SHAREBOX · Project

Smart Platform That Helps Factories Share Energy, Water and Waste to Cut Costs

manufacturingTestedTRL 6

Imagine a group of factories sitting next to each other — one produces excess heat, another needs it; one has leftover water, another could reuse it. Right now, nobody knows who has what or when. SHAREBOX built a secure online platform that lets these companies see each other's available resources in real time and automatically suggests the best way to share them. Think of it like a ride-sharing app, but for industrial leftovers — matching supply and demand so nothing goes to waste and everyone saves money. It was tested at 4 real industrial sites across Europe.

By the numbers

Industrial demo locations tested across the EU

Consortium partners involved in development

Countries represented in the consortium

Industry partners co-developing the platform

SMEs in the consortium including the coordinator

The business problem

What needed solving

Factories on shared industrial sites waste enormous amounts of energy, water, and materials simply because they have no reliable way to coordinate resource exchanges with their neighbors. Without real-time visibility into who has surplus resources and who needs them, companies either dump valuable byproducts or pay premium prices for inputs that are readily available next door. The result is higher operating costs, unnecessary environmental impact, and missed revenue from resources that could be sold instead of discarded.

The solution

What was built

The project built a secure ICT platform (SHAREBOX) for real-time management of shared industrial resources — energy, water, residues, and recycled materials. It includes optimization tools based on input-output modelling, game theory for fair cost and benefit sharing, agent-based modelling for network design, and data mining tools for big data analytics on resource flows. A deployable software package ('Upgraded SYNERGIES Software Installation Package') was produced, though noted as requiring further upgrades.

Audience

Who needs this

Chemical park operators managing multi-tenant industrial sitesIndustrial ecology and eco-park developersEnergy-intensive manufacturers with excess heat or steamWaste management companies seeking industrial symbiosis partnershipsMunicipal or regional authorities planning circular economy zones

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Chemical processing

enterprise

Target: Chemical parks and industrial clusters where multiple companies operate on shared sites

If you are a chemical park operator dealing with uncoordinated resource flows between tenants — this project developed a secure ICT platform that matches energy, water, and material supply-demand across companies in real time. It was tested at 4 demo locations using realistic industrial streams and process conditions. The platform uses data mining to continuously optimize who shares what, when, and at what cost.

Waste management and recycling

mid-size

Target: Waste processing companies looking to turn residues into revenue streams

If you are a waste management company struggling to find buyers for specific industrial residues — this project developed resource matching tools based on input-output modelling that connect waste producers with companies that can use those materials. The platform ensures all exchanges comply with regulatory thresholds and contractual obligations. It was co-created with 17 partners across 6 countries including 8 industry players.

Energy-intensive manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Steel, cement, or glass manufacturers with high energy costs and waste heat

If you are an energy-intensive manufacturer paying to dump excess heat while your neighbor pays to generate it — this project developed optimization tools for flexible energy use and material flow integration between companies. The SHAREBOX controller provides plant managers with specific commands and recommendations that are guaranteed to stay within plant operations requirements and deliver optimal cost savings.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this platform at our industrial site?

The project data does not include specific licensing or implementation costs. As a publicly funded RIA project coordinated by an SME (IRIS Technology Solutions, Spain), commercial pricing would need to be negotiated directly with the technology providers. The platform was designed for shared industrial sites, so costs would likely be split among participating companies.

Can this work at full industrial scale or is it still experimental?

SHAREBOX was implemented and tested at 4 demo locations in the EU using realistic industrial streams and process conditions. This goes beyond lab-scale testing. However, the demo deliverable notes the software package was still 'to be upgraded further,' suggesting it may need additional development for full commercial deployment.

Who owns the IP and can we license the technology?

The project involved 17 partners across 6 countries, with 8 industry partners and 5 universities. IP ownership would be shared among consortium members according to their grant agreement. The coordinator IRIS Technology Solutions (Spain) would be the first point of contact for licensing inquiries.

How does the platform handle sensitive business data between competing companies?

Security was a core design requirement — the project name itself stands for 'Secure Management Platform.' The platform was built to ensure all resource-sharing recommendations stay within the constraints of contractual obligations and regulatory thresholds, meaning companies control exactly what data they share and under what conditions.

How long does it take to set up and start seeing results?

Based on available project data, the platform was developed and tested over a 4-year period (2015-2019) across 4 demo sites. Initial setup at an industrial site would require mapping existing resource flows and connecting plant systems. The platform provides real-time recommendations once operational, with data mining tools improving optimization over time as historical data accumulates.

Can this integrate with our existing plant management systems?

The platform was designed to work with existing plant operations, providing commands and recommendations that fulfil plant operations requirements. The SHAREBOX controller outputs are decision-support tools for plant and operations managers, suggesting it was built to complement rather than replace existing systems. The 'SYNERGIES Software Installation Package' deliverable indicates a deployable software component.

Consortium

Who built it

The SHAREBOX consortium of 17 partners across 6 countries (Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, UK) is well-balanced for industrial deployment. With 8 industry partners (47% of the consortium) and 4 SMEs, the project was clearly driven by real market needs rather than pure academic interest. The coordinator is IRIS Technology Solutions, a Spanish SME, which suggests the technology was developed with commercialization in mind from the start. The 5 university partners provided the scientific muscle for the optimization algorithms, while the 2 research organizations bridged the gap between theory and industrial application. This mix of practical operators and academic depth across multiple European markets gives the platform credibility for cross-border industrial resource sharing.

IRIS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADACoordinator · ES
DECHEMA GESELLSCHAFT FUR CHEMISCHETECHNIK UND BIOTECHNOLOGIEparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITEIT TWENTEparticipant · NL
ESKISEHIR SANAYI ODASIparticipant · TR
UNIVERSITY OF LEEDSparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
CHEMIE CLUSTER BAYERN GMBHparticipant · DE
ZURCHER HOCHSCHULE FUR ANGEWANDTE WISSENSCHAFTENparticipant · CH
ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE LASINDUSTRIAS CERAMICAS AICEparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDEparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

IRIS Technology Solutions, Sociedad Limitada (Spain) — an SME that coordinated the project. Contact through SciTransfer for a warm introduction.

Order a report on this consortium See IRIS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how industrial resource sharing could cut costs at your site? SciTransfer can connect you with the SHAREBOX team and help assess fit for your operations.

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