DIgital health in Circular Economy

DICE aims to develop and demonstrate novel, circular and environmentally sound solutions to design, collect, directly reuse, refurbish, remanufacture and recycle digital health devices (ePaper label, smart wearable sensor, smart pill box, endo-cutter), which will contribute to enabling a circular transition. Solutions will be implemented, tested and demonstrated in five healthcare ecosystems reflecting the geographical spread within Europe through community-engaged pilots in Norway, Belgium, Slovenia, Spain and Germany. DICE will contribute to mitigating the globally expanding health waste problem covering three material streams -electronics, plastics, metal- and alleviate shortage of critical and valuable raw materials, while protecting the health and safety of those involved in realising the circular economy. Exploitation of key outputs will be ensured by all partners throughout and after the project and will be further extended to adjacent sectors through existing networks and platforms within which the partners are represented.

The DICE project holds significant scientific value as it introduces innovative research approaches within the largely unexplored field of circular economy practices in healthcare. By comprehensively examining the life cycle of digital health devices, the project advances scientific knowledge on the design, collection, direct reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling of electronic medical technologies. DICE expands the scientific understanding of three key material streams—electronics, plastics and metals—while developing methodologies for reducing healthcare waste and recovering critical raw materials. The implementation of community-engaged pilots across five diverse European healthcare ecosystems enables the generation of comparative data, new models of circular practices, and evidence-based guidelines for a safe and sustainable transformation of the healthcare sector. In doing so, the project contributes substantially to the advancement of interdisciplinary science at the intersection of digital health, environmental technologies, materials management and sustainable innovation.

The DICE project carries substantial strategic and developmental importance for Slovenia, as it directly supports the country’s transition towards a circular economy within the field of digital health—an area increasingly recognised as a national priority. By involving the Slovenian healthcare ecosystem in pilot activities, the project enables the generation of knowledge, data and practical experience essential for implementing sustainable practices in the management of medical devices and healthcare waste. The project’s outcomes will contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of the healthcare system, improving the management of electronic, plastic and metal material streams, and creating new opportunities for Slovenian industry in the development, refurbishment and recycling of medical technologies. At the same time, the project strengthens Slovenia’s research and innovation capacities by fostering collaboration between healthcare institutions, research organisations and companies. This supports knowledge transfer and the development of new services and technologies that can enhance the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy. In this way, DICE contributes to Slovenia’s sustainable development, the achievement of national environmental and climate objectives, and the country’s role as an active member of the European Research Area in the field of circular healthcare.