs. A further step exposed an item-level DPP search which enabled the technician to search for a particular appliance by using a specific item identifier garnered from a QR-code, barcode, or similar. Using the item-level search, a specific appliance (and its DPP) could be queried for. The mock application allowed repair information to be written to this item-level DPP in real time. Further integration with the DPP was demonstrated via a hyperlink to view the item-level DPP on the DPP provider’s platform, showing lifecycle stages – including the repair entry that was added via the mock application. This demonstrated the potential of capturing lifecycle information within DPPs that persists throughout the product’s life (and potentially afterwards). 48 On Day wo, as attendance shifted, a team formation exercise ensured new participants could join or create teams. Finalized teams revisited their problem statements, identifying opportunities for Digital Product Passports (DPPs) to enhance tracking, transparency, and resource management. Four teams emerged, each tackling a sectoral challenge: Packaging (reducing single-use cups through reuse incentives), Construction (extending housing lifespans via digital manufacturing), ICT/EEE (enhancing reuse and circularity in government procurement), and Textiles (tracking product durability and lifecycle with digital tools). These refined problem statements laid the foundation for teams to develop and pitch their digital prototype concepts. Figure 25: The ICT and EEE Team pitch to Judges Figure 26: The Construction and Textiles Groups on Day Two 49 4.7.2 Support from Mentors & Experts The hackathon featured an on-hand set of software engineering mentors. These technical mentors included the Ekodenge and IMR software engineering teams. They provided the audience demonstrations of the CircThread platform, DPPs and example services that leveraged CircThread and DPPs. Additionally, they were on-hand as consultants for hackathon teams that may not have advanced coding or software engineering skills, but that still wanted to develop ideas that used digital technology. A demonstration of the CircThread platform, its API and an example use case was given on the first day of the hackathon. The use case featured was a simulated repair service created by IMR. Participants were shown an example of a DPP, the type of information it can store, and how it can be plugged into CircThread. Then, the use case demonstrated how the DPP and CircThread’s API can create a third-party repair service that created an online repair logbook for a household dishwasher. Mentors were on-hand as consultants throughout the two days of the hackathon, with a drop-in room available for participants. Teams were particularly encouraged to consult the technical mentors at the prototyping phase of the session. This was an opportunity for teams understand how their protype service could interact with the CircThread platform, and the technical feasibility of their ideas. Teams were able to ask and learn directly from software engineers and the builders of the CircThread platform. 50 5 Results and outcomes The hackathon achieved 93 registrants, of which 59 (representing a good cross-section of each of the four industry clusters targeted) participated in the 2-day in-person innovation event. While the hackathon did not meet the KPI target of 100 stakeholder participants, every effort was made to raise awareness and recruit the target audience to achieve the KPI, demonstrated in sections 4.4 and 4.5. Over 1600 contacts within the Irish industry were contacted via email or phone calls about the event, and social media posts were viewed over 11000 times. Although a significant amount of effort was dedicated to articulating the relevance and participant benefits for time invested, a key insight from participant recruitment is that the concept of DPPs and their strategic role in enabling circularity is currently nascent within the Irish ecosystem. Uncertainty regarding DPP regulations and implementation timelines and details given the early stages of the relevant regulations also presented difficulties in recruitment, although this was mitigated by creating messaging focused on innovation and the benefits of early adoption and regulatory readiness. The results of the events regarding attendance, ideas developed and feedback from participants are detailed in the sections below. 5.1 Attendance & Participation Breakdown As Table 9 and 10 below illustrate, attendance over the two days varied slightly, with a larger number attending Day One. A smaller yet particularly engaged group committed to Day Two. While our engagement strategy focused primarily on ensuring Industry stakeholders, and in particular prospective CircThread service users or providers, were aware of the event, the participation breakdown reflects our multi-sectoral communications and outreach efforts. The Day Two drop off reflects the reality that many companies are still at an earlier learning and discovery stage in their innovation journey, and given the still-evolving nature of regulations and DPPs, are not yet ready to commit a full two days to ideating around DPP service solutions. Table 9: Day one attendee breakdown Attendee Organisations Day 1 – 25th February 2025 ATU Connemara Lough Ree Distillery Aughinish Alumina Mywaste.ie Baird McNutt Iris Linen Nova UCD Charity Retail Ireland Repak CLAN (Meraki Marketing) Sawatech Combilift Shareclub Decarbon Solutions Society of St Vincent De Paul Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment South East Technological University Department of the Environment, Climate, & Communications Studio Hugo DeltaQ SUPSI Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art & Design TeKcomm Eastern & Midland Regional Assembly The Irish Times 51 Enterprise Ireland The ZeroNet Farrell Furniture Technological University of the Shannon FBD Insurance Twindustrial GmbH GS1 Ireland UCD Innovation Academy Imperial College University of Limerick Kingspan VSR Group Kinset Ltd WEEE Ireland KMK Metals Recycling Western Development Commission Ireland KORE Insulation Table 10: Day two attendee breakdown Attendee Organisations Day 2 – 26th February 2025 Charity Retail Ireland Studio Hugo Decarbon Solutions SUPSI Green IT Sustainable Innovations Technologies Services Ltd GS1 Ireland TeKcomm Imperial College Technological University of the Shannon Kingspan Twindustrial GmbH Kinset Ltd UCD Innovation Academy Repak WEEE Ireland Sawatech Shareclub South East Technological University Figure 27: Attendee sector breakdown 31% 7% 34% 10% 12% 5% 2% 0 5 10 15 20 25 Academics Consultant Industry Public Sector Membership Body NGO Media Attendees (n=59) Sector Attendee Sector Breakdown 52 5.2 Ideas, Tools, and Services Developed Ideas for new services were developed on Day two of the CircThread Hackathon. There were four teams, one per sector (textiles, plastics and packaging, construction and ICT/EEE). The finalised four service ideas are as follows: Team One: Packaging: Table 11: Packaging team concept Concept title: Packtracker - Promoting a sharing economy with DPPs Project team members: Yuanyuan Chen, TUS Conor Nevin, Imperial College Aline Brito, Shareclub Circular economy challenge: Single use plastic waste Circular economy opportunity: Reusable container sharing systems Concept summary: The solution is a community reusable container sharing system that connects end users, manufacturers, logistics providers and repair centres with a data management system. Reusable containers are provided on a deposit basis to consumers. Containers contain DPPs connected to a digital platform that tracks reuse cycles, schedules maintenance on the containers, and manages their distribution. Repair centres extend the lifespan of the container. A deposit and reward system enabled by a DPP incentivises participation in the system, reducing single-use plastic waste. Beneficiaries: Consumers: Convenient access to reuseable containers Manufacturers: Save production costs Recyclers: Access to a stream of sorted, highquality plastic Policymakers and environmental agencies: Supports regulatory compliance with circular economy policies, reducing landfill and ocean plastic waste. How does the solution integrate DPPs? DPPs will enhance transparency, tracking, and data sharing throughout the lifecycle of reusable containers. Each container with a unique digital identity DPP stores: • Usage history (number of reuse cycles, users, and locations) • Condition monitoring (damage reports, repair history, and lifespan estimation) • Material composition and recyclability data • Compliance with sustainability regulations 53 Concept title: Packtracker - Promoting a sharing economy with DPPs The service would use the CircThread platform for the following roles: The service would use the CircThread platform for the following roles: • Enabling real-time data exchange between stakeholders (e.g., logistics providers, repair centres, recyclers) • Enhancing