Deliverables

The Quality Management Plan defines the quality policy and plan to be applied in the TRANSIENCE project. Its purpose is to establish the roles, procedures, metrics, and tools necessary to ensure that the TRANSIENCE project is implemented smoothly, that all project deliverables are of a high quality and of scientific value, and that they are submitted to the EC services in time. Complying with the quality management procedures falls under the responsibility of the Project Coordinator, the Project Manager, the Quality Manager, the Work Package Leaders, and the Task Leaders.
Effective channels of internal communication have been established since Month 1, enabling smooth exchange of all necessary information among project partners.
A thorough quality procedure has been established: each project deliverable will be quality-reviewed by two to five internal reviewers (depending on the nature of the deliverable) and then reviewed and edited for a final time by an additional member of the management team from ICCS. This will ensure that the submitted deliverables adequately satisfy the quality criteria of clarity, completeness, accuracy, relevance, and technical compliance.
Specific performance indicators have been set for which monitoring data will be collected regularly, aimed at fully informed reporting. Finally, a risk management plan has been put into place, consisting of the identification of the technical (research-oriented) and management (project implementation-related) risks.

According to the TRANSIENCE project’s Quality Management Plan, consortium-wide physical and online meetings are organised on a regular basis to track the project’s progress upon the agreed Grant Agreement. Executive Board (EB) meetings are hosted online via Microsoft Teams, typically as one-hour meetings, while General Assembly (GA) meetings take place twice per year, either online via Microsoft Teams or physically (in a hybrid format, supported by Microsoft Teams). These meetings are characterised by a two-day setup and are typically organised back-to-back with other project-related events (e.g., workshops). In case no project-related events coincide with a GA, it is preferred to host them online for sustainability reasons. EB meetings are held regularly and online so that all partners can inform and be informed on the progress of the project’s tasks and to ensure that all deliverables and milestones are prepared and delivered on time. On the other hand, GA meetings mainly focus on discussing on the project’s major developments and next steps. ICCS organises the above meetings and drafts their agendas after consulting with the consortium.
This report is proof that the project’s meetings have been successfully organised with a high rate of participation among the project consortium, and with clear objectives, protocols, and timelines agreed. It outlines the agendas and participation as well as briefly presents the discussions held in each EB and GA meeting.
A separate section focuses on the consortium’s exchanges with its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

The TRANSIENCE project sets out to explore the implications of the EU transition towards a circular and climate-neutral economy through a co-creative modelling exercise. This deliverable outlines the TRANSIENCE stakeholder engagement strategy, which will guide engagement activities throughout the project. Stakeholder engagement will ensure the policy relevance of modelling outcomes, whilst promoting knowledge sharing and guaranteeing transparency and openness in the modelling process. The systematic mapping and grouping of project-relevant stakeholders will allow for tailoring TRANSIENCE engagement activities to stakeholders’ needs and requirements. The prioritisation of stakeholders based on ‘power’ and ‘interest’ dimensions will provide the basis to determine the appropriate level and technique of engagement. Notably, stakeholders will be subdivided across six groups, and core sub-groups of stakeholders will be identified for closer engagement throughout the project (e.g., via participatory workshops).
TRANSIENCE stakeholder engagement will be primarily structured along the project modelling phases. This will involve, in Phase 1, the mapping of project-relevant stakeholders, followed by the identification of the major industry transformation challenges via participatory workshops and selected interviews. In Phase 2, the same engagement tools will be employed to scope industry- and policy-relevant research questions with stakeholders. Further, online workshops and a survey will be used to validate the MIC3 satellite modules. Phase 3 will involve gathering stakeholders in a final round of workshops to validate the integrated MIC3 framework, as well as the dissemination of a survey to collect their feedback.

