SciTransfer
MEMAN · Project

Cut Energy and Material Waste Across Your Entire Metal Manufacturing Supply Chain

manufacturingTestedTRL 5
meman.eu

Imagine a car part goes through five different factories before it's finished — each one wastes energy and materials independently, never talking to the others. MEMAN built a toolbox that looks at the whole chain at once, finding savings that no single factory could spot alone. They tested it on three real manufacturing supply chains in the metal sector and showed you can slash energy use by 20-35% and cut product lifecycle costs by 10-20%. Think of it like a fitness tracker, but for an entire production chain — measuring where resources leak out at every step.

By the numbers
70%
Resource saving potential identified in pilot study
20-30%
Energy consumption and CO2 emission reduction (cradle to gate)
30-35%
Energy consumption and CO2 emission reduction (cradle to grave)
10-20%
Product lifecycle cost reduction (cradle to grave)
3
Manufacturing value chains validated
28
Consortium partners across 7 countries
EUR 5,998,686
Total EU contribution
The business problem

What needed solving

Metal manufacturers optimize each production step in isolation — stamping here, machining there, surface treatment somewhere else — missing massive savings that only become visible when you look at the entire chain. Rising energy prices and tightening CO2 regulations make this fragmented approach increasingly expensive. Companies need a way to measure and reduce resource waste across their full supplier network, not just within their own four walls.

The solution

What was built

MEMAN delivered an analytical toolbox combining Material and Energy Flow Analysis with Life Cycle Assessment, validated across 3 real manufacturing value chains. They also built a virtual online demonstrator and developed new business models for cross-company collaboration on resource efficiency in the metal mechanic sector.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive tier-1 and tier-2 metal parts suppliers with complex multi-step productionAerospace component manufacturers facing energy cost pressure on machining operationsMetal recycling companies needing to quantify supply-chain-wide environmental benefitsIndustrial energy consultants advising manufacturing clusters on efficiency improvementsManufacturing cooperatives or industry clusters coordinating resource optimization across member companies
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive parts manufacturing
mid-size
Target: Tier 1 or Tier 2 automotive supplier with multi-step metal forming and machining

If you are an automotive parts supplier dealing with rising energy costs across your stamping, machining, and surface treatment lines — this project developed an analytical toolbox based on material and energy flow analysis that maps waste across your entire value chain. Tested on real manufacturing chains, it identified energy and CO2 reductions of 20-30% from cradle to gate and product lifecycle cost reductions of 10-20%.

Aerospace component manufacturing
enterprise
Target: Metal machining company supplying aerospace OEMs

If you are an aerospace machining shop struggling with high material waste rates on titanium or aluminium parts — MEMAN's value-chain approach integrates life cycle assessment across your suppliers and subcontractors. The project validated new business models for cross-company collaboration that achieved 30-35% energy and CO2 reduction from cradle to grave across 3 manufacturing value chains.

Metal recycling and secondary processing
SME
Target: Scrap metal recycler or secondary metal processor

If you are a metal recycler looking to prove the environmental value of your material to OEM customers — this project built decision-support tools that quantify energy savings when recycled material replaces virgin stock across the full supply chain. A pilot study showed resource saving potentials of up to 70% when optimizing across company boundaries rather than within single processes.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this in my factory?

The project itself had a EUR 5,998,686 budget split across 28 partners, suggesting per-partner development costs around EUR 200K. Actual implementation costs for your facility would depend on the complexity of your value chain and number of partners involved. Contact SciTransfer for a tailored estimate.

Does this work at industrial scale or only in the lab?

MEMAN validated its approach across 3 real manufacturing value chains in the metal mechanic sector, not in lab conditions. The consortium was 71% industrial partners (20 out of 28), including 13 SMEs, which means the tools were built for and tested in real production environments.

Who owns the IP and can I license this technology?

The project was coordinated by Mondragon Corporacion Cooperativa (Spain) with 28 consortium partners. IP ownership is typically shared among consortium members under the Horizon 2020 grant agreement. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the relevant partners. SciTransfer can facilitate this introduction.

How long does it take to see results after implementation?

The project ran from January 2015 to June 2018 (3.5 years) for full R&D and validation. Based on available project data, actual deployment of the analytical toolbox at a single facility would be significantly shorter since the methodology is already validated across 3 value chains.

Can this integrate with our existing manufacturing execution systems?

MEMAN developed an analytical toolbox based on Material and Energy Flow Analysis (MEFA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), plus a virtual online demonstrator. Based on available project data, these tools were designed to work with standard manufacturing data inputs rather than requiring proprietary system replacements.

What regulations or standards does this help us comply with?

The energy and CO2 reduction capabilities (20-35% depending on scope) directly support compliance with EU emissions regulations and corporate sustainability reporting requirements. The LCA-based approach aligns with ISO 14040/14044 life cycle assessment standards used across automotive and aerospace supply chains.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strong, industry-heavy consortium with 28 partners from 7 countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Netherlands) — all core European manufacturing nations. The 71% industry ratio (20 industrial partners) and 13 SMEs signal this was built by manufacturers for manufacturers, not an academic exercise. Coordinated by Mondragon, Spain's largest cooperative group with deep roots in industrial manufacturing, the consortium included only 1 university and 3 research organizations, keeping the focus squarely on practical application. The geographic spread across Western Europe's manufacturing belt gives the results credibility across different regulatory and industrial environments.

How to reach the team

Mondragon Corporacion Cooperativa (Spain) — SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortiumSee MONDRAGON CORPORACION COOPERATIVA SCOOP profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to find out if MEMAN's value-chain optimization tools fit your manufacturing operations? SciTransfer provides a free initial assessment — contact us to explore licensing, implementation support, or a direct introduction to the research team.

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