interoperability with existing sustainability and circular economy platforms • Automating traceability of containers across their lifecycle, ensuring regulatory compliance • Providing insights into reuse performance, waste reduction metrics, and material efficiency Judging Panel Feedback • Digital DRS based reusable B2C packaging systems are becoming more common in Ireland (e.g. 2GoCup; Shareclub; Vytal Ireland etc.) • The Packaging team concept highlights the potential to integrate DPPs into these existing offerings to enhance their commercial viability and track impact reductions • Equally the concept highlights the potential for DPPs to be leveraged to inform the design of digitally enabled multi-brand resuable packaging systems given many citizens already have reusable containers in their homes. Team Two: ICT and EEE: Table 12: ICT and EEE team concept Concept title: IT Circularity Team Project team members: Róisín Duffy, WEEE Ireland Terry Halpin, GreenIT Thomas Keogan, TeKcomm Siro Dell’Ambrogio, SUPSI John Munro, Sawatech Circular economy challenge: Electric waste in the ICT sector, traceability of products from cradle to grave, and measurability in the life cycle of products in the reuse, recycle and repair phase Circular economy opportunity: Quantifying the level of remanufacturing, repair, refurbishment, reuse and recycling of ICT and EEE in Ireland 54 Concept title: IT Circularity Team Concept summary: A platform that traces ICT hardware over its service lifecycle that records interventions within the lifecycle of the product, e.g. a repair event. The platform will be regulated by a government body and runs parallel to other regulations and reporting requirements like CSRD. Beneficiaries: Manufacturers: By reporting their own sustainable activities and having validated data available for reporting and to avoid greenwashing claims ‘R-activity’ businesses (repairers, recyclers, refurbishers etc.): Given a better visibility on products’ life when it reaches a business for refurbishing, remanufacturing etc. Increased quality information available for decision making. How does the solution integrate DPPs? DPPs add to the solution by enabling transparency, tracking and data sharing. Equipment would have DPPs which put unique identifiers on all components within a product. The service would use the CircThread platform for the following roles: • Lifecycle Stages • Integration of other DPPs at a component level within the product DPP Judging Panel Feedback • The ICT Circularity Team concept demonstrates the urgent need for trusted/ verifiable data to enable commercially viable product / component life-extension value propositions without comprimising performance. • Moreover, the team’s concept illustrated how linked DPPs could enable identifiers for every electronic component creating visual product journey’s which deliver valuable performance insights beyond the first use life throughout multiple life cycles of the product (e.g. 2nd, 3rd and 4th use-lives). 55 Team Three: Construction Table 13: Construction team concept Concept title: Future Fit Homes Project team members: Ioannis Markou, SETU Waterford Patrick O’Donnell, UCD Vivienne McCourt, Decarbon Solutions Dan O Gorman, Sean Dennison, GS1 Ireland Karl Crowley, Kingspan IKON Hugo ThompsonStudio Hugo, RISE Project Circular economy challenge: Underutilised housing stock, regulatory delays in retrofits, high cost of renovations versus building new Circular economy opportunity: Waste reduction, reuse, recycling and traceability Concept summary: Modular Volumetric Modern Methods of Construction for rapid expansion: The system would integrate a system into houses that would permit easier future renovations using modular construction. This would reduce the cost of renovations which are more expensive than building new in some cases. Houses would come with a digital system with pre-made renovation options that are visualised on a 3d model/digital twin carried on a DPP. The DPP can also carry a building logbook. Designers can preview costs by modelling potential renovations on the 3d model. The digital twin can predict the carbon footprint and circularity of the house and renovation based off the carbon footprint of the current house, which is hosted on the DPP. Beneficiaries: AEC (Architects, engineers and construction), homeowners, local authorities and government bodies How does the solution integrate DPPs? DPPs could be used to integrate the following functions: • Survey & Digital Twin – LiDAR scans create 3D models of homes • Smart Feasibility Tool – AI-powered questionnaire aligns housing renovation needs with options • Pre-Approved Modular Designs – Fast-track planning approval with pre-approved designs • offsite Modular Construction – Rapid, lowdisruption installation • Building Logbook– Future-proofing homes for resale & sustainability by logging key information The service would use the CircThread platform for the following roles: Allow you to build the building logbook. Integrate all the DPPs and related services on one platform to exchange info. Planning approval bodies and designers can easily access previous housing designs which speeds up planning approval process 56 Concept title: Future Fit Homes Judging Panel Feedback • The Future Fit Homes concept demonstrates the variety of ways that linked construction product DPPs could be leveraged to future proof ‘new build’ housing with ‘digital pre-made renovation options’ and visualised via ‘digital twins carried on DPPs’ as well as ‘building logbooks’ – all with the aim of streamlining future renovation and retrofitting of the housing stock reducing unecessary waste and emissions. Team Four: Textiles Table 14: Textile team concept Concept title: Charity Shop Durability Insights Project team members: Liz Ward, Charity Retail Ireland Katie O’Riordan, Kinset Alan Giles, Kinset Suzanne Young, IADT Circular economy challenge: Charity shops have no insights into the quality, durability or number of textiles (by brand/product type) that they received, resold, or sent further down the supply chain. Circular economy opportunity: Using data to understand what products are ending up as waste in charity shops Concept summary: A service that uses DPPs to collect data at the charity shop level to determine the quality and durability of products/brands and feedback into circular design. Beneficiaries: Manufacturers, recyclers and policymakers How does the solution integrate DPPs? Service collects data from DPPs on clothes in charity shops that end up as waste. Data is fed to local regulators and key brands. This solution will give better insight into brand specific products that have better durability when reaching charity shops. The service would use the CircThread platform for the following roles: Full integration of the service with CircThread Judging Panel Feedback • The Charity Shop Durability Insights concept highlights the opportunity to leverage existing QR codes or barcodes as well as future DPPs to provide insight into consumer usage and product performance which in turn could inform brand circularity / sustainable design requirements. • The concept highlights the potential for DPPs to enable commercially valuable brand / product level quality and durability insights given data regarding the durabiliy of clothing brands / products post-sale is currently almost non-existent. Given post consumer textile waste is a significant challenge establishing 57 greater feedback loops between charity shops and brands (e.g. regarding where products end-up after sale and in what condition / durability performance) could enable design criteria / decision-making in terms of material selection for multiple use-lives etc. 5.3 Feedback from Participants 5.3.1 Motivation and value of event: To gauge whether the event met its primary hackathon goals, (i.e. assisting participants to develop service ideas and CE solution using CircThread, demonstrating the platform to a new audience, reaching new users and finding sector-specific applications of CircThread), participants were given a feedback survey. It was additionally designed to identify how the hackathon delivered value to the participants. The survey questions can be found in the Annex. The survey was presented to the audience at the close of day one and two and received 27 responses. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The overall hackathon experience averaged 4.74 stars out of 5, with 1 star being poor, and 5 stars being excellent. The median was 5 stars out of 5. Figure 28: Answers to survey question on hackathon experience Participants had a wide variety of motivations for attending the hackathon. The most popular reported reason for attending was an interest in DPPs (11 votes), followed by an interest in circular economy and sustainability (8 votes). Perhaps surprisingly, only one respondent was motivated to attend because of the opportunity to develop and showcase innovation. 