This report presents the results of the initial stakeholder engagement phase, focusing on identifying key transformation challenges and research capacity needs in four industrial regions: the Basque Country, Rhine-Ruhr Area, Port of Rotterdam, and Silesia. The Three Horizons dialogue facilitation method was used to elucidate the specific barriers and enablers for transformation. Based on the insights from the work-shops, common stakeholder needs were formulated that could potentially be answered by the models de-veloped in TRANSIENCE. Insights and perspectives from an EU-level stakeholder workshop, held jointly with the sister project AMIGDALA, are also included and discussed. Eventually, we come up with 10 key takeaways revolving around resilience of sustainable pathways to price/supply-chain shocks, the costs of economic resilience, the effects of circularity performance on resilience and competitiveness, the prioritisation of pub-lic investments, socioeconomic impacts of transformation, the development pace of green markets, loca-tional advantages of industrial clustering, impacts on fossil fuel-reliant regions, trade-offs and co-benefits of symbiosis, and interdependencies between green feedstocks for chemicals vis-à-vis other energy uses.

This report documents the first version of the Open Data Management Plan (DMP) of TRANSIENCE. The DMP is designed to evolve alongside the project, allowing for information to be refined and updated as the implementation progresses. It currently provides a description of the data that will be used and created during the project, information on how to make data findable, accessible, interoperable, and permit the widest re-use possible (FAIR), along with details on resource allocation, data security, and ethical aspects. Besides this report, TRANSIENCE will be using the ARGOS service of OpenAIRE and EUDAT to maintain a machine-actionable data management plan (maDMP). The maDMP will be continuously updated with links and metadata for datasets generated from project activities. This DMP report will also be updated during Phase 2 (D7.1) and Phase 3 (D11.2) of the project.

This report outlines the development strategy for the MIC3 modelling framework, which aims to simulate European industry's circular economy and climate change mitigation efforts. The report leverages findings from previous research and stakeholder workshops to inform the strategy. It proposes a scheme for the development of MIC3's individual modules, including data exchange protocols, and explores the challenges of integrating circular economy and decarbonisation measures into a large, interconnected model ecosystem. The report also analyses existing policies and strategies related to the circular economy in three focal sectors: steel, cement, and plastics, highlighting both progress and gaps in integrating decarbonisation and circular economy initiatives. It then concludes by outlining a five-step open model development strategy for MIC3, emphasising the importance of iterative development and collaboration with stakeholders.

This report sets to analyse the current policy landscape for circular economy (CE) and decarbonisation in the EU. It departs from an analysis of key policy documents that set the basis for the EU climate and CE agendas, before then focusing on three key sectors as representative of energy- and material-intensive sectors: cement, steel, and plastics. These sectors form the basis for other key sectors in the EU economy, such as automotive, buildings and construction, electronics, packaging, and textiles. For each of these sectors, the report identifies key CE strategies using the framework of slowing, narrowing, closing, and regenerating resource flows as a classificatory axis. Our review considers, for each of the CE strategies proposed, potential synergies and trade-offs between CE and decarbonisation and challenges for current implementation of the CE strategies. Based on the analysis of CE interventions, the report summarises critical gaps in the current CE landscape to then propose, in Section 5, a consistent policy mix from a lifecycle perspective, which emphasises the need of working across value chains and sectors and embedding CE principles and the broad range of CE strategies along the different stages of the lifecycle of materials and products.

This document, Deliverable D3.4 of the TRANSIENCE project, presents the conceptual framework and progress in developing the Model for European Industry Circularity and Climate Change Mitigation (MIC3). The MIC3 framework integrates advanced modelling tools to evaluate pathways for decarbonising and transitioning European industries to a circular economy. Focusing on energy-intensive sectors—steel, cement, and plastics—it will provide a comprehensive, open-source model ecosystem capable of addressing policy-relevant questions related to climate neutrality, resource efficiency, and industrial competitiveness.
The framework features eight satellite modules encompassing diverse modelling paradigms, such as computable general equilibrium, material flow analysis, energy system modelling, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle assessment. These modules enable the exploration of cross-sectoral interactions and the socioeconomic, environmental, and technical impacts of industry transformation. The report outlines the modular structure and interlinkages within MIC3, designed to facilitate scenario-based analyses of decarbonisation and circular economy interventions.
Two illustrative research questions demonstrate the framework’s versatility: the economic implications of high R-strategies (e.g., refuse, reuse) and the resilience of industrial symbiosis under varying energy and locational constraints. These case studies highlight the capacity of MIC3 to generate insights into sectoral transitions, material efficiency, and the interdependencies of industrial clusters.
The report also discusses the broader applicability of the framework in addressing the interplay between policy measures, resource utilisation, and industrial dynamics. The development of MIC3 prioritises transparency, stakeholder engagement, and adaptability to regional contexts, aiming to support evidence-based policymaking and sustainable industrial practices across Europe.

