MAESTRI · Project

Smart Platform That Cuts Waste and Energy Costs in Process Industries

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

Imagine running a factory where you can see exactly where energy and materials are being wasted — like having a fitness tracker for your entire production line. MAESTRI built an IoT-connected software platform that monitors everything flowing through a factory and suggests where to cut waste, save energy, and even swap leftover materials with neighboring companies. They tested it in 4 real factories across different industries, so it's not just theory. Think of it as a GPS for efficiency: it shows you where you are, where you could be, and the fastest route to get there.

By the numbers

Real industrial pilot sites where the platform was tested

Consortium partners across 5 countries

Total project deliverables produced

Industry partners in the consortium

SMEs involved in the project

The business problem

What needed solving

Process industries across Europe waste significant energy and materials because they lack integrated tools to identify inefficiencies and act on them. Most factories optimize in silos — energy here, waste there — missing the bigger picture of how everything connects. There is also no easy way for neighboring companies to exchange waste streams, even when one company's trash is literally another's raw material.

The solution

What was built

MAESTRI delivered an IoT-based software platform for monitoring and improving factory efficiency, a Total Efficiency Framework implemented across 4 industrial pilots, an industrial symbiosis toolkit for material and energy exchange between companies, and a prototype library of case studies linked to a waste database — 39 deliverables in total.

Audience

Who needs this

Process industry plant managers trying to cut energy and material costsOperations directors at chemical, metals, or food processing companies under environmental pressureIndustrial park managers looking to set up waste exchange programs between tenant companiesSustainability officers needing data-driven improvement roadmapsManufacturing consultants advising clients on efficiency upgrades

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Chemical processing

mid-size

Target: Mid-size chemical or plastics manufacturers with high energy bills

If you are a chemical manufacturer dealing with rising energy costs and pressure to cut emissions — this project developed an IoT-based efficiency platform tested across 4 industrial pilots that pinpoints exactly where energy and materials are lost in your process lines. The toolkit also identifies opportunities to exchange waste streams with nearby companies, turning disposal costs into revenue.

Metals and steel production

enterprise

Target: Steel mills or metal finishing companies seeking to reduce resource consumption

If you are a metals producer struggling to optimize furnace energy use and raw material throughput — this project built a management system with efficiency assessment tools that were validated in real industrial settings. The platform connects to your existing equipment via IoT sensors and delivers actionable improvement strategies, backed by a library of industrial case studies from both successes and failures.

Food and beverage processing

mid-size

Target: Food processors looking to reduce waste and comply with environmental regulations

If you are a food processor facing tightening waste regulations and thin margins — this project created an industrial symbiosis toolkit that helps you find other companies who can use your byproducts instead of sending them to landfill. The platform was implemented across 4 different industrial sectors, proving it adapts to various production environments.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this efficiency platform in my factory?

The project data does not include specific licensing or implementation costs. The platform was designed to be flexible and scalable, suggesting it can be adapted to different budget levels. Contact the consortium through SciTransfer for pricing discussions.

Can this work at full industrial scale or is it still a lab experiment?

This is not a lab experiment. The Total Efficiency Framework was implemented and validated in 4 real industrial settings across different activity sectors. The consortium includes 8 industry partners, confirming it was built for real-world factory conditions.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license the technology?

The IP is held by the 15-partner consortium led by Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade in Portugal. Based on available project data, the project delivered exploitable results including eco-innovative products, processes and services tailored to industrial end-users. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the consortium.

How does the IoT platform integrate with my existing factory systems?

The software platform is built on Internet of Things architecture, designed to connect with existing industrial equipment and data sources. It was specifically built to simplify implementation and ensure integrated control of the improvement process across 4 different industrial environments.

Is there regulatory compliance value in adopting this system?

The project explicitly delivered technical, economical, legislative and policy solutions. The efficiency assessment tools help define improvement strategies that address both environmental and economic performance, which supports compliance with EU environmental directives.

How long does implementation take?

Based on available project data, the 4 industrial pilots were conducted over the project's 4-year period, but this included development time. A deployment using the finished platform would likely be significantly shorter. The system was designed for continuous improvement, meaning benefits accumulate over time.

Consortium

Who built it

The MAESTRI consortium is unusually industry-heavy for an EU research project: 8 out of 15 partners come from industry, with 6 being SMEs — giving a 53% industry ratio. This means the technology was shaped by companies who actually run factories, not just academics. The 5-country spread (Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, UK) covers major European manufacturing hubs. With only 1 university versus 5 research organizations and 8 industrial players, this project was clearly engineered for practical deployment rather than pure research. The Portuguese coordinator (Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade) is a well-established industrial quality institute, further reinforcing the applied nature of the work.

INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADECoordinator · PT
IZNAB SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIAparticipant · PL
INSTITUT FÜR ANGEWANDTE SYSTEMTECHNIK BREMEN GMBHparticipant · DE
THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGEparticipant · UK
GLNPLAST SAparticipant · PT
J.W. OSTENDORF GMBH & CO. KGparticipant · DE
FONDAZIONE LINKS - LEADING INNOVATION & KNOWLEDGE FOR SOCIETYparticipant · IT
OAS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTparticipant · DE
SINERGIE SOC CONS ARLparticipant · IT
INEGI - INSTITUTO DE CIENCIA E INOVACAO EM ENGENHARIA MECANICA E ENGENHARIA INDUSTRIALparticipant · PT

How to reach the team

Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade (Portugal) — industrial quality and welding institute. Use SciTransfer to get a warm introduction to the right person.

Order a report on this consortium See INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to see if this efficiency platform fits your production line? SciTransfer can arrange a direct conversation with the MAESTRI team and help you evaluate the business case for your specific factory setup.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0