85% of attendees noted the hackathon impacted their understanding of DPPs and circular economy as ‘much stronger’. 11% noted it made their understanding ‘somewhat stronger’. Given the greatest motivation for attending was interest in DPPs, CE and 21 5 10 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Number of responses (n=27) Answer options How would you rate your overall hackathon experience? (1 star = poor; 5 stars = excellent) 64 6 KEY FINDINGS AND LESSONS LEARNED 6.1 Barriers to Adoption (DPPs & Digital Circular Economy) As was highlighted throughout several interactions with hackathon participants, the adoption of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and digital circular economy solutions faces several key challenges. A major barrier is the technical readiness of businesses, with only 3% of surveyed stakeholders reporting advanced coding experience, highlighting the need for user-friendly digital infrastructure and integration support, including for nontechnical business representatives. Awareness and education gaps also hinder adoption, as many actors in the value chain require clearer guidance on compliance, regulatory requirements, and best practices. Additionally, data sharing and harmonisation issues create friction, particularly in aligning industry standards, defining roles and responsibilities across the supply chain, and ensuring consistent compliance enforcement, especially in sectors with complex global supply chains like textiles and electronics. To overcome these challenges, stakeholders emphasised the need for external support in several key areas. These include: • Clear regulatory guidance on compliance obligations, timelines, and product group classifications; • Investment in digital infrastructure to enable seamless data sharing and system interoperability; and • Education initiatives to improve industry-wide understanding of DPP implementation. Additionally, businesses require practical demonstration projects showcasing end-to-end DPP functionality, collaborative platforms to connect supply chain partners, and harmonised integration frameworks to ensure smooth transitions from product design to reuse, repair, waste management and recycling. Providing these supports would enable businesses to more confidently engage with DPPs and accelerate the transition toward a digital circular economy. 65 Figure 35: Participants' responses to the biggest barrier to DPP adoption in their sector 6.2 Opportunities for DPPs and digital economy adoption Despite these barriers, the hackathon demonstrated that significant opportunities exist for leveraging DPPs and digital solutions to enhance circular economy strategies across multiple sectors. As is outlined in Table 16 below, the hackathon group exercises highlighted several circular opportunities for DPPs and digital economy adoption, such as: • In textiles, digital tracking and certification could improve lifecycle transparency which informs design for product durability and; • Construction could benefit from predictive data analytics and Building Information Modelling (BIM) integration with DPPs to optimise material use and reduce waste; • ICT and EEE industries stand to gain from DPP-enabled traceability and lifecycle monitoring, supporting remanufacturing, improving traceability and preventing greenwashing; meanwhile • Packaging and plastics sectors could leverage digital logs and geolocation tracking to enhance recycling accuracy and promote consumer engagement Meanwhile, a cross-sectoral approach to DPP implementation—centred on interoperability, real-time data collection, and digital transparency—could maximise resource efficiency, regulatory compliance, and sustainable business model innovation. Encouragingly, businesses show varying levels of preparedness for DPP adoption, with the most readiness reported in circular economy strategies, compliance with regulations, and collaboration with supply chain partners. While many companies recognise the importance of digital infrastructure and business model innovation, gaps remain in intercompany data sharing and technical expertise. Leveraging these existing strengths— such as regulatory compliance and circular economy initiatives—can provide a strong 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 Cost Tech Readiness Regulations Data Sharing Circular Integration Other Number of responses (n=28) Response options What's the biggest barrier to DPP adoption in your sector? 66 foundation for scaling DPP adoption, particularly if external supports address remaining technical and knowledge barriers. Table 16: Circular opportunities for DPPs and Digital Economy Adoption Question Textiles Construction ICT/EEE Packaging & Plastics CrossSectoral Themes Where could digital solutions help? Quality and durability certification; Physical digital tracking of the whole lifecycle Predictability and accurate quantification of materials at planning stage to reduce waste; Traceability and automation support DPP CRM for information flow; Traceability for chain of custody and credible sustainability claims Tracking recyclability based on location; Building systems to encourage reuse and behaviour change Digital tracking for lifecycle visibility, waste reduction, and consumer empowerment How might DPPs contribute to tracking, transparen cy, or better resource manageme nt? Data collection at every stage of product lifecycle BIM and DPPs for accurate planning, reducing waste, and managing carbon impact Harmonised standards for producers/retailers ; Improving info flow for reuse; Supply chain transparency Geolocation of sorting centres to improve waste sorting accuracy; Digital logs for reuse cycles and maintenance tracking Standardised data-sharing frameworks to enhance circular economy goals, improve transparency and prevent greenwashing Key Opportunit y Areas Dynamic DPP with realtime data from use to end-of-life (QR codes/RFID solutions) Enabling secondary markets for refurbished furniture; Information management for reuse of materials Measuring remanufacturing, refurbishment, and reuse rates; Supporting reusebased business models Universal reuse tracking system for packaging; Consumerfocused sustainabilit y incentives Cross-sector interoperabilit y of DPPs for lifecycle monitoring, regulation enforcement, and circularity strategies 67 7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 7.1 Summary of Key Achievements Overall, the hackathon met its objectives and demonstrated strong collaboration between consortium partners, particularly within the hackathon delivery task forces. The hackathon successfully engaged with 59 participants from all four of the key sectors targeted for the event. Day two culminated in four successfully delivered pitch concepts to the judges, three of which were commended for the Post-Hackathon Accelerator Programme. As was highlighted in the sections above, feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive – scoring an average of 4.74 out of 5 (n= 27). In addition, the hackathon met its intended goals, such as by: 7.1.1 Advancing the Digital Circular Economy The event was designed from the outset to encourage the four target industry clusters to have increased awareness on the value of supporting data-driven sustainability, improving DPP adoption, and creating greater recognition on the value of improved product lifecycle transparency. The hackathon survey found that 85% of respondent (n= 23) indicated that they had a much stronger understanding of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and the circular economy, due to participating in the hackathon. 7.1.2 Supporting Ongoing Exploitation and Dissemination of the Results A key goal of the hackathon was to expand the CircThread project’s exploitation possibilities into new industries and jurisdictions. To further disseminate results, three videos were produced: • A long-form video providing an in-depth overview of the hackathon, to be uploaded to the CircThread website. • A shorter video highlighting keynote presentations, DPP innovator insights, and the ideation process. • A final video showcasing the Day Two pitch presentations and winning teams. Follow-up communications with hackathon participants will include clear calls to action about how they can stay involved with the project and related initiatives. 7.1.3 Expanding Third-Party Services While necessarily taking into account the current maturity of the Irish ecosystem, the hackathon met its goal of encouraging SME and startup service integration, enhancing marketplace scalability, and where appropriate, promoting open-source solutions. “Learned a lot about DPP functioning and how the content could look, API demo was great and both myself and my team were very impressed with it. There's definitely a lot of opportunity that comes with DPP and it’s so important to have these platforms for discussion across industries to really gauge concerns, hinderers and challenges that may be encountered, and learn from each other’s experience how they can be tackled.” - Source: Hackathon Participant, Feedback survey. 