This report describes the methodology used for the generation of the open database of policies and technologies for industrial circularity performance and decarbonisation, which includes circular economy (CE) and decarbonisation interventions across the three core sectors of the project: steel, cement/concrete, and plastics. This database categorises key CE strategies and interventions based on two classificatory axes: the 9Rs framework (refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle), and the approach of Narrowing, Slowing, Substituting, and Closing resource loops (NSSC). As most CE measures lead to or overlap with decarbonisation strategies, the database includes a list of technologies and associated costs that contribute to decarbonisation through increased circularity performance. This database complements the Policy Matrix, developed in D3.3., by considering parameters that can be used to transform policy interventions into modelling inputs, so that they can effectively be modelled in MIC3. The dataset also considers key technologies and their associated costs for circularity and decarbonisation. This supports the modelling efforts for the quantification of the costs of the circular and low-carbon transition as part of the model development undertaken in WP4 and, critically, the modelling exercises in WPs 7, 8, and 11.

The need to approach climate action, resource efficiency, and circularity performance as integrated, economy-wide, cross-cutting issues is increasingly gaining attention in the policy world, stimulating the development of new industrial policies in Europe and worldwide. Currently, however, there is little progress in conceptualising the circular economy (CE) and understanding its interactions with climate action. The TRANSIENCE project set out to investigate CE opportunities for the decarbonisation of three European basic industries: steel, cement, and plastics. The current deliverable report aims to answer a main question: what is known about each CE intervention’s potential contribution to climate change mitigation for the three sectors in Europe? To answer this question, we examined primarily peer-reviewed literature that took aim at quantifying the potential impacts of any of the selected CE interventions. We critically reviewed the reported potentials for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while also considering connected influences on resource and energy use, behavioural changes, and economic impacts.

This deliverable examines the competitiveness and decarbonisation prospects of key EU industrial sectors: iron and steel, cement, chemicals, and clean technologies. It explores how these sectors can transition towards climate neutrality while sustaining their global market positions amid evolving regulatory frameworks such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The analysis integrates sector-specific performance indicators, cost structures (CAPEX and OPEX), and enabling conditions, and highlights challenges such as high capital costs, raw material dependencies, and energy price volatility. In iron and steel, adoption of hydrogen-based reduction and electric arc furnaces is essential but capital-intensive. Cement faces considerable barriers due to process emissions, necessitating innovation in alternative materials and carbon capture. The chemicals sector’s diverse pathways emphasise electrification and green hydrogen, while clean technologies are critical enablers but require secure supply chains and scale-up.
Cross-sectoral findings underscore the importance of coherent policies that support innovation, raw material access, and workforce development, while addressing risks of industrial relocation. The report advocates a balanced EU policy approach to maintain competitiveness and meet climate goals through investment in circularity, digitalisation, and skills.
Ultimately, the report provides actionable insights for policymakers to guide the EU’s industrial transformation towards sustainability, resilience, and global leadership in the low-carbon economy.

Open science is a set of principles and practices to make scientific research available and accessible to everyone. This deliverable aims to explore and operationalise open science principles and practices that can support the research activities of the TRANSIENCE project. First, the report summarises the main activities and outputs of TRANSIENCE and matches them with relevant open science principles. Specifically, all research activities of the project will be described through open-access publications (deliverable reports, scientific journal papers, etc.). All input and output datasets developed in TRANSIENCE will be shared based on the FAIR principles for enabling findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable data. Model code as well as relevant scripts (e.g., for data processing) will be shared as open source, while both code and data will be deposited in online repositories that follow the TRUST (Transparency, Responsibility, User focus, Sustainability, and Technology) principles. Since modelling activities play a major role in TRANSIENCE, the report provides more details on open science practices that can support modelling. Specifically, the report presents open science protocols to guide major research activities related to model development, linking, and use. Subsequently, the report delves further into practices that support the exchange of model data by introducing the concept of ontologies and providing a hands-on example of applying ontologies in the modelling data of TRANSIENCE. The open science protocols and ontologies will be further updated later in the project based on the feedback and experience of the modelling partners.

