Join our WertNetzWerke Field Trip to the Circular Digital Economy Lab and the FabLab in Bottrop on 13 May 2024! Looking for hands-on inspiration on how you and your organisation can embrace the transformation to sustainable digitalisation and circular value creation? Join our Digital Centre WertNetzWerke field trip to the Circular Digital Economy Lab and the FabLab in Bottrop, Germany where the recycling of materials is taken to the next level. The Circular Digital Economy Lab (CDEL) is a development and demonstration laboratory that focuses on technical and economic solutions for circular value creation. It explores how the value of materials can be preserved for longer through recycling. The aim of CDEL is to show companies what is already technologically possible and how recycling can be approached in the future, with special attention to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their specific needs. This includes optimising processes and working with business experts to develop material flows that were previously overlooked or considered unsuitable. How does the CDEL work? At the heart of the CDEL is a digitalised dismantling and recycling line that can be flexibly adapted to different products. Using the product examples of smartphones and cordless screwdrivers, it is demonstrated how, with the help of various technical systems and devices, the devices are automatically recognised as end-of-life products, optimally dismantled, precisely separated into residual materials, and fed into new production cycles. Based on the knowledge gained, processes and product designs can be optimised and their applicability tested using marketability and scalability simulations. What happens in the FabLab? A visit to the FabLab of the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences is also planned as part of the field trip. The FabLab is a 600 square metre site for experimenting, creating prototypes for companies and start-ups, and investigating topics such as sustainable neighbourhood and urban development. The FabLab is a collaborative creative space equipped with cutting-edge technology ranging from a quantum laboratory to a machine workshop. Both the FabLab and the CDEL are located on the premises of the Prosper III start-up centre on the former colliery site in Bottrop. The labs are part of the #digital.zirkulär.ruhr project, a collaboration of the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences, Ruhr University Bochum, the economic development agencies of the cities of Bochum and Herne, and the IT association networker NRW e.V.. Sign up now for our free business field trip to experience the innovative use of digital technologies for the circular economy first hand! Event: Business Field Trip to the Circular Digital Economy Lab and the FabLab Date: 13 May 2024 Time: 12:00-15:00 Place: Bottrop, Germany Language: German If you are looking for ideas how your company can use digital technologies for circular value creation, register now and join the field trip! The Digital Centre WertNetzWerke runs under the umbrella of Mittelstand Digital, which offers guidance to small and medium-sized enterprises as they embrace the digital transformation and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). For further questions, please contact Janna Prager.