68 While still in early stages, the four developed service concepts developed during the hackathon provide a solid foundation for continued refinement. Meanwhile, most participants surveyed indicated that they were interested in progressing with their ideas in some capacity beyond the hackathon. At the time of writing (late March 2025), meetings have been arranged with all three winning teams of the hackathon to explore how their ideas might continue to be progressed through the IMR-led Digital Accelerator service or other avenues. 7.1.4 Driving Open Innovation The expertly designed hackathon process was designed with open innovation principles at its core. The event sought to showcase the post-Hackathon Digital Accelerator to incentivise teams to devise well-conceived digital service concepts with potential for realworld circular impacts, and in so doing, fostered cross-sector collaboration, and supported cross-industry and cross-sectoral knowledge-sharing. As is elaborated elsewhere in this report, the hackathon was successful in encouraging innovative SMEs to consider the circular innovation opportunities of DPPs, fostering cross-sector collaboration through a quadruple helix open innovation model. 7.1.5 Enhancing API Usability While only a limited number of participants had the technical knowledge and skills to engage with the platform in this way, the API Demo Station that was set up for the duration of the two days at IMR’s Mullingar R&D Lab. This proved to be an effective way to have prospective users live test the CircThread API, refining interoperability, and providing insights to address developer feedback. 7.1.6 Ensuring Long-Term Impact Both government and industry representatives acknowledged the value in engaging about regulatory developments related to ESPR and DPPs; exchanges which the event organisers see great value in continuing beyond the hackathon. Moreover, the event helped to catalyse cross-functional engagement within IMR, bridging the organisation’s Circular Economy, Commercialisation, and Digitalisation functions to advance the European twin circular and digital agenda for Irish and European SMEs. Furthermore, the establishment of the Post-Hackathon Digital Accelerator further underscores the commitment of IMR and key consortium partners like ECOWISE to sustaining and building on the event’s impact. 7.2 Next Steps for Integration & Further Development As was outlined in Section 6.4 above, following the hackathon, IMR reached out to the top teams for a pre-accelerator screening call to identify their lead representatives and align the support offered with each team's goals. Call have now been organised with all three winning teams. Although IMR is primarily hosting the Digital Accelerator, CircThread project partners like ECOWISE will continue to contribute, offering technical support and resources for piloting initiatives. Future plans for expansion include integrating new software services with CircThread’s data and API, establishing a network through the Circular Intelligence Association, and providing pilot tools and impact showcases to further support circular economy operations. 69 7.3 Broader Lessons for Future Digital Circular Economy Hackathons The CircThread Hackathon was an equal learning opportunity for participants and the delivery consortium with several relevant insights for future projects involving circular economy ideation, DPPs and regulatory preparedness. 7.3.1 Challenges to the hackathon design – regulatory uncertainty A challenge to the content of the hackathon itself was the regulatory uncertainty around DPP and ESPR regulations. Given the hackathon was hosted in February 2025, the same month as revisions were being made to several relevant policies (e.g. CSRD Omnibus and the Clean Industrial Deal), there were many points yet unclear. For example, it was not yet concrete what information a DPP was to require, nor the definitive list of sectors that would be obligated to use DPPs), nor the adoption timeline for sectors. Moreover, a few days prior to the CircThread Hackathon, the EC opened a stakeholder consultation on the first ESPR workplan seeking input from national governments and agencies by the first week of March 2025 - illustrating the ongoing regulatory uncertainty. Other outstanding questions were the chain of custody for DPPs and which actors in the lifecycle would be responsible for their creation and/or maintenance of information. This presented challenges in the recruitment phase, as manufacturers, distributors and suppliers were often reluctant or disinterested in creating a service hinging on a regulation that they were unsure would apply to them. This was addressed by focusing on the sectors already active in DPPs (e.g. textiles) and engaging with actors who stand to clearly benefit from the offerings of a DPP (e.g. electronic refurbishment or recyclers). Moreover, a key message relayed to participants was look for ways they get their data management and governance systems DPP-ready in preparation for expected regulatory announcements. 7.3.2 Challenges to hackathon execution – attendee dropout over multi-day event The loss of several participants over the two days created some challenges to continuing the momentum and energy within teams. Attendee dropout unfortunately also created a loss of knowledge and experience. These issues were mitigated through the workshop’s design, such as by building in prompts in the Participant Handbook to ensure participants who only attended the first day wrote down as much of their insights as possible before departing and spending the morning of day two reworking groups with dedicated exercises. Attendee dropout during a multi-day event is inevitable given the monetary and time costs increasing with every day spent attending an event. However, participants who stayed for the entirety of the event reported the value of having an extra day to dive deeper into the subject and were extremely dedicated to the subject of DPPs and circular economy. 7.3.3 Successes – reframing the DPP conversation from compliance to digitally enabled commercial circular innovation Insights gathered from the participants survey show the overwhelmingly positive feedback. Points of praise were the sophisticated design of the innovation hackathon, networking, interactive format and the demonstration of different DPP solutions and CircThread services in action across multiple sectors. Case studies and demos from real- 70 world DPP innovators and solutions providers were invaluable for participant ideation and engagement. For example, the construction team reported that they were better able to come up with an idea after a guest speaker (Anastasia Stella, Co-Founder & CEO of Circuland) presented and demoed Ciculand’s construction DPP application. The hackathon was a clear success in using DPPs (a complex and still-evolving regulatory requirement not widely understood or particularly well-received by Irish industry), as a basis to reframe the conversation from compliance to unlocking purpose-led digital, circular and commercial innovation. As quoted from one participant: “[The hackathon was a] great opportunity to see the possible issues and opportunities across sectors due to DPP uptake.” As regulation evolves in the sustainability space, it is clear that a well-run event and interaction with those affected by a regulation cannot just educate, but inspire. 71 ANNEX I – Additional documentation This annex contains the additional documents from the D8.6 CircThread Circular Economy Services Hackathon Event Summary that are relevant to the event but did not fit into the original deliverable. - Hackathon worksheets. - Pitch team slides. - Feedback survey. - Participant Booklet. Hackathon worksheets 72 73 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 96 Worksheets needed The CircThread team have prepared several specially designed worksheets to guide you through each of the sessions. These worksheets will be available for you to use in your respective breakout rooms, along with other materials and supplies to guide you through the structured hackathon process. Workshop Session Worksheets needed Day One: DPP Readiness Session DPP Awareness Worksheet Challenge Co-Creation and Exploration Problem Statement Template Problem-Solution Refinement Day Two: Refining Challenge Areas & Opportunities CircThread Problem-Solution Refinement (continued from Day One) Opportunity Identification Worksheets Concept Refinement & Prioritization Concept Refinement Worksheet Rapid Prototyping & Collaborative Ideation Prototype Planning Worksheets Prototype Planning Mobile Apps Prototype Planning Websites Preparing & Practising Team Pitches CircThread Pitch Deck Template (to be emailed to your team on Day Two) Dragon’s Den: Team Presentations Getting started - General guiding principles You are encouraged to proactively form your own team. Timings