Core

Use Cases

Industrial use cases

5 use cases in automotive build up UNICORN's core
Concrete and direct industrial applications of research
Introduction of quantified impact on 2 scales:
- TRL (Technology Readiness Levels)
- LoC (Levels of Circularity)

Radar chart comparing the five use cases on energy decarbonisation, material circularity, lifetime optimisation and utilisation improvement

Use case 1

Composite Smart Battery Casing with Embedded Temperature and Strain Monitoring

Improve eco-circularity of battery casing while:
- being lightweight for lower CO₂ emissions
- integrating additional functionalities such as cooling or sensing
- being crash-resistant to increase battery health and safety

Radar chart of Use Case 1 against the baseline: energy decarbonisation, material circularity, lifetime optimisation and utilisation improvement

Use case 2

Sustainable Functional In-Mould Electronics for Automotive Dashboard

Implement low-impact materials in in-mould electronics for new generation of dashboards while:
- substituting petroleum-based materials by lower impact alternatives (bio-sourced …)
- ensuring process efficiency
- reducing overall weight and energy consumption
- increasing functionalities for visual, acoustic and haptic feedbacks

Radar chart of Use Case 2 against the baseline: energy decarbonisation, material circularity, lifetime optimisation and utilisation improvement

Use case 3

Printed Electronics for Human Detection and Alerting

Comply with future regulations requiring in-cabin safety systems for drivers and passengers, while:
- testing recycled and/or bio-based materials
- defining recycling scenarios for printed electronics
- creating novel device designs easing disassembly
- designing “connector-less” interconnections
- reducing resources consumption during fabrication

Radar chart of Use Case 3 against the baseline: energy decarbonisation, material circularity, lifetime optimisation and utilisation improvement

Use case 4

Tyres with Embedded Bio-based RFID for Tracking, Sensing and Communicating

sensing of tyre temperature and pressure with printed/hybrid or silicon-based sensors
communicating with RFID solution providing identification and communication of tyre information to a digital tyre management system
Energy decarbonisation (Level 3): Low impact materials
Material circularity (Level 3): Enhanced transparency and traceability for high quality recycling
Energy decarbonisation (Level 2): Drivetrain optimisation with increased energy-efficiency from tyre in optimal conditions
Lifetime optimisation (Level 3): Condition monitoring for extended use and facilitating tyre-manufacturing decision-making

Radar chart of Use Case 4 against the baseline: energy decarbonisation, material circularity, lifetime optimisation and utilisation improvement

Use case 5

Functional Electronics for Mobility as a Service

Translate mobility requirements into specifications for future electronic systems, while:
- integrating demand-side requirements and current trends
- focusing on utilisation improvement and lifetime optimisation
- defining contribution of electronics to provide mobility-on-demand solutions

Radar chart of Use Case 5 compared with the reference and Use Cases 1 to 4: energy decarbonisation, material circularity, lifetime optimisation and utilisation improvement

Expected impact

Contribution to the SDGs

Bar chart of each use case's contribution to the SDGs. UC1: responsible consumption and production 66.7%, climate action 33.3%. UC2: responsible consumption and production 62.5%, affordable and clean energy, climate action and life on land 12.5% each. UC3: responsible consumption and production 87.5%, climate action 12.5%. UC4: responsible consumption and production 60%, climate action 20%, affordable and clean energy and industry, innovation and infrastructure 10% each. UC5: climate action 100%

Life on land
Climate action
Responsible consumption and production
Industry, Innovation and infrastructure
Affordable and clean energy

Beyond

Use cases

Synergies in UNICORN and beyond to other application sectors
- Substitution with sustainable materials (substrates, inks)
- Improved system designs for increased recycling and recovery
- Access to new sustainable form factors
- Processes enabling higher circularity (additive, reversible, interconnections)
- Transfer of functionalities (advanced HMI, functionalised lightweight composite materials)