GORENJE GOSPODINJSKI APARATI DOO

Their core work

Gorenje is a major Slovenian home appliance manufacturer (white goods — washing machines, dryers, ovens) that brings real industrial use cases to EU research projects focused on circular economy and smart manufacturing. They contribute production data, product lifecycle knowledge, and factory infrastructure for testing digital twins, refurbishment processes, and product-as-a-service models. Their role in consortia is as an end-user manufacturer validating research outputs on actual appliance production lines and product fleets.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Gorenje's early H2020 work (2016–2019) centered on IoT connectivity and traditional product-service models for washing machines and white goods. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward circular economy — refurbishment, re-manufacturing, digital twins for fault diagnosis, and building digital threads for product lifecycle data. The trajectory shows a manufacturer moving from "how do we connect our appliances?" to "how do we keep them in use longer and close material loops?"

Gorenje is investing heavily in circular economy capabilities — expect them to seek partnerships around product lifecycle data platforms, refurbishment automation, and digital product passports.

How they like to work

Gorenje participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for large manufacturers contributing industrial use cases and validation environments rather than driving research agendas. With 88 unique partners across 21 countries in just 4 projects, they operate in large Innovation Action consortia (3 of 4 projects are IAs). This makes them an accessible partner — they are experienced in multi-partner EU projects and bring real factory floors and product lines to the table.

Gorenje has built a broad European network of 88 unique partners across 21 countries through just 4 projects, reflecting their participation in large consortia. Their reach spans most of the EU, with no narrow geographic focus.

What sets them apart

Gorenje offers something rare in EU consortia: a major home appliance manufacturer willing to open its production lines, product data, and aftermarket processes for research validation. While many manufacturers participate passively, Gorenje has engaged across the full circular economy chain — from IoT-connected products to digital twins to refurbishment workflows. For any consortium needing a real-world white goods or large appliance use case, Gorenje is one of very few companies in Europe that can provide this at scale.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RECLAIM
  Largest EC contribution (EUR 1.26M) and deepest technical engagement — covering digital twins, predictive maintenance, and re-manufacturing for large equipment.
• ReCiPSS
  Pioneer project for circular product-service systems applied to white goods — directly relevant to Gorenje's core business of washing machines and appliances.
• CircThread
  Most recent project, positioning Gorenje in the emerging digital product passport and data contracting space critical for EU circular economy regulations.