The decrease of CO2 & particulates emissions is a main challenge of the automotive sector. European OEMs and automotive manufacturers need new long term technologies, still to be implemented by 2030. Currently, hybrid powertrains are considered as the main trend to achieve clean and efficient vehicles. EAGLE project is to improve energy efficiency of road transport vehicles by developing an ultra-lean Spark Ignition gasoline engine, adapted to future electrified powertrains. This new concept using a conventional engine architecture will demonstrate more than 50% peak brake thermal efficiency while reducing particulate and NOx emissions. It will also reach real driving Euro 6 values with no conformity factor. This innovative approach will consequently support the achievement of long term fleet targets of 50 g/km CO2 by providing affordable hybrid solution. EAGLE will tackle several challenges focusing on: • Reducing engine thermal losses through a smart coating approach to lower volumetric specific heat capacity under 1.5 MJ/m3K • Reaching ultra-lean combustion (lambda > 2) with very low particulate (down to 10 nm) emission by innovative hydrogen boosting • Developing breakthrough ignition system for ultra-lean combustion • Investigating a close loop combustion control for extreme lean limit stabilization • Addressing and investigating NOx emissions reduction technologies based on a tailor made NOx storage catalyst and using H2 as a reducing agent for SCR. A strong engine modeling approach will allow to predict thermal and combustion performances to support development and assess engine performances prior to single and multi-cylinder test bench application. An interdisciplinary consortium made of nine partners from four different countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain) will share its cutting-edge know-how in new combustion process, sensing, control, engine manufacturing, ignition system, simulation & modeling, advanced coating, as well as after-treatment systems.

Several products embed different types of electronic components, and they are even more fundamental in some of the European strategic markets (e.g. automotive). However, reference producers come from extra-EU countries in the far-east side of the world (e.g. China and Taiwan). Trying to cope with all these challenges and the current semiconductors crisis, the European Commission (EC) published (and in some cases is still working on) specific EU strategies/directives for automotive, e-waste (e.g. Digital Product Passport) and, specifically, semiconductors (e.g. European Chips Act). However, trying to make these sectors more sustainable, circular and resilient, it is mandatory to boost both EoL strategies (e.g. sorting, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling) and intra-EU production through innovations and investments. The current international scenario represents a good chance to decouple the European economy from both natural resource depletion (e.g. Critical Raw Materials - CRMs) and dependency from extra-EU supplies of strategic products. In order to better prove what the benefits are of a joined circular/resilient use of secondary resources, the automotive and mass electronics sectors have been identified as the reference contexts for establishing a set of innovative solutions. To this aim, the CIRC-UITS project will focus on demonstrate the improvement to the circularity of automotive and mass electronics sectors by reuse of semiconductors from different sources, as well as support the reuse & remanufacturing of semiconductors into new (high added-value) components and products in these sectors.