INVESTIGADOR RESPONSÁVEL
Nome do Investigador Responsável (IR) do projeto: Victor Ionita
Contacto IR: v.ionita@fct.unl.pt
Departmento: Departamento de Engenaria Mecânica e Industrial (DEMI)
UID: UNIDEMI
FINANCIAMENTO
Tipo de Financiamento: Público
Entidade Financiadora: Internacional
Referência da Call: HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN-01
Referência: 101312878
Entidade proponente: Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
Montante total do projeto: 3 681 329,76 euros
Montante total para a NOVA: 558 890,64 euros
Taxa de financiamento: 100%
PROJETO
Acrónimo: UNIQUE
Título do Projeto: University Network for Industrial Quality, aUtomation, Ecology and Excellencer
Data de início: 01/01/2027
Data de fim: 31/12/2030
Breve descrição do projeto:
Europe’s industry must become more sustainable, resilient and digitally advanced, yet traditional efficiency-driven models cannot address climate change, resource scarcity, supply chain risks and rapid technological change. Advances in automation, AI and systems modelling create new opportunities, but real progress requires a shift toward human-centric industrial systems where workers collaborate with digital technologies and social and ethical factors shape innovation. Current doctoral training remains fragmented across digitalisation, circular economy and robotics, with few integrated frameworks linking industrial management, industrial ecology, advanced digital technologies and Industry 5.0 principles. UNIQUE-DN responds by training 12 researchers to develop integrated methods that improve industrial performance while supporting environmental sustainability and worker wellbeing. The network unites leading academic and industrial partners across Europe to deliver research at the intersection of management, ecology, human-centric engineering and digitalisation, supported by cross-sectoral training and international secondments. The ESR projects address circularity-digital integration, cognitive digital twins, sustainable wearable systems, semantic tools for industrial ecology, explainable AI for zero-defect circular manufacturing with Digital Product Passports, Manufacturing-as-a-Service models, sustainability-focused virtual commissioning, AI-based system modelling, human-centred AI maturity, remanufacturing decision tools, adaptive design and digital twins for renewable energy. Through structured work packages, joint supervision and real-world testbeds, UNIQUE-DN strengthens Europe’s capacity for sustainable and human-centred industrial transformation aligned with the Green Deal and Digital Europe priorities.