Energy-intensive industries are among the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Decarbonising these sectors is therefore crucial for meeting global climate targets. However, such a process is complex given different development priorities, like maintaining economic competitiveness alongside addressing climate change, while the lack of mature mitigation options remains a critical barrier. The role of industrial clusters as areas of enhanced industrial activity and potential innovation hubs is critical.
In this research we perform three empirical sociotechnical analyses in the industrial clusters of Rhine-Ruhr (DE), Port of Rotterdam (NL), and Basque Country (ES) focusing on past and current trends to understand the rules, processes, system dynamics, and actor interactions that are embedded in the current system configuration, and the role of radical, disruptive innovations. We focus on the key EIIs of iron and steel, cement, chemicals, and the mining industry to shed light on transition implications at different scales based on contemporary dynamics that are part of the sectoral systems. We then take a forward-looking approach, shifting focus onto the diffusion and market formation of low-carbon innovations, such as hydrogen, CCS, bioenergy feedstock, as well as circularity performance approaches, mapping their role within the transition pathways. By diving into the complexities of specific sectors and innovations, we identify what the transition entails in their context but also understand the interplay of the transitions of different sectors, and consequently implications to the entirety of industry.
We highlight potential challenges such as spatial limitations required for extensive infrastructure expansion, differences in the existing capacities and organisational structures of the clusters, as well as enabling factors in the form of ongoing innovation efforts, all potentially affecting the industrial transition in the regions, and the European industry in general. Our analysis also sheds light on the perceived role of core mitigation options widely discussed, such as hydrogen and CCS, along with significant opportunities and caveats.

This deliverable presents OPEN_GEM, a new open-source Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model developed in the context of the TRANSIENCE project. It is designed to assess the socioeconomic impacts of climate and circular economy policies across the European Union. The model is multi-regional (28 countries/regions) and multi-sectoral (44 sectors), with a strong focus on energy-intensive industries such as cement, steel, aluminium, and plastics, including primary, secondary, and recycling processes.
OPEN_GEM is calibrated using the Global Trade Analysis Project GTAP v11 Circular Economy Database, with a base year of 2017. It simulates long-term developments from 2020 to 2050 and captures inter-sectoral, macroeconomic, and environmental dynamics, including CO₂ emissions, carbon pricing, and emissions trading.
The model is designed to support policy scenario analysis, providing detailed projections for GDP, consumption, trade, emissions, and sectoral outputs. Its open architecture allows soft-linking with industry-based models, improving representation of technological pathways and mitigation options.
As part of the MIC3 modelling ecosystem, OPEN_GEM contributes to a holistic understanding of industrial circularity and decarbonisation, enabling evidence-based decision-making for a sustainable, climate-neutral European industry.

This document presents the documentation and user manual of the TRANSIENCE project’s online Product & Service (P&S) database, which provides (bulk) material compositions, critical raw material requirements, and translations of services into product and material demand, to be used among the models altogether constituting the Model for European Industry Circularity and Climate Change Mitigation (MIC3). The database contains P&S characteristics, specifications, material compositions, and supply chain-related information. It assesses material compositions (bulk materials) of various building types, passenger vehicles, batteries, wind turbines, solar PV systems, and electronic devices, using the data from the prospective life cycle assessment framework premise building on ecoinvent 3.10 (system model: 'allocation, cutoff by classification') and literature. Additional data on critical materials for a large set of low-carbon energy technologies has also been included. Moreover, important translations of socioeconomic indicators into physical demand are provided for selected products, end-uses, and energy services. Broadly, the P&S database will support the alignment of variables exchanged across the MIC3 modules to serve as a common reference for linking the diverse MIC3 modelling approaches. For example, the material flow analysis (MFA) module may use it to derive material requirements based on outputs from the socioeconomic model, while energy system modellers may use it to translate technology deployment (such as installed capacities of technologies) into demand for bulk and critical materials embedded in low-carbon technologies.

