In view of the growing global demand for raw materials and the limited availability of natural resources, industrial production is faced with the challenge of developing innovative solutions for sustainable material management. The transformation to a resource-efficient economy is essential in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our ecosystem. Digitalization plays a key role in this by enabling comprehensive changes in the economy and society.
With this in mind, the “Zukunftslabor Circular Economