Advanced reconfigurability leveraged on an agentic-ai framework boosting process industries flexibility and efficiency

AGILE aims to revolutionize European Process Industries by delivering flexible, efficient, and sustainable operations across energy-intensive production processes. The project targets breakthrough innovations at the process and equipment level to enhance energy efficiency while enabling rapid adaptation to variable feedstock, energy availability, and market demand. AGILE implements advanced process redesign strategies. Innovative NZT-enabled equipment (including melting-free roll bonding for copper recycling, waste heat recovery systems, electric pre-heating furnaces for oxy-combustion, and containerized low-temperature electrolysis for green hydrogen) enables greener and more flexible production. Real-time monitoring, advanced process control, and IIoT-enabled digital twins optimize energy, materials, and emissions while supporting zero-X production approaches. A modular, interoperable digital architecture with active Asset Administration Shell-based digital twins, orchestrator tools, and Digital Product Passports allows dynamic reconfiguration of production systems. Agentic AI framework coordinates feedstock adaptation, production scheduling, and energy management, enabling self-optimizing operations aligned with sustainability and business objectives. Human-centric technology development (advanced HMIs, LLMs) enhances workforce situational awareness, supports upskilling and reskilling, and ensures the adoption of digital tools. Pilot-scale demonstrations (TRL7) in copper, ceramics, and wastewater will validate AGILE’s solutions, showcasing energy savings, GHG reductions, faster ramp-up times, and improved resource efficiency. These use cases will be delivered by a multidisciplinary consortium combining RTOs, SMEs, industry leaders, and experts in process innovation, digitalization, AI, and NZT.