This document presents an overview of the developed material and sectoral flow pilot modules for the EU (EU MFA). It describes the concept, data inputs and outputs, and novelty of underlying modules, as well as their planned integration into the Model for European Industry Circularity and Climate Change Mitigation (MIC3), coupled with exemplary results. The developed material and sectoral flow pilot modules translate demand for selected products (e.g., buildings, vehicles) in demand for selected materials (i.e., steel, plastics, cement). In contrast to existing approaches, the modules allow the combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches to utilise their specific advantages. Within the MIC3 framework, the developed material and sectoral flow modules will receive inputs from the computable general equilibrium, energy-system, and global material flow modules, towards providing inputs to the technoeconomic industry modules. The exemplary results included in this report present a baseline scenario extending historical trends, which partly contains placeholder data, where input from other modules will be integrated in the second phase of the project.

This document presents an overview of the developed industry pilot module, which includes two models: FORECAST-Sites and ITOM. It describes the concepts, data inputs and outputs, novelty of the developed models, planned integration into the Model for European Industry Circularity and Climate Change Mitigation (MIC3), as well as exemplary results. FORECAST-Sites assesses industrial transformation pathways with a site-specific resolution based on the structure of the current industrial plant fleet of European energy-intensive sectors (i.e., plant age and lifetime), the techno-economic framework (i.e., energy carrier prices and regulations like price for CO2 certificates or subsidies) and scenarios for infrastructure connection of sites. It complements this by a top-down approach to cover the complete industry sector. Similarly, ITOM provides a detailed representation of the steel, petrochemicals, and cement sectors, including a highly detailed technology portfolio as well as site- and plant-specific representation of these sectors. ITOM endogenously models the development of production networks across steps in the value chains and sites. Within the MIC3 framework, the industry module gets direct input from the European material flow module (EU-MFA) and the energy system module (OPEN-PROM). The techno-economic industry module itself provides input back to the energy system module, to the LCA module and, if appropriate, to the socio-economic module (OPEN-GEM).

The REMIND-MFA module is a global MFA model. It will be integrated in the MIC3 framework, informing trade across EU borders and putting MIC3 results into a global context.
REMIND-MFA includes top-down models for the basic materials steel, plastics, and cement, covering 12 world regions (with an optional refinement to 21 regions) through the year 2100. It dynamically projects material demand using gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and incorporates price-sensitive trade dynamics with a discrete-choice model. The flodym software library underpins REMIND-MFA, offering advanced data handling and visualisation capabilities, and improving performance over existing MFA libraries.
Example results include global material flow projections, region-specific production and consumption trends, and a Sankey diagram illustrating plastics flows in 2050. REMIND-MFA delivers scenario modelling for global decarbonisation and circularity, providing vital inputs for the EU MFA. The module’s open-source, flexible design ensures accessibility and adaptability. The code structure is the same as in the EU MFA, which eases future linking of both modules.
Future development will enhance input data quality, refine price-sensitive trade modelling, and integrate sector-specific demand models for construction and vehicles. Data sharing via IAMC formats will further expand collaborative research. The model will also be fully documented as part of Task 7.2, in Phase 2 of the TRANSIENCE project.
Ultimately, REMIND-MFA will support Europe’s transition to a sustainable, circular, climate-neutral economy by linking regional transitions to global material dynamics.

OPEN-PROM is a global, open-source energy system simulation model that projects energy system developments under varying macroeconomic, technological, and policy scenarios. It uses a structured set of exogenous inputs, including economic drivers, technology parameters, resource constraints, and policy assumptions, to generate internally consistent outputs such as energy demand, fuel mix by sector, technology uptake, energy and electricity mix, emissions, investment needs, and energy prices. The model’s workflow is supported by two data frameworks: mrprom, which automatises input data preparation and harmonisation, and postprom, which converts raw model output into analysis-ready formats compatible with Integrated Assessment Modelling (IAM) practices. These tools ensure data transparency, consistency, reproducibility, and traceability throughout the modelling process. OPEN-PROM plays a central role in the MIC3 modular framework, which additionally comprises macroeconomic (OPEN-GEM), industry (FORECAST, ITOM), material flow (EU-MFA, SIMSON), and life-cycle assessment (premise) models. OPEN-PROM translates macroeconomic trends into energy system projections and provides key outputs, such as energy prices and CO₂ emissions, to sector-specific industrial modules. These interactions enable detailed and coherent assessments of industrial decarbonisation pathways and circular economy strategies. Model enhancements are underway to improve its sectoral detail and realism. Key upgrades include the explicit modelling of industrial technologies, e-fuels, Direct Air Capture (DAC), energy storage, and endogenous fuel price formation. These developments will reinforce the model’s ability to analyse complex energy-industry interactions in support of sustainable transition strategies in the EU and globally.

