Ports as transport nodes and as locations for logistics, manufacturing and waste operation activities will be affected  by the transition towards CE. Ports handle huge volumes of non-renewable primary resources and waste. The trend  towards CE will likely lead to a decline in these volumes [5]. The majority of non-fossil imports and exports  furthermore consist of products in linear supply chains, and these flows will be impacted as well, especially when  supply chains move from current globalized and linear structures to more localized and circular ones. The CE  transition also offers an opportunity for ports to diversify into circular economy activities as alternative lines of  business.

The project DiCiMa – Digitalisation and Circularity for Maritime as-built information aims to develop a Solution-as-a-Service, to optimize the data creation,  data interoperability and data reuse based on a circular structure. The Solution is particularly focused on the domains  of waste and cargo data management at maritime ports, where there is a shared large economic and  environmental impact. 

The project will involve Geomodel – 3D Modelling Studio, a company that develops products and solutions for the three-dimensional scanning of the physical environment, intelligent modelling, and spatial data analysis. Also, LNEC will be involved. The knowledge of LNEC researchers will give support to the main tasks in the scope of the project, related with the characterization, validation and development of the conditions to promote the accreditation of the measurement method in its most relevant parts, namely, physical, computational and operational.

• AT1 – Metric for Circularity on Port Environment Applied to waste and bulk Cargo
• AT2 – Data enrichment: Classification, Prediction and Visualization
• AT3 – Measurement validation and support for accreditation by LNEC
• AT4 – Project Management and Communication

1. Gender equality (Fundamental):

The consortium will promote a gender-balanced participation in the activities to be carried out. Women and men face different barriers that should be acknowledged by the different business agents. Therefore, promoting a gender-balanced participation in the activities to be carried may increase the project’s contribution to promoting social innovation, challenging assumptions and preconceptions about women, men, femininities, and masculinities. It is intended that this legacy of the project is extended over and above its execution timeframe, thus contributing to a sustainable and inclusive growth. In fact, the project intends to create a job (female) during its implementation phase, as well as another one (also female) after its conclusion.

2. Roma inclusion and empowerment (Relevant):

DiCima’s approach shows real concerns related to the integration and inclusion of all social groups (including Roma), in line with EU’s framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, which foresees more inclusive institutions and policies, empowerment and “Fighting Prejudice” initiatives.

As previously mentioned, the project will entail the creation of jobs, during the implementation of the project and after its conclusion, being one of the main goals of the consortium, in such matter, to have a broad and comprehensive approach, not excluding in any shape or form, any social group in the recruitment process.

3. Social inclusion of vulnerable groups other than Roma (Relevant): 

Considering that good practice sharing, know-how transfer and resource exchange amongst partners are some of the main vectors of the project, it is expected that, also in this context, there will be a widespread dissemination of more inclusive and equal opportunities initiatives that may lead to an effective adoption of measures related to this pressing issue, including social inclusion of vulnerable groups other than Roma.

4. Anti-discrimination (Fundamental):

The pathway towards (wider) impact starts from the creation/strengthening of a network of different actors, regardless of the race, gender, credos, political tendencies among other factors. The initiatives that are included in DiCiMa’s work plan will enable a symbiotic relationship amongst the consortium’s partners, as well as the relevant stakeholders, through which it will be possible to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses beyond the project’s timeframe. This fact will leverage the consortium’s capability to bring to the table specific issues related to the adoption of anti-discrimination practices that are not always taken into consideration when trying to establish a common agenda on tackling such issues, paving the way for the development of more interconnected, inclusive, and efficient frameworks inspired by the results of the project.

5. Transparency and anti-corruption (Fundamental):

DiCiMa is built on a perspective of openness to sources of knowledge and knowledge actors – which is fully in line with the EU Open Science Policy. Also, the project will have an Open Science approach through which will look to make transparent and accessible knowledge that is shared and developed through collaborative networks, thus helping the scientific community, the business world, political actors, and citizens to have a common and clear understanding about Transparency and Anti-Corruption related issues, and stimulating an open debate about the social, economic, and human added value of this phenomenon.

Moreover, since DiCiMa is aligned with the initiative ‘Open Research Data Pilot’, it is intended that greater transparency should characterize the whole project and should impact, especially in data sharing and dissemination of results.