in the session descriptions below are intended to serve as a guide. The facilitation team will give updates on session timings from time to time, however it is up to you and your team to ensure that you cover what you need to in your available time. To ensure that your team gets through your exercises and is ready to present a wellconceived prototype concept pitch by Day Two, we advise that you work with your group to assign the following roles: • A timekeeper (who will keep an eye on session timings in the agenda and workshop descriptions below) • A lead representative – who will give high-level feedback at key points, you may also assign this person to give your pitch presentation on Day Two • A scribe – this person should capture key points discussed by the groups, and encourage all team members to capture their ideas using post-its Please take note that some participants will be joining for one or both days, so take note of who in your team is staying on for Day Two. On Day Two, a team finder speed dating session will be organised in the morning to help you find a team (or recruit new members), if needed. The CircThread and IMR Facilitation Team will be on-hand to help you with any questions you may have. Technical mentors will also be circulating in the breakout rooms should you have any technical questions not already covered in the FAQs section of this document. 97 Exercise Descriptions Day One: Challenge Co-Creation and Exploration Planned session run time: c. 15:00 - 17:00* Objective: • Work with your group to collaboratively define and refine your own challenge areas based on shared interests, experiences, and insights related to circular economy and digitalisation. • Groups will define problem areas and early-stage solution concepts they can continue to develop further on Day Two. Session Structure Introduction (3 min) • Overview of the structure and aims of the session Steps: Step 1: Open Brainstorming (15 minutes) o Participants work in small groups of 4–6 people. o Your group will use blank flip chart paper or large sticky notes. o Prompt: "Based on what you've learned about DPPs today, what are the most pressing problems, opportunities, or gaps in your sector that could benefit from circular economy solutions and digital tools?" o Groups are encouraged to brainstorm broadly and write down as many ideas as possible without judgement. Step 2: Cluster and Prioritize (15 minutes) • In your groups review your brainstormed ideas and identify themes or recurring patterns. • Cluster similar ideas together and prioritize 1–2 challenge areas that resonate most with your group. • Each group uses the Problem Statement Template to write a concise problem statement for their chosen challenge areas: o How might we [do what to support specific circular goal / strategy] in [specific context / sector] given [key constraints]?" Step 3: Challenge Pitch & Feedback (25 minutes) • Select one representative from your group to present your top identified challenge statement(s) to the wider group in 2 minutes. • After each round of feedback, the audience provides quick feedback or asks clarifying questions. 98 Session Structure Step 4: Round-One: Interest-Based Team Formation (25 minutes) • Challenge statements are displayed around the room on walls / flip charts. • Participants can move freely to the challenge area that excites them the most, forming teams organically based on mutual interest, sectors, etc. There is no need to stick with your original group! • Teams discuss their unique perspectives on the challenge, explore potential solutions, and define hackathon team roles based on skills and expertise, including a lead representative, and a timekeeper. Clarify within your teams who is staying on for Day Two or leaving (be sure to capture their ideas if only attending Day One!) Step 5: Exploration & Scoping (20 minutes) Teams use the Problem-Solution Refinement Worksheet to work through the following questions to refine their challenge and brainstorm solutions: • What major circular economy problems exist in your sector? • Where could digital solutions help? • How might DPPs contribute to tracking, transparency, or better resource management? • Refine your problem statement further: "Our team is focusing on [problem] in the [sector] industry, and we see an opportunity to leverage DPPs to [potential solution]." Step 6: Closing Reflection (10 minutes) o Teams share 1–2 sentences summarising their refined challenge and initial ideas for tackling it. o Facilitators wrap up the session and provide an overview of the next day. 99 Day Two: Sectoral Breakout Workshop Exercise - Refining Challenge Areas & Opportunities Planned session run time: c. 10:45 - 11:15 Objective: This 30-minute workshop aims to help participants revisit and refine the challenge areas identified on Day 1, explore sector-specific opportunities for digital services/apps leveraging Digital Product Passports (DPPs), and ensure new teams can define their challenge areas if they are starting fresh. By the end of the session, each group should have: • A clearly defined digital solution with scoped features and functions. • A prioritised concept, agreed upon through structured voting. • A concept summary ready for prototyping in the next session. Session Structure Introduction (3 min) • Overview of the structure and aims of the session Step 1: Form Sectoral Groups (5 minutes) Participants organise themselves into breakout groups based on their chosen sector: • Electronics & Electrical Equipment (EEE) • Packaging & Plastics • Construction & Built Environment • Textiles & Fashion • Other Teams that already exist from Day 1 should stay together, but new participants can form or join a group. Step 2: Review & Build on Existing Challenges (10 minutes) For teams continuing from Day 1: • Recap your challenge area. As a team, revisit your Problem-Solution Refinement Worksheets summarize the challenge you started working on. • Refine your focus. Discuss what still feels relevant, what needs adjusting, and whether you need to narrow or expand your challenge area. • Identify DPP touchpoints. How can DPPs help address this challenge? For new teams or individuals joining late*: *Please note an earlier ice breaker exercise will ensure this isn’t the first opportunity for newcomers to hear from others in the room. 100 Session Structure • Using the Problem-Solution Refinement Worksheet, use this time to define a challenge area using the following prompts: o What major circular economy problems exist in your sector? o Where could digital solutions help? o How might DPPs contribute to tracking, transparency, or better resource management? • Sketch a rough problem statement: "Our team is focusing on [problem] in the [sector] industry, and we see an opportunity to leverage DPPs to [potential solution]." Step 3: Identify Actionable Opportunities (10 minutes) Using the Opportunity Identification Worksheets, each group now turns their challenge into an actionable opportunity by answering: • What specific pain points exist within this challenge? • Where can a digital solution/app make the biggest impact? • How does the DPP ecosystem help address this challenge? • What user groups (businesses, consumers, regulators) are impacted? • What data or infrastructure might be needed for this solution to work? Teams should write down 1-2 refined opportunity statements that summarize potential solutions. Step 4: Quick Team Share & Next Steps (10 minutes) • Each team shares their refined challenge and opportunity areas with a neighbouring team. • Teams capture their refined challenge statement on a worksheet or flip chart, ready for the next exercise: Concept Refinement & Prioritization. 101 Day Two: Sectoral Breakout Workshops Exercise - Concept Refinement & Prioritisation Planned session run time: c. 11:15 – 12:35 Objective: This 50-minute session builds on previous exercises to help teams refine, scope, and prioritise their digital service or app concepts. By the end, teams should have: • A clearly articulated concept for a digital service or app leveraging DPPs. • A prioritised set of features and functions based on feasibility and impact. • A shared team consensus on which solution to take forward Session Structure Introduction (3 min) • Overview of the structure and aims of the session Step 1: Revisit and Expand Ideas (10 minutes) Teams should start by reviewing their refined challenge statement and opportunity areas from Exercise 2. • Summarise your team’s challenge statement in a single sentence. • Review the opportunity areas identified—are they still relevant? • Brainstorm potential digital service or app concepts that align with the challenge. • Capture all ideas on a flip chart or sticky notes (no filtering yet!). Step 2: Define Key Features & Functions (15 minutes) Now, teams must refine their ideas into structured concepts with clear functionality. Using the Concept Refinement Worksheet, answer the following: • What problem does the solution solve? • What is the core function of the app/service? • What are the key features (e.g., tracking, reporting, data visualization, user interface)? • How does it interact with DPPs? • Who are the end users, and how will they benefit? • What technical or data infrastructure is needed? Teams should sketch a rough blueprint of how the digital solution works (either visually or in writing). Step 3: Prioritise Using Dot Voting (15 minutes) Now, teams must prioritize the most feasible and impactful solution. 