14 organisations from 7 countries join forces to build an AI-driven decision intelligence platform, demonstrated across chemical, steel and cement sectors.
FLARE kick-off press release
Kick-off – Cork, 25 June 2026 – Partners of the EU-funded project FLARE met in Cork on 25 June 2026 for the project’s kick-off meeting, marking the start of joint work across the consortium. FLARE (A Decision Intelligence Platform for FLexible, Agile, Resilient, and Energy-Aware Processes) officially started on 1 June 2026. Coordinated by Munster Technological University (MTU, Ireland), the four-year Horizon Europe Innovation Action brings together universities, research and technology organisations, SMEs and industrial end-users to help energy-intensive industries withstand volatility in energy supply, prices and operational needs.
The challenge
Energy-intensive industries face increasingly volatile energy markets while under pressure to decarbonise. True process flexibility requires more than switching production lines quickly: it means embedding real-time intelligence, reconfigurability and energy-awareness into the core of manufacturing workflows.
What FLARE will do
FLARE will combine AI-driven decision intelligence, digital twins, predictive analytics and proactive energy orchestration into a single platform. Production lines will be able to reconfigure in real time, process equipment will switch between energy sources in line with renewable availability, market demand and cost, and operators, planners and designers will remain at the centre of decisions through human–machine collaboration.
The platform will be demonstrated at three European industrial sites acting as living laboratories in the chemical, steel and cement sectors. Target impacts include:
- 10–15% reduction in energy costs
- 15–20% reduction in CO₂ emissions
- 10–15% reduction in waste
- 10–15 minute flexible response times
What makes our project different?
Industrial Flexibility: FLARE is not about replacing industrial expertise; it is about giving operators, planners, and engineers better information, in the right context and at the right time.
Decision Support: Simplifies complex data analysis and interpretation, transforming operational data into clear, actionable insights that enable faster and evidence-based decision-making.
Market Readiness: FLARE builds directly on the knowledge, results and lessons learned from DENiM, providing a strong foundation to advance the proposed solution towards a mature, market-ready outcome with clear potential for commercial uptake.
Contact
Alan Mc Gibney – Project Coordinator
Alan.McGibney@mtu.ie