Contactica’s European Projects Portfolio continues to grow with the addition of two new Horizon Europe initiatives: GREENSPIRE and ECOSTEP. These projects reinforce our commitment to sustainability, circular economy principles, and environmental performance assessment while strengthening our role within the European research and innovation ecosystem.
As organisations across Europe work to address increasingly complex environmental and societal challenges, collaboration remains one of the most effective tools for creating meaningful impact. Through European-funded projects, researchers, companies, policymakers, and innovation experts can join forces to develop solutions that support the transition towards a more sustainable future.
The inclusion of GREENSPIRE and ECOSTEP in our European Projects Portfolio reflects both the confidence placed in Contactica by international consortia and our growing contribution to projects that support the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan, and emerging sustainability regulations. These two initiatives address different industrial sectors but share a common ambition: helping organisations make better sustainability decisions through improved methodologies, data, tools, and stakeholder engagement.
Why a Strong European Projects Portfolio Matters
A diverse and growing European Projects Portfolio allows organisations to contribute to multiple dimensions of Europe’s sustainability transition. Beyond developing new technologies, today’s projects must also support environmental assessment, stakeholder engagement, circular economy implementation, policy alignment, and knowledge transfer.
Across Europe, industries are facing increasing pressure to improve sustainability performance while maintaining competitiveness. At the same time, consumers and policymakers are demanding greater transparency regarding environmental impacts and product life cycles.
As a result, projects that combine scientific excellence with practical implementation are becoming increasingly important. They provide the tools and methodologies necessary to transform sustainability from a strategic ambition into measurable action.
For Contactica, expanding our European Projects Portfolio means strengthening our capacity to support these transitions while continuing to connect innovation with real-world impact. It also enables us to contribute our expertise in project coordination, sustainability assessment, communication, dissemination, and exploitation across a wider range of sectors and value chains.
GREENSPIRE: advancing environmental footprint assessment across Europe
One of the latest additions to our European Projects Portfolio is GREENSPIRE, a 48-month Horizon Europe project focused on improving environmental footprint assessment methodologies for selected high-priority product groups while supporting the development of new ecodesign strategies aligned with European sustainability legislation.
The project aims to co-develop and validate new Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs), datasets, digital tools, and guidance that support more consistent, reliable, and comparable environmental assessments. The work will focus on home textile products such as beds, tables, kitchen linen, curtains, and blinds, as well as polyurethane foam products including mattresses, cushions, pillows, and insulation materials.
A key objective of GREENSPIRE is to address current challenges related to sustainability measurement. Different assessment methods often produce different results, making it difficult for manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers to compare environmental performance accurately.
To address this challenge, the project will apply a comprehensive life cycle approach covering raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and end-of-life management. Beyond improving environmental footprint assessment, GREENSPIRE aims to become a reference initiative for advancing ecodesign strategies in Europe by providing methodologies, tools, and datasets that support the development of more sustainable products from the earliest design stages. The solutions developed will contribute to the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), while helping stakeholders better understand circular economy principles and make more informed sustainability decisions.
Within GREENSPIRE, Contactica will play a leading role as the coordinator of the consortium. In addition, we will lead the Project Management and Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation activities, ensuring effective collaboration among partners while maximising the visibility and impact of project outcomes.
ECOSTEP: supporting sustainable transformation in the footwear sector
The second new addition to our European Projects Portfolio is ECOSTEP, a 48-month project dedicated to advancing ecodesign strategies within the European footwear industry.
The project seeks to co-develop, test, and validate an advanced ecodesign framework that integrates environmental, social, and circularity considerations throughout the footwear product life cycle. By involving manufacturers, designers, policymakers, verification authorities, and consumers, ECOSTEP aims to create practical tools that support sustainable decision-making across the value chain.
One of the project’s most innovative elements is the development of an AI-supported digital platform capable of integrating Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment methodologies, predictive modelling, and Digital Product Passport functionalities. This platform will help organisations improve environmental performance while supporting compliance with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and other European sustainability policies.
In addition, ECOSTEP will provide training resources, stakeholder engagement activities, and practical guidance that encourage the wider adoption of sustainable and circular practices within the footwear sector.
As part of the project, Contactica will lead the Communication, Dissemination and Standardisation Work Package, supporting stakeholder engagement and ensuring that project results reach relevant audiences across Europe.
Growing Our European Projects Portfolio Through Sustainability
Although GREENSPIRE and ECOSTEP focus on different industries, both projects contribute to a shared vision of sustainability, transparency, and circularity. Together, they demonstrate how European collaboration can support industries in responding to new environmental requirements while creating opportunities for innovation and growth.
For Contactica, these initiatives further strengthen our European Projects Portfolio in key areas such as environmental footprint assessment, life cycle sustainability methodologies, ecodesign, circular economy implementation, and stakeholder engagement.
Moreover, they reinforce our commitment to supporting projects that generate value beyond research activities. Through communication, dissemination, exploitation, sustainability assessment, and project coordination, we help ensure that project outcomes create long-term benefits for industry, policymakers, and society.
The addition of GREENSPIRE and ECOSTEP also reflects a broader trend across Europe. Sustainability is no longer viewed solely as an environmental objective; it is increasingly becoming a driver of competitiveness, innovation, and resilience. As organisations adapt to this evolving landscape, collaborative projects play an essential role in accelerating change.
Looking Ahead for Our European Projects Portfolio
As GREENSPIRE and ECOSTEP begin their implementation phase, Contactica looks forward to working alongside partners across Europe to deliver meaningful results that support sustainability and innovation
The expansion of our European Projects Portfolio reflects our continued growth as a trusted partner within the European research and innovation ecosystem. It also reinforces our mission of transforming research into impact by supporting projects that address some of today’s most pressing environmental and societal challenges.
By contributing to initiatives focused on environmental footprint assessment, ecodesign, circular economy principles, and digital sustainability tools, Contactica continues to help shape the sustainable solutions Europe needs for the future.
As we embark on these new collaborations, we remain committed to creating value through innovation, partnership, and impact-driven project implementation.
