Reimagining Monitoring for a Circular Economy
In the heart of the circular economy transition, monitoring isn’t just a technical add-on—it’s the backbone of quality, trust, and transparency. At IRIS Technology Solutions, this belief drives our work in the DigInTraCE project. We’re not just deploying tools—we’re designing intelligent systems that see, learn, and react in real time.
As an advanced engineering company, IRIS specializes in real-time monitoring powered by Photonics-based Process Analytical Technology (PAT) and Industrial Artificial Intelligence. Our systems are already used across the food, pharmaceutical, chemical, and bio-based industries, bringing data-driven efficiency and quality standardization to complex production lines. But in DigInTraCE, we face a unique challenge: helping circular value chains become smarter, cleaner, and more connected—starting with better monitoring.
At IRIS, we merge scientific depth with industrial pragmatism. Our team of 70 multidisciplinary professionals includes:
- Optical, electronic, and process engineers
- Chemists, physicists, mathematicians
- Programmers and data scientists
- Biologists and technologists
Together, we develop real-time AI-enabled sensing solutions, Digital Twins, and Cloud Platforms for digitizing value chains end to end.
Our company operates through two synergistic divisions:
- IRIS Commercial, delivering robust solutions to clients across process industries, from farm to fork
- IRIS Innovation Lab, our R&D hub for creating next-gen technologies in open innovation settings
Certified in ISO 9001:2008 and UNE-EN-ISO 166002, we uphold a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and forward-thinking innovation.
Our Role in DigInTraCE: Building the Eyes and Brain of the Circular Chain
In DigInTraCE, IRIS is developing one of the project’s most visible (and visual) technologies: a real-time monitoring system for plastic waste sorting lines. Our goal? To bring traceability, quality control, and data intelligence into the core of circular material flows.
The system combines Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)—two powerful sensing methods—into one compact setup. With these, we can detect and characterize plastics based on polymer type, additives, colors, and even impurities.
But data alone isn’t enough. That’s why our solution includes:
- AI classifiers trained on spectral data
- Real-time dashboards for operator decision-making
- Cloud connectivity for integration with broader traceability frameworks
- Digital Twins for simulating and optimizing recycling scenarios
In short, we’ve developed a solution that doesn’t just observe, but understands and adapts.
Lessons from the Field: Why Monitoring Matters
Being part of DigInTraCE has reaffirmed how critical robust monitoring is to unlocking the full potential of circular value chains. Through hands-on deployment and collaboration with value chain actors, we’ve seen:
- High variability in recycled materials, which demands advanced sensing to ensure consistent product quality
- Data gaps between actors—suppliers, sorters, processors—which can only be bridged through interoperable, real-time information sharing
- Growing regulatory requirements, including traceability and recycled content quotas, which push monitoring from “nice-to-have” to “non-negotiable”
- Demand for agility, where data needs to feed directly into sorting decisions, not months-later reports
Our monitoring system is designed to answer these needs—scalable, modular, and built with the user in mind.
Where We’re Headed
For IRIS, DigInTraCE is more than a project—it’s a blueprint for how circularity can work when powered by smart data. We see the opportunity to extend these solutions to other material flows—textiles, bio-based products, even composites—bringing the same intelligence and control to new domains.
Our vision is simple: a connected, intelligent value chain where materials are no longer “waste,” but valuable, traceable assets in a digital loop.
Want to Know More?
Explore our work in process monitoring, AI, and digitization:
🔗 www.iris-eng.com
Follow DigInTraCE for project updates:
🔗 www.digintrace.eu
This blog post was created by IRIS partner, Albert Torres, PMO manager.
IRIS Technology Solutions
www.iris-eng.com
