10R-eCo: IOTIQ develops a digital platform for a circular economy
How can valuable materials be kept in the economic cycle for longer instead of being discarded? And how can companies more easily find suitable buyers for production residues or secondary raw materials? This is precisely where the new 10R-eCo project—in which IOTIQ is participating as a technology partner—comes in.
In collaboration with partners from industry, research, and the waste management sector, a digital platform is being developed to visualize material flows, connect companies, and create new avenues for the reuse and recovery of materials. The project is supported by ERDF funding in Saxony, with resources provided by the European Union and the Free State of Saxony.
From waste to valuable resources
The textile, plastics, and composite industries face major ecological and economic challenges. In Germany alone, around 1.56 million tonnes of textiles are consumed annually, with approximately one million tonnes collected as waste. At the same time, vast quantities of plastics are processed and disposed of. Added to this is a heavy reliance on imported raw materials.
One problem is that production residues and used materials often accumulate in comparatively small or irregular quantities. The volumes generated by individual companies are frequently insufficient for cost-effective further processing. Consequently, residual materials are sometimes combined into mixed fractions or used for energy recovery, even though reuse or material recycling would be feasible. This is precisely where 10R-eCo aims to step in.
A digital platform for the circular economy
The project is developing a digital “10R” platform for offering and selling secondary raw materials, production residues, and end-of-life components from the textile, plastics, and composite materials sectors. In doing so, 10R-eCo is guided by the “10R” approach: ranging from Refuse, Rethink, and Reduce, through Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, and Remanufacture, to Repurpose, Recycle, and Recover. These various strategies aim to keep materials within the economic cycle for as long as possible.
The platform is designed to integrate a range of functions: companies can offer materials or search for the secondary raw materials they need, while material flows are digitally tracked and aggregated. For instance, surplus quantities from different companies can be pooled until a volume sufficient for further processing is achieved.
Furthermore, the platform aims to showcase services and expertise related to the circular economy. Companies and research institutions can offer their capabilities and solutions, thereby facilitating new collaborations.
AI brings supply and demand together.
A key component of 10R-eCo is intelligent matching. Instead of companies having to search manually for suitable materials or partners, an AI-driven matching engine suggests relevant connections.
To achieve this, information regarding materials, offers, and requirements is analyzed. The goal is to bring together companies and materials that can collectively form a new value chain or a commercially significant volume of material.
The platform is complemented by features such as search and management tools, a database for secondary materials, and information on 10R services and circular solutions.
In this way, 10R-eCo aims to be more than just a digital marketplace. Rather, the platform is intended to serve as a digital link between companies, the research community, the waste management sector, and other stakeholders, while supporting the development of new circular value chains.
IOTIQ as a technology partner
This is precisely where IOTIQ comes into play. As a technology partner, IOTIQ is responsible for key aspects of the digital implementation. The focus lies particularly on the platform and user interface, as well as the implementation of product, matching, and order management systems. AI and search functionality also fall within IOTIQ’s technical scope. In doing so, IOTIQ contributes its experience in developing custom software solutions and digital platforms to the project. The goal is not merely to create a functional technical infrastructure, but to develop a solution that companies can easily utilize for their own material flows and business processes. The technical development is structured into several phases. In addition to the fundamental platform architecture and database, planned components include interfaces, automated data acquisition, search and recommendation functions, and the development of AI-based solutions.
Advancing the circular economy through digitalization
10R-eCo aims to create a digital infrastructure that combines ecological and economic goals: materials are to remain in the economic cycle for longer, residual materials are to be better utilized, and new sales and procurement opportunities are to be created for companies.
At the same time, the platform is intended to facilitate access to circular solutions, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. By pooling material flows, intelligently linking supply and demand, and exchanging know-how, the project aims to foster new collaborations and business models.
Working with project partners, the goal is to create a platform that transforms residual materials back into usable resources—thereby contributing to a more interconnected and circular economy in Saxony.
The project is funded by the EU and implemented using additional internal project resources.
In doing so, 10R-eCo demonstrates how digital technologies, AI, and cross-industry collaboration can work together to move the circular economy beyond the conceptual stage and into practical implementation.
