The partners of the European REMAIN project held a follow-up meeting to assess the progress of the various workstreams outlined in the initiative. The meeting, held online on May 7, provided an opportunity to review the technical developments and highlight the advances made in recent months within the project’s roadmap. REMAIN focuses on the implementation of advanced technologies for the remanufacturing of consumer goods, with a particular emphasis on the footwear and textile sectors.
The meeting was opened by María Dolores Fabregat, Head of Automation and Robotics at Inescop – the Footwear Technology Centre. Fabregat emphasized the importance of coordinated, collaborative work to achieve the project’s goals. She also reiterated the project’s commitment to developing two demonstrators: one for detecting and assessing damage in consumer products, and a second – a robotic cell designed to prepare shoes for repair – developed respectively by the Universities of Coimbra and Clermont Auvergne.
As explained during the meeting, Inescop, which leads the REMAIN project, aims to integrate these two partial solutions into a comprehensive demonstrator showcasing the project’s achievements. This full-scale demonstrator is scheduled to be unveiled at the SIMAC trade fair in September 2026. It will combine the damage perception and assessment phase with the robotic solution for preparing footwear for remanufacturing.
The follow-up meeting also covered topics related to tactile and vision-based systems for defect detection, as well as the development of a properly labeled damage dataset. This dataset will serve as the foundation for training artificial intelligence capable of evaluating damage, determining reparability, and interfacing with the robotic system to facilitate product repair and reuse.
Another key topic was the development of the Eco-Design Guide, a strategic outcome of the project. This guide aims to help companies design and manufacture products that are more repairable, extending their lifespan and ultimately making them more recyclable – thus enhancing the sustainability of the involved industrial sectors.
The meeting also included a review of communication activities carried out so far and a preview of upcoming outreach efforts. In addition, the project calendar was updated, and the next steps for each partner were defined.
Project Partners
REMAIN is led by Inescop – Footwear Technology Centre, with the participation of the Universities of Zaragoza, Alicante, Coimbra, and Clermont Auvergne INP; the Spanish Federation of Footwear Industries (FICE); French company SMA-RTY; Spanish company Automática y Control Numérico S.L.; AIDA CCI; and the social association Proyecto Lázaro as a collaborating entity.
