Research Project Started: GreenGemini

With the research project *GreenGemini*, gemineers is developing a green digital twin to make ecological efficiency in the metalworking industry measurable and actionable.

What the project is about

GreenGemini aims to leverage digital twin data not only for technological optimization, but specifically for sustainability assessment and CO₂ transparency in manufacturing.

At the core of the project is the automated calculation of the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and its integration into the upcoming Digital Product Passport (DPP) — which will become mandatory for nearly all physical products sold in the EU by 2030.

The vision is simple: “Part finished, CO₂ footprint updated.” Sustainability data is generated in real time during production.

A sustainability-driven digital twin

The developed digital twin continuously captures production data such as energy consumption, machine operating hours, and tool usage.

This data is automatically assigned to individual parts and forms the basis for precise CO₂ calculations, transparent sustainability assessments, and data-driven optimization decisions.

Core innovation areas

The project focuses on four key areas:

• Life Cycle Inventory Data Acquisition: Real-time collection of material, energy, and process data using multi-sensor approaches
• Life Cycle Impact Assessment: Automated evaluation of environmental impacts and identification of optimization potential
• Sustainability Assistant: Comparison of production variants and simulation of sustainable manufacturing strategies
• User Experience Design: Intuitive visualization and seamless integration of data into existing systems and Digital Product Passport structures

Project context

GreenGemini is funded by EFRE as part of the Green start-ups.NRW program.

The project runs from February 2025 to January 2028 with a total budget of approximately €887,000. Associated partners include DMG MORI, Thiele, Gedia, and Aeronamic.

Role of gemineers

The project is led by gemineers as an individual research project in close collaboration with industry partners.

The focus is on developing an end-to-end solution that automatically captures production data, calculates environmental impacts, and makes them accessible and actionable for decision-making.

Overall goal

GreenGemini lays the foundation for a new generation of digital twins that not only optimize processes, but also make environmental impact visible in real time.

By doing so, the project enables companies to make informed decisions for more sustainable manufacturing while preparing for upcoming regulatory requirements such as the Digital Product Passport.

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