102 Session Structure • Each team writes down their top 2-3 refined ideas from Step 2 on separate sheets. • Using dot voting, every team member gets 3 voting dots to place on the features or solutions they believe are: o Most impactful in addressing the challenge. o Most feasible to develop and integrate with DPPs. o Most innovative in supporting circular economy goals. • The top-voted concept becomes the team’s final solution to develop in the prototyping phase. Step 4: Align & Prepare for Prototyping (10 minutes) • Teams confirm their final concept and ensure everyone is aligned on the idea. • Each team writes a short concept summary to guide the next phase: o Problem statement o Solution overview o Key features o How it leverages DPPs o Intended users & impact 103 Day Two: Sectoral Breakout Workshops Exercise - Rapid Prototyping & Collaborative Ideation Planned session run time: c. 13:00 – 14:30 Objective: This 90-minute session helps teams turn their ideas into visual or interactive prototypes, even if they have limited technical experience. The focus is on creating a clear, userfriendly representation of their digital solution and understanding how it interacts with Digital Product Passports (DPPs). By the end, teams should have: • A rough prototype (sketch, wireframe, or digital mockup) of their solution. • A clearer understanding of how DPPs fit into their idea, even if they are new to DPPs. • Expert feedback on their approach before the final pitch. Session Structure Introduction - What Do We Mean by DPP Integration? (3 mins) • A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record that stores key information about a product—such as its materials, origin, repairability, and environmental impact. The goal of using DPPs is to help businesses, consumers, and policymakers make more sustainable and informed choices about products. For this exercise, teams should think about: • What kind of product data would be useful? (e.g., material composition, CO₂ footprint, recycling instructions) • How will your solution access or display this data? (e.g., scanning a QR code, connecting to a DPP database) • Who benefits from this information, and how? (e.g., consumers making sustainable choices, manufacturers improving tracking) Teams should aim to clarify out DPPs could work with their app/service. Step 1: Define What Your Prototype Needs to Show (15 minutes) Before starting to sketch or build anything, teams should decide what their prototype must demonstrate. 🔹 Use the Prototype Planning Worksheet to answer these questions before moving on. • What problem is your solution solving? • What key features will you prototype? (e.g., scanning a product, showing product details, tracking repair history) • Where does DPP data fit in? (e.g., how users access or use product information) • Based on what you’ve heard about the platform, how might it work with the CircThread platform? 104 Session Structure Step 2: Hands-On Prototyping (45 minutes) Now, teams create a simple version of their solution! • Low-tech options: Draw wireframes (screens) on paper, use sticky notes to map out user journeys. You can use the Prototyping Preparation Apps/Web Service Worksheets for this if you wish! • Digital options: Teams are free to use their own preferred digital prototyping platforms e.g. Figma, Miro, Balsamiq, or PowerPoint to create digital mockups. • Key focus: Show how a user interacts with the DPP data—even if the data isn’t real yet. Questions to ask while prototyping: • What does the user see first? (e.g. website or app menu options, landing page, etc.) • How does the user find or access DPP data? • What actions can they take based on this information? Step 3: Get Expert Feedback & Iterate (30 minutes) Technical Mentors will visit teams to help them refine their ideas. Mentors will help answer questions like: • Does the prototype make sense for the end user? • Is the DPP integration clear and useful? • Are there any technical factors to consider? • Teams use this feedback to make quick improvements. Step 4: Prepare for Pitching (Last 10 minutes) • Each team finalises their prototype (it can be a paper-based sketch, mockup, or clickable demo). • Teams must ensure they can explain: o What their solution does o How it uses DPPs o Why it’s useful for the circular economy Facilitators will check in to help teams prepare for the next step: Pitching to Judges. 105 Day Two: Sectoral Breakout Workshops Exercise - Preparing & Practising Team Pitches Planned session run time: c. 14:30 - 15:10* Objective: This 40-minute session aims to help teams craft and refine their pitches, focusing on the problem, the solution, and how the app/service integrates with DPPs to promote circular economy goals. By the end, teams should have: • A finalised 5-min presentation and pitch deck, outlining how your team’s solution works • Anticipate responses to questions that judges may pose (see the Judging Rubric) Session Structure Using the pre-prepared Pitch Deck Template, work as a team to prepare your slides and practice your 5-minute pitch! Identify who will be presenting on your team’s behalf to the judges in the next session. Please note, that in the Dragon’s Den Session, time will be monitored tightly – so your pitch must finish at 5 minutes on the dot. This will be followed by a brief Q&A session - Refer to the judging rubric (in the sections below) to understand how judges will be assessing your solution, and prepare yourself for the kinds of questions they may be likely to pose! A videographer will be on-hand to record your team’s pitch to camera. 112 an official liaison to these standards. The first draft for these standards have not yet been released and no further information can be legally shared at present under official CENCENELEC standards development rules. Q: What authentication methods are available for services to connect to CircThread? The CircThread Platform uses a REST-API framework with JSON and a standard API token system for connecting to a CircThread Platform. The Platform has an automated API key and secret generation mechanism for each service provider to manage encrypted authentication. Q: Can registered CircThread services communicate directly without a DPPs? Scenarios are expected where multiple services will communicate between each other relating to a particular product model as registered, including without involvement of a DPP service. This would be done through interoperable endpoints between services in the API. Examples can include: • A repair service wants to check with a spare parts management service if the spare parts are available to purchase for a specific product model as registered in the CircThread product model registry. • A bill-of-materials quality manager service for a manufacturer is used to validate the bill of materials contained in a PLM service of the manufacturer, prior to providing a snapshot of the bill-of-materials to a manufacturers DPP. At present, these types of interactions are not possible in the CircThread Platform, as the main focus is on Service-to-DPP interactions. Broader service-to-service interactions will need to be developed in an interoperable manner on a case by case basis as the Platform evolves. Q: Can a customer’s particular product have DPP or are DPPs restricted to a range of products only? The CircThread Platform has a registration for DPPs at product model level for identification and authentication of products, similar to the future EU DPP registration service that will be setup in 2026. Based on a parent-child model of product model to individual item or product DPPs can be searched and found or interrogated, through a search API. Product Registration and Verification Q: How does a manufacturer register a product in CircThread? A: Manufacturers must at present manually register product models and their identifiers in CircThread. An automation for this process is under development. Later on, this will also be linked to synchronise with the official EU DPP product model registry (required to be setup mid-2026 based on the legal requirements under the EU ESPR). Q: How is product and manufacturer data verified in CircThread? A: Verification is carried out by an ecosystem administrator through a Know Your Customer (KYC) process. Data is encrypted, and future verification may use organisation identifiers like the EU IDEAS system or the Global Legal Entity Identifier, depending on requirements for this under the CEN-CENELEC JTC24 standard requirement for cybersecurity and identity management for all DPP IT system providers. 