autoregion international - Ausgabe 1/2021

11 mobile technologies to the construction sector, and investigating how a circular economy can open new business perspectives.” Utilizing existing automobile sensor and vision system technologies supported by artificial in- telligence and machine learning, for example, can significantly support the management of large numbers of people in the “new nor- mal” post-Covid-19 society. Applying these technologies to solutions such as contactless check-in, people counting, the observation of visitor density and social distancing in public areas (museums, airports, concert halls, shop- ping malls, etc.), and so on, will open new busi- ness perspectives for the sector. Automotive inspires zero-waste manufacturing Waste management has become very im- portant in recent years and is essential for environmental protection. The automotive industry is one of the most critical sectors worldwide in this field. It has set very high standards for managing end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) which now serve a source of inspiration for other sectors like construction. A concrete example is the launch of the phase two of the Product Circularity Data Sheet (PCDS) initiative by the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy. The PCDS ( www.pcds.lu ) provides information on the circularity of products to all stakeholders involved along their value chains. A first viable version of the standard is currently being tested in real life in order to identify the most suitable govern- ance model, test the associated audit scheme and develop reliable IT systems for its man- agement. “For Luxembourg, there is an obvious link between the use of data and the circular economy,” confirms Christian Tock, Director Sustainable Technologies at the Ministry of the Economy. “No product is circular in itself unless it is at the centre of an appropriate busi- ness model. In order to achieve this, circular data needs to be available.” The Product Circularity Data Sheet uses a de- centralised and statement-based data tem- plate in order to promote circular properties of products and enable circular business models. It is a paradigm shift compared to current full material declarations and relies on a high level of trust, complemented by third party audits, and transparent reporting down the value chain. “This solution can provide the necessary support for the different requirements in the automotive sector and allow more flexibility than existing systems,” says Jérôme Petry, Deputy Director Sustainable Technologies at the Ministry of the Economy. Circular economy: new business perspectives For many European countries, the circular economy is a major lever of actions to face growing ecological challenges. The auto- motive industry is certainly an area where re-used parts can have a major effect on en- vironmental goals by limiting the consumption of primary resources. Luxembourg-based Interlinks Auto fully fo- cuses on the potential of the circular economy in its efforts to reposition itself and change its business model. “The economic outlook for the European automotive repair and mainte- nance market in 2030 is estimated at €300 billion, according to a McKinsey & Co study,” says founder and CEO Luc Azilinon. “Spare parts represent 50%, and the share of the re- used parts is expected to rise from 2% today to almost 8% in 2030. This corresponds to a market of €12 billion, which will make a sig- nificant contribution to the reduction of the carbon footprint of this industry.” In order to seize this opportunity, the company is developing an innovative, highly connected platform offering a wide range of high value second-hand components, accessible to indi- viduals and professionals, regardless of the makes and models of vehicles, and their geo- graphical locations. Its platform will manage and link three key operations: ● High precision part identification ● Multi-channel second-hand part sourcing ● Swift and reliable order delivery Looking to the future The conjunction of the long-lasting COVID-19 crisis and the ongoing disruptions of the auto- motive industry (electrification, autonomous mobility, industry 4.0, etc.) open the window of diversification opportunities. Agile compa- nies able to swiftly rethink their operations will emerge stronger. The time to act and strengthen the Greater Region collaboration is now or never! Luxinnovation www.luxinnovation.lu Image: © Luxinnovation Image: © Pavel L Photo and Video/shutterstock.com