Driving Circular Innovation: RecAL Consortium Meets in Thessaloniki

The RecAL Project’s third consortium meeting (CM3) took place in Thessaloniki, Greece, from 26^th – 28^th March  2025, marking a significant milestone in the collaborative effort to advance circularity in aluminium recycling. The meeting was hosted by two of the project’s key partners: ALUMIL and CERTH, with organizational support from AIT-LKR. ALUMIL, a leading international aluminium extrusion group headquartered in Greece, provided access to its state-of-the-art industrial facilities in Kilkis, while CERTH (the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas), one of Greece’s top research institutions, welcomed the consortium to its advanced laboratories and research spaces.

The three-day event was meticulously planned to foster both strategic discussion and hands-on collaboration. Participants gathered each morning at Thessaloniki’s central Aristotelous Square before traveling to the respective host sites. The first day at ALUMIL’s Kilkis facility began with a warm welcome and a comprehensive and impressive factory tour, offering partners an inside look at the industrial processes that form the backbone of the RecAL initiative.

The heart of the meeting was the “WPC OUTLOOK 2025” session, where each Work Package Cluster (WPC) presented progress updates, discussed challenges, and set priorities for the coming quarters. The technical depth and collaborative spirit were evident as partners engaged in focused presentations and open discussions. Key highlights from the WPCs included:

• WPC A: The team presented the first clickable version of the RecAL Dataspace’s graphic interface, a central digital platform for the project. The focus for the next project phase is to refine functionality and incorporate partner feedback, aiming for full deployment by M36.
• WPC B1 & B2: The group addressed the risk posed by delays in aviation scrap availability, which may shift some trials to the next phase. Melt refinement for all waste streams remains a priority, and the evaluation of salt dust with SAB steel is set to begin earlier than planned.
• WPC B3: Efforts are concentrated on advancing sorting techniques to Technology Readiness Level 6, with plans to test these methods in industrial pilot sorting lines.
• WPC C: The focus is on testing alloys in casting trials using various techniques, upscaling from laboratory to semi-industrial settings, and refining composition ranges for optimal performance.
• WPC D: Integration with the Dataspace is a primary objective, requiring close coordination with WPC A. Additionally, a new task leader, Panagiotis Symeonidis from CERTH ITI, was introduced to steer these efforts.

The second day was hosted at CERTH’s premises, beginning with an introduction from CERTH-CPERI and a review of project management, deliverables, and milestones. With 17 deliverables and seven milestones due by the end of June 2025, the consortium focused on aligning timelines and responsibilities to ensure successful reporting and preparation for the upcoming project review. Workshops allowed technical teams to synchronize on deliverables and plan activities for the next phase, while a guided tour of CERTH’s laboratories provided inspiration and fostered further technical exchange. The day ended with a tour of Thessaloniki and consortium dinner, strengthening the personal and professional bonds among partners.

On the final day, the focus shifted to presenting the outcomes of the WPC focus groups and discussing dissemination, exploitation, and communication strategies for 2025. The RecAL General Assembly convened to address key financial matters, approve new nominations to the External Expert Advisory Board (EEAB), and review the project’s Research and Innovation (RI) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) directory. With quorum achieved, the assembly approved the second part of pre-financing and welcomed new EEAB members from Airbus, EIT, and Audi.

Additional technical discussions covered: 

• The need for close communication between WPC A and D for implementing Circular Amplification Technologies (CATs), and monitoring EU regulations relevant to digital product passports.
• The importance of knowledge exchange on corrosion testing and the procurement of scrap licences for casting trials.
• Addressing data gaps on material composition in aviation scrap and aligning on the location for disassembly cells.
• The critical role of decentralized data storage for the RecAL Dataspace, with a federated data stack approach, and the integration of lifecycle assessment and digital product passport services.

Consortium members left Thessaloniki with clear action items, including deliverable updates, enhanced coordination between work packages, and a renewed commitment to dissemination and exploitation activities. The meeting underscored the value of strong hosts: ALUMIL’s industrial leadership and CERTH’s research excellence provided an ideal environment for collaboration, learning, and innovation. As the RecAL project moves forward, the momentum generated in Thessaloniki will drive progress towards a more circular and sustainable aluminium industry.