113 Hackathon Use Cases Q: Should participants focus on CircThread, DPPs, or both? A: While CircThread and DPPs are separate, they are interdependent. CircThread is most useful when integrated with at least one and ideally multiple DPP vendors active in a given sector. For this reason, we encourage participants to explore ideas for service concepts that build on DPPs and could be integrated with the CircThread Platform in the future. Q: Can hackathon participants extend the CircThread API? A: Yes, extending the CircThread API is a valid use case, such as integrating additional information from services or linking DPP product data within CircThread. Q: How does CircThread handle traceability use cases? A: Traceability is handled by DPP services, but CircThread can facilitate data aggregation and exchanges for analysis. Many future DPP providers will use standardised structures for the product lifecycle traceability (e.g., GS1 EPCIS standard), as well as supply chain traceability where standards are starting to emerge at a global level. API Access and Demo Setup Q: Will participants have direct access to the API? A: Yes, participants can access to the CircThread API in the CircThread platform instance available for the IMR hackathon. Q: Can participants add product data to a DPP sample from a DPP provider? A: Yes, this is possible through a separate DPP provider account, which can be accessed via single sign-on. Ask our Technical Mentors who will be on-site at the hackathon for more information about this. Digital Readiness & Data Handling Q: What level of digital infrastructure is needed to integrate with CircThread and DPPs? A: Companies should have structured digital processes, data management systems, and the ability to capture and share product information efficiently, such as through a product information management module in their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. A strong digital foundation that includes REST API management in their ERP or similar software will ease integration. Q: How important is data governance for using CircThread? A: Data governance is critical. Companies should have processes in place to ensure product data is accurate, up-to-date, and secure, as CircThread relies on high-quality metadata to function effectively. Q: What does it mean for a company to be ‘data economy ready’? A: Being data economy ready means having the ability to collect, store, and utilise data efficiently for DPP implementation. This includes structured data management, compliance, and intercompany sharing capabilities. Data Sharing & Security 114 Q: How does CircThread support intercompany data sharing? A: CircThread enables secure data exchanges between businesses in the value chain while maintaining control over data visibility. Companies must address legal, technical, and security concerns to participate effectively. Q: What security measures are in place for product data? A: CircThread follows encryption standards and access control mechanisms. At present no differentiation is made at individual product level for sharing on a need-to-know basis. This feature is under development. Regulations & Circular Economy Q: How does CircThread align with upcoming regulations like the EU Ecodesign Regulation and Right to Repair? A: CircThread helps companies track and manage product data, and has been designed to support compliance with key EU regulations that emphasise transparency, sustainability, and reparability. Q: How does CircThread support circular economy principles? A: By integrating with DPPs, CircThread helps businesses manage data on product durability, reparability, and resource efficiency—key components of a circular economy model. Business & Technology Readiness Q: What internal skills and resources are required for DPP adoption? A: Companies should have expertise in data management, regulatory compliance, and digital infrastructure. Training may be needed to enhance employees’ understanding of DPP implementation. Q: What technical infrastructure is needed for CircThread integration? A: Cloud technologies, API-based data exchange systems, and structured databases are recommended. Identifying gaps in your current infrastructure will help with a smoother transition. Q: How can CircThread help businesses adapt their models for a circular economy? A: CircThread can enhance transparency and data-driven decision-making, supporting new circular business models like product-as-a-service, extended warranties, and repair ecosystems. Q: How does CircThread facilitate collaboration across the supply chain? A: CircThread provides a standardized approach for sharing product data with suppliers, customers, and partners, ensuring seamless integration and up-to-date information across the value chain. 115 FAQs about ESPR, PPWR and DPPs What is the expected timeline for ESPR and DPP implementation? • The ESPR entered into force on the 18th of July 2025. • March 2025: Adoption of First Working Plan determining products priority and indicative timelines for their regulations. • Late 2025: Acts of DPP registry, service providers, data carriers and digital credentials • 2026: Adoption of the first ESPR measures for the prioritize products • 2027/2028: First products requirements to start to apply (economic operators will typically have at least 18 months before compliance is mandatory) * The introduction of the DPP for specific product groups regulated under the ESPR will follow the same timeline as the introduction of the ESPR requirements. Requirements for products to have a DPP will only apply when a delegated act adopted under ESPR sets out information requirements. What is a DPP? The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is digital identity card for products, components and materials, which stores relevant information to support a product’s sustainability, promote their circularity characteristics and strengthen legal compliance. The official definition of a DPP under the ESPR (Article 2) is: “a set of data specific to a product that includes the information specified in the applicable delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 4 and that is accessible via electronic means through a data carrier in accordance with Chapter III.” What does ESPR mean for economic operators? The economic operator who places the product on the market is the one responsible for the compliance of products with the ecodesign requirements and to ensure that all relevant information is included in the DPP. • The economic operator “means the manufacturer, the authorised representative, the importer, the distributor, the dealer and the fulfilment servicer provider” . • Placing on the market “means the first making available of a product on the Union market” What does ESPR mean for upstream / downstream value chain operators? Although the economic operator who places the product on the market is the one responsible for the compliance of products with the ecodesign requirements and that all relevant information is included in the DPP, the supply chain actors have the following obligations according to Art. 38 ESPR: • Provide upon request and free of charge, manufacturers, notified bodies and competent national authorities with available relevant information related to the products they supply or the services they provide. 116 • In the absence of that information, allow the manufacturer to assess the products they supply or the services they provide and give access to relevant documents or facilities to those manufacturers • Enable notified bodies and competent national authorities to verify the accuracy of relevant information related with their activities. What does PPWR mean for businesses? On 22 December 2024, the PPWR was published in the EU Official Journal. It will apply from 12 August 2026. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), introduces comprehensive measures that significantly impact businesses involved in the production, use, or handling of packaging. The regulation mandates that all packaging placed on the EU market must be recyclable by 2030, with specific design-for-recycling criteria to be developed. It also sets progressive targets for incorporating recycled content into packaging materials. Additionally, the PPWR establishes reuse and refill targets, requiring, for example, that 10% of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages be available in reusable packaging by 2030, increasing to 40% by 2040. Certain single-use plastic packaging types will be banned from 1 January 2030. The regulation also introduces limits on the presence of perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in packaging, with specific thresholds set to restrict their use. Finally, where applicable, it integrates Digital Product Passports to enhance transparency. Will PPWR place new requirements for packaging to have DPPs? Yes, the proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) includes provisions related to Digital Product Passports (DPPs). Specifically, the regulation states that when a packaged product is subject to the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) or other EU legislation requiring a digital product passport, that same passport should also be utilized to provide relevant information under the PPWR. This means that if a product falls within the scope of the ESPR and is required to have a DPP, the packaging of that product must also be included in the digital passport. However, not all packaging will be affected by this requirement; it applies specifically to products already mandated to have a DPP under existing EU regulations. 