This deliverable introduces the environmental LCA module, as part of the Model for European Industry Circularity and Climate Change Mitigation (MIC3) framework. The LCA module is designed to calculate the lifecycle environmental impacts of products, industry transformations, and entire energy system modelling pathways of MIC3 modules in a flexible way using tailor-made (prospective) LCA databases. As such, it aims to validate the environmental performance of decarbonisation and circularity performance pathways and strategies to ensure that they are aligned with sustainability goals beyond impacts on climate change. In doing so, this LCA module aims to also provide key insights into the environmental trade-offs and co-benefits associated with industry transformations reflected in pathways produced using MIC3.

The TRANSIENCE visual identity will, according to the DoA, be used to develop Word and PowerPoint templates as well as communication materials such as flyers, project presentations and posters, and the project website, in a distinctive and attractive manner based on the project’s objectives and target audiences. The TRANSIENCE website aims to constitute a constant node of dissemination and engagement and a reference site with materials (deliverables, visuals, briefs, papers, etc.) and useful links related to industrial decarbonisation, circularity performance and overall sustainability, and the EU’s transition to net-zero, as well as to relevant initiatives, actors, consortia, and projects. The website will also feature information on the concept, work structure, consortium, scientific advisory board, synergies, model frameworks, news, and events of the TRANSIENCE project, including information on the MIC3 model ecosystem. This report presents in detail the visual identity of the project and provides a description of the website's design, development process, and structure. It contains all promotional visual identity material as well as reference screenshots of the website’s main sections and features. It also showcases the website’s ambition to serve as a one-stop-shop portal providing all project related information, materials, and results.  All visual identity and website materials presented will be updated along the project’s progress.

This report, the Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation (CDE) Plan, highlights the purpose of CDE activities in terms of the three distinct CDE pillars and outlines the key elements of the TRANSIENCE strategic CDE plan. The plan identifies target audiences for the project CDE activities, including policymakers, academics, industry actors, and the general public. The plan also describes the various CDE tools that will be utilised, ranging from the project visual identity, website, social media channels, and bi-monthly newsletters to events, publications, and synergies. Finally, the plan sets measurable targets (KPIs) to enable verification of CDE progress. The CDE plan will be revised and updated in months 24 and 42 to respond to challenges and reinforce successes observed during the implementation of this version of the plan.

This report presents the updated version of the open Data Management Plan (DMP) for the TRANSIENCE project. The DMP continues to evolve alongside the project, reflecting progress made in data generation, curation, and sharing during the first project phases. It describes the datasets produced and used within TRANSIENCE, outlines how they are made findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR), and details the measures ensuring data quality, security, and ethical compliance. 

The project maintains a machine-actionable Data Management Plan (maDMP) through the ARGOS service developed by OpenAIRE and EUDAT. The maDMP is regularly updated with metadata, access conditions, and links to datasets generated during the project. 

The current version of the DMP documents the integration of open databases and modelling outputs that support the MIC3 framework. These include datasets on policies and technologies for industrial circularity and decarbonisation, product and service specifications, ontologies for data interoperability and industrial pilot modules for key sectors such as steel, cement, and plastics. Also, open science protocols from D3.8 are presented. All public datasets are accessible through the TRANSIENCE Zenodo community and the IAM PARIS web platform, ensuring long-term availability, transparency, and reuse. This DMP will continue to be refined and expanded, with the final update planned for Phase 3 of the project (Deliverable D11.2).