Rematec Amsterdam 2025 meets Lorenzo Gaspari 

Rematec Amsterdam 2025 meets Lorenzo Gaspari, Head of New Business Development – Remanufacturing Car Parts Industries

How can automakers and suppliers work together to design vehicles with remanufacturing in mind from the start?

A clear point related to the collaboration is the design for remanufacturing, which we both need to develop solutions but also to facilitate the remanufacturing process and make the product more competitive. So, I would say really design having the end of life in mind is key also for collaborating. We, as remanufacturers, we have elements, knowledge about what makes the process more difficult, so we can really work together to facilitate the design for remanufacturing.

What are the biggest barriers preventing widespread adoption of remanufactured car parts, and how can these be overcome?

As of today, of course, one of the major, not barriers, but hurdles when having to work with the manufacturer that we face is the handling of the reverse logistics. So, it is important that companies are able to handle that, that it's traceable, that the customer can see where their cores are, when they will be credited for their deposits and, let's say, when the circle will be closed. So, I would say reverse logistics is one of the most challenging topics, of course, because compared to the new production it's adding a step in the process, but we need to overcome it by new technologies, increasing the traceability.

How do you see EU regulations evolving to support the circular economy in the automotive sector, and what impact will this have on remanufacturing?

The EU regulations support the circular economy. When looking at, for instance, the end of the legal proposal, I think that globally this will provide a positive impact for remanufacturing. Of course, there is something that we would like still to be adjusted, but globally I think we see this favourably. We appreciate the direction that the European Commission is taking for the end of legal proposal and, yeah, this will definitely have a positive impact on remanufacturing as well.

What role do digital technologies, such as AI and blockchain, play in enhancing the traceability and efficiency of remanufactured car parts?

Digital technologies like AI and blockchain will help in the traceability, as I mentioned before, on the reverse logistics. It will really allow us to give transparency for where the parts are and interact also with the customer to make all the reverse logistics smoother.

How can consumer perception of remanufactured parts be improved to accelerate their mainstream adoption in the automotive market?

Well, it is important, and I think we are gaining that more and more, that there is a clear differentiation between what is repaired and what is remanufactured in terms of quality perspective. It's important to highlight that there is a quality difference, that remanufactured products are tested as new products, they have to stay at the same performance as new products, while reparations are just restoring the functionality. So, it's important that there is a differentiation in the quality perception to enhance the one of remanufacturing.