7 Does the ESPR cover packaging? 8 Because of the broad scope of the ESPR, the question of coherence with existing sectorial legislation and policies is essential. The general principle is that ESPR will only take the lead on regulating products when their environmental sustainability dimensions either cannot or have not been fully and appropriately addressed by other instruments. If these dimensions are adequately addressed by other instruments, no action under this Regulation is likely to be taken. This principle also applies to packaging. The upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, contains, among other things, rules reducing packaging waste and promoting the reuse and recycling. As explained in Recital 25 of the ESPR, if needed, the ESPR could complement that Regulation by setting product-based 7 Source: PWWR + ESPR_PPWR_Circular-Analytics_12082024-002.pdf 8 Source: EU Commission FAQ ESPR 117 requirements that focus on the packaging of specific products. This could be particularly relevant to minimise packaging by taking account of its specific function in a specific product group. The ESPR will not, however, set general ecodesign requirements for packaging as a product group because these requirements are already contained in the sectoral legislation. Where should I go to stay updated on relevant policy changes? You can stay updated and find useful documents and links related with the ESPR in the following website of the EU Commission: Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation - European Commission Are reused and remanufactured parts included in the ESPR? Ecodesign requirements established under the ESPR, as in general product legislation, apply to new products, therefore reused products are not included. ‘Remanufacturing’ means actions through which a new product is produced from objects that are waste, products or components and through which at least one change is made that substantially affects the safety, performance, purpose or type of the product. Therefore, remanufactured products are included in the potential scope of ESPR regulations because they are new products. How does the DPP fit within the remanufacturing or refurbishment processes? Will a remanufactured or refurbished product keep its original DPP or will it have a new one with a link to the previous DPP? A refurbished product will keep the original DPP, whereas a remanufactured product that is placed on the market “as new” will need a new one. In that case, it is likely that there would be a link between the old and the new DPP if the technical solutions allow this. Will ESPR apply to B2B? The ESPR scope is very large, and it does not differentiate between B2B or B2C (except in the chapter on destruction of unsold goods). Will the Commission develop a template for the DPP or will companies need to develop their own system (possibly in cooperation with service providers)? There is no template or tool available or foreseen. Such a template would depend to a great extent on the requirements established in individual delegated acts for product groups (or horizontally). However, there will be minimum requirements on the content of DPPs for specific product groups. We expect that service providers will include such templates in their services. Is there any certainty around the data carrier for the DPP? Would a QR code be sufficient? Are NFC chips considered? Requirements for data carriers will be set out in delegated acts taking into account the particularities of the specific product groups. Standards are under development in this respect. Impacts related to different data carriers (for instance related to recyclability or waste generation in case of NFC physical circuits) will be thoroughly assessed. 118 Will the DPP enable consumers to compare two products from the same product category but from different brands – for example on an environmental LCA result? Yes, in cases where this information is required by the relevant delegated act. The DPP must be accessible to consumers at the place of purchase (including online). It is possible that consumer organisations, NGOs, companies or other actors will offer services to guide consumers’ choices. The web portal established in accordance with Article 14 ESPR should facilitate this. Glossary • Ecodesign: means the integration of environmental sustainability consideration into the characteristics of a product and the processes taking place throughout the product’s value chain • Ecodesign Requirement: means a performance requirement or an information requirement aimed at making a product, including processes taking place throughout the product’s value chain, more environmentally sustainable; • Information Requirements an obligation for a product to be accompanied by information specified in Article 7(2) • Performance Requirement: means a quantitative or non-quantitative requirement for or in relation to a product to achieve a certain performance level in relation to a product parameter referred to in Annex I; • Performance Parameters: a measurable factor that sets conditions for the products with the aim of making the product more environmentally sustainable. • Economic operator: means the manufacturer, the authorised representative, the importer, the distributor, the dealer and the fulfilment service provider. Information Requirements (Article 7 ESPR) 1. Information on the performance requirements of the product (See Table 1). 2. Information for customers other actors on how to install, use, maintain and repair the product, as well as on how to return or handle the product at end-of-life 3. Information for treatment facilities to disassembly, reuse, refurbishment, recycling or disposal at end-of-life 4. Other information that could influence sustainable product choices for customers and the way the product is handled by parties different to manufacturer in order to facilitate appropriate use, value-retaining operations and correct treatment at endof-life 5. Information related to substances of concern making it possible to track them throughout the life cycle 6. Information related to the Digital Product Passport (actors that have access, if DPP is established at a model, batch, item level, etc). 119 DPP Hackathon Judging Rubric Each team will be scored on a scale of 1 to 5 in each category (1 = Needs Improvement, 5 = Outstanding). The final score will be the sum of all category scores, with a maximum possible score of 40 points. Category Criteria Score (1-5) Circular Impact How effectively does the solution support circular economy principles (e.g., waste reduction, resource efficiency, reuse, repair, or recycling)? Scalability & Feasibility Can the solution be realistically implemented and scaled across industries or geographies? Does it integrate well with existing digital and supply chain systems? Use of Digital Product Passport (DPP) & CircThread API Does the solution concept leverage DPPs and/or the CircThread API in a meaningful and innovative way? Does it enhance product traceability and data interoperability? Innovation & Creativity Does the idea bring fresh, original thinking to circular economy challenges? Is it a novel approach that improves on existing solutions? Technical Execution How well is the prototype or concept developed? Does it demonstrate functionality, user experience, and technical feasibility? Business & Market Viability Does the solution have a clear value proposition? Could it be commercially viable and attract industry adoption? Collaboration & Teamwork Did the team demonstrate strong collaboration, interdisciplinary thinking, and effective problemsolving? Presentation & Communication How well did the team articulate their idea, its impact, and its feasibility? Was the pitch clear, compelling, and well-structured? Total Score: ___ / 40 Bonus Considerations (Tie-Breaker Factors, if needed) • Alignment with EU sustainability regulations (e.g., Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation). • Potential for real-world industry adoption and piloting. • Ability to address sector-specific challenges (e.g., fashion, electronics, manufacturing). • Transferability / Replicability potential e.g. relevance of the solution for other sectors 120 • Find out more at https://circthread.com