Facilitating rubber recycling for industry

Company and project background

DatenBerg develops innovative data solutions to support manufacturing companies. Main purpose is to support production companies in the automation of complex decision-making processes. The RADRI project addresses circular economy as it seeks to facilitate the integration of recycled raw materials in the rubber industry. Currently it is quite difficult adapting existing rubber mixture recipes to recyclates as recycled material changes over time. Recipes do have a high demand for manual adjustments with leads to high costs for the use of recyclates. As part of RADRI, a platform for automated recommendations for the use of recycled rubber and plastic products will be implemented. An AI model analyses formulations and laboratory data of the recyclate and provides recommendations for adjustments to the production process. This will simplify the use of recycled components, reduce costs and the need for skilled labor.

Can you give us a brief overview of your business and the specific project you implemented?

DatenBerg is a digital solutions provider that enables companies to collect, analyze, and utilize their machine and quality data. We have developed a intelligent digital tool accessible and practical. We enable data from various sources (e.g., from machines, testing equipment, or manual entries) to be stored in one place and used in analyses or dashboards throughout the production process. Over time, we have built strong expertise in rubber compounding — a highly complex field where different raw materials are blended to create rubber compounds which are then further processed, e.g., into conveyor belts or seals. This industry faces significant sustainability challenges, as many of the materials involved have a poor CO₂ footprint and recycled materials are rarely used due to their variability and sensitivity in production. Our project, RADRI (Rubber AI-Driven Recyclate Integration), tackles this challenge by exploring how recyclates can be better integrated into rubber production. With the support of Up2Circ, we were able to dedicate time and resources to investigate the needs of manufacturers, conducting interviews across departments such as quality management, product development, and production. These insights helped us identify key barriers, such as uncertainty about the quality of recyclates, and opportunities for digital solutions. Based on this, we began developing a concept for an AI-supported formulation assistant that can recommend adjustments to recipes, enabling more reliable use of recycled materials. In this way, the project aligns closely with our mission to support both digital transformation and sustainable innovation in industry.

What motivated you to make your business more circular?

We saw a significant opportunity to promote sustainability and circular economy through our role as a digitalization service partner. This potential was confirmed in interviews with employees across manufacturing companies. For example, one rubber developer  said, “I’d like to increase material hardness by 20%, but there are quite some options and i need to make a high number of experiements.” By providing a software recommendation based on background calculations, we can guide adjustments in formulations to achieve desired outcomes such as improved hardness — a clear step forward for both quality and sustainability.

In approaching potential customers, we explored multiple entry points. Quality management was a natural contact, but we also engaged product development teams, who focus on future products and process improvements. For them, “improvement” goes beyond cost reduction or performance enhancement — it also includes reducing the CO₂ footprint of their products.

We also observed growing pressure in areas of quality, environment, and safety to address sustainability issues. All these factors together motivated us to make our business more circular, as we recognized a clear market demand for sustainable products and solutions.

Implementation process

What were the main objectives of your feasibility study?

The main objectives were to analyze the use of recycled materials in rubber compounds and to gather relevant information about manufacturing processes through interviews with compounding companies, and to use this information to design a concept for a recipe development tool for the inclusion of recycled materials. The aim was to identify potential areas of application and challenges and to determine how we, as a software company, can help to overcome these hurdles.

What activities did you carry out during your project?

First, interviews were conducted with various compounding companies. Contact persons from the areas of quality management and product development were involved. The aim was to identify specific problems and requirements when using recycled materials in rubber production and to examine the extent to which an AI-supported formulation assistance system could help with material adjustments. In addition, a raw material database was set up as the basis for a formulation development tool. For this purpose, published raw material data sheets were digitized and clustered.

 What feedback did you receive from stakeholders (customers, suppliers etc.)?

Extremely positive feedback. We were actually surprised at how well the whole topic was received. Especially our specific approach—such as the further development of a formulation assistance system. As a software company, this showed us that people would actually use such a system if it existed. We are currently in talks with a manufacturer and plan to work closely together over the next three years to further develop this AI-based formulation module.

Impact and Outcomes

What were the main results and outcomes of the project for your company?

We have a clearer understanding of the challenges in using recyclates in rubber processing. Being in touch with the manufacturers, we roughly knew before that using recyclates is not that easy in this sector, but really understanding the challenging points along the process and how AI-supported software could help, is a new learning. Collecting these detailed information as part of our Up2Circ project lead to the establishment of initial partnerships with manufacturers for joint development. The level of collaboration deepened and strengthened internal expertise in sustainability and circular economy.

And last not least is of course the development of a prototype concept for an AI-based formulation assistant system the most visible outcome.

Did you detect a positive impact of circular transition for your company and for the environment?

Plans to focus more on the recycling topic and supporting our manufacturing partners in this field, always existed in our company. But it needed Up2Circ to finally create this time window in our daily processes. We learned that our partners are open for this topic and that we are able to support them in their circular transition. This spirit of new beginnings is of course encouraging us to position ourselves more strongly with our products as a sustainability-oriented digitalization partner.

Have you already implemented any changes?

We will definitely continue to develop the concept of the recipe development tool, especially in practical cooperation with our customer. We are even getting to test it during ongoing operations. Once the project is complete, we could also imagine transferring the process to other areas such as battery recycling.  

Lessons learned

What key lessons did you learn regarding circular innovation?

Circular economy is a hot topic among our customers. However, breaking it down into specific steps is hard. It is not just about environmental but also economic aspects that count. A circular option which increases the costs, is hard to sell. Everyone tells you ‘sure I want to be circular’ but when it comes to money, some people also start hesitating. Our concept is promising, because we give a trade off between circular, price and feasibility for new recyclate recipes in the rubber industry!

Did you encounter any challenges?

There is a high level of uncertainty among rubber manufacturers when it comes to the quality of recyclates. We want to and can solve these uncertainties with our AI tools for data analysis. To do this, however, we need detailed production data from manufacturers, and they often have serious concerns about sharing it. In addition, we also need data from suppliers so that our analysis tool really adds value, and these technical data sheets are often very unstructured. Sorting all of this and bringing it together in a purposeful way was certainly a challenge.

If you could do your project again, what would you do differently?

We would probably integrate pilot customers into the process much earlier and also allow ourselves more time to establish the database on which we will build the next steps.

Future plans and recommendations

What are your next steps towards circular transition?

Our plan right now is to work with the customer to develop a new software module focused specifically on formulation development for recyclates in rubber compounds. So, the topic we began in our Up2Circ project is continuing. And beyond the use of recyclates in the rubber industry, we also see potential to expand into other areas — like batteries, for example. But that’s more of a long-term perspective.

Is there any advice you would give to other SMEs looking to adopt a circular business model?

Start with small, clearly defined pilot projects. Ask for problems and challenge them, instead of always getting stuck on the point “if we would have x that would be good”. Even if it takes time, you need to understand the root cause the problem. And you should involve employees from production and quality assurance at an early stage and build a network. Maintaining open communication with partners and suppliers about opportunities and risks, is also important.

How can policymakers or financial institutions better support businesses in adopting circular practices?

This project was fantastic for us because we were able to exchange ideas very well with you as our partners. Through various interim meetings and quick responses to questions, we were able to manage the project effectively and even make some adjustments.

In general, it was great that Up2Circ supported us. The combination of financial support and active communication was extremely important. And, of course, thanks to the funding we received over these six months, we were able to allocate staff and development resources to this initiative—without which it would not have been possible.