ENKORE Ecohealthcare IHI project marks one year of progress Towards Circular and Sustainable Healthcare
As ENKORE marks its first year, the project reaches a moment of reflection, not to look back nostalgically, but to acknowledge how much groundwork has been laid in just twelve months. What began as a shared ambition to rethink the lifecycle of single-use medical devices has evolved into a coordinated European initiative bringing together science, industry, clinical practice, and policy perspectives.
Since its launch in January 2025, ENKORE has taken shape as a collaborative ecosystem of 52 partners and affiliated members across 15 countries, united by a common objective: advancing circularity and sustainability in healthcare. Funded under the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), the project is laying the foundations for a model in which innovation, environmental responsibility, safety, and patient care can progress in parallel.
From Madrid to Leiden: Establishing the Foundations of European Collaboration
The year began with the Kick-Off Meeting in Madrid, hosted by the public coordinator, where partners aligned on the project’s vision, governance, and initial technical approach. This first in person exchange was key to establishing shared methodologies and a collaborative working culture across disciplines.
Several months later, the first Plenary Meeting in Leiden brought the consortium together to review initial analytical work, exchange early insights across work streams, and prepare the transition into more focused technical activities. The meeting also served to introduce the concept of the ENKORE Community, outlining its future role as a channel for structured stakeholder engagement.
Laying the Groundwork for an Eco-Design Framework
One of ENKORE’s core objectives is the development of a unified eco-design framework for single-use medical devices. During its first year, the project has focused on defining the conceptual and methodological basis of this framework.
This preparatory work has brought together perspectives from engineering, clinical safety, life-cycle thinking, workflow analysis, materials science, and regulatory considerations. Rather than delivering a finalised framework at this stage, Year 1 has been dedicated to aligning approaches, defining common principles, and setting the conditions for tool development and validation in the years ahead.
Five Reference Use Cases: Definition and Initial Mapping
Throughout the first year, ENKORE’s five Reference Use Cases (RUCs) have been formally defined, establishing their scope, objectives, and clinical-industrial context. This phase has focused on understanding current practices and framing the challenges to be addressed, rather than on full implementation or validation.
RUC1 and RUC2 have concentrated on mapping endoscopic and surgical workflows at a high level, identifying key stages in device use and disposal, and outlining potential areas for future redesign.
RUC3 has defined its focus on infusion systems and associated packaging, drawing on preliminary workflow descriptions and stakeholder input.
RUC4 has framed the complexity of medicinal product packaging across hospital and home-based settings, highlighting issues related to traceability, use patterns, and end-of-life considerations.
RUC5 has been established to address complementary challenges within the broader ecosystem of single-use medical products.
During this initial phase, waste streams have been represented based on existing knowledge and general assumptions. Detailed, site-specific analyses involving hospitals, healthcare professionals, and patient organisations are planned for Year 2, when the RUCs move into a more operational and data-driven phase.
Clinical and industrial RUC leads have already contributed through interviews, questionnaires, and structured exchanges, helping to shape the next steps towards pilot activities.
Engagement, Visibility, and Knowledge Exchange
In parallel with its technical work, ENKORE has sought to position its objectives within the wider European conversation on healthcare sustainability. The project has participated in key sector events, including the Horizon 2020 DiCE (Digital Health in the Circular Economy) Annual Event in Eindhoven, where the public coordinator contributed to discussions on policy and system-level change.
Targeted site visits, such as the strategic and technical visit to GreenCycl, have further strengthened the consortium’s understanding of waste management pathways and value-chain interactions, providing insights that will inform future RUC activities.
Over the course of the year, ENKORE has progressively built its communication presence through the launch of its website, the publication of newsletters and blog articles, interviews with project leaders, and coordinated social media outreach.
The ENKORE Community: Laying the Basis for Future Dialogue
A further milestone of Year 1 has been the conceptualisation of the ENKORE Community. While still in its early stages, this initiative is designed to become a structured space for dialogue and exchange among key stakeholders, including healthcare providers, industry, researchers, policymakers, and end-of-life specialists.
Initial communication activities and planning efforts have focused on defining the scope, format, and added value of the community, with more active engagement actions scheduled for subsequent project phases.
Coordinated Leadership and a Shared Sense of Purpose
The progress achieved during ENKORE’s first year reflects the close collaboration between its public and industrial coordination, as well as the strong commitment of partners across disciplines and countries. This shared leadership has been essential to aligning technical ambition with real-world feasibility.
This approach is reinforced by a clear focus on clinical realities, scientific rigour, and societal priorities, ensuring that ENKORE’s work remains both credible and relevant while fostering effective collaboration across the healthcare value chain.
Looking Ahead: Entering a Decisive Second Year
With its foundations firmly in place, ENKORE is now entering a more operational phase. Year 2 will focus on deepening engagement with end users, refining methodologies, and beginning the systematic exploration of waste streams in collaboration with hospitals and other stakeholders.
By strengthening its evidence base and validating approaches within real clinical environments, the project will take decisive steps towards delivering measurable environmental benefits while safeguarding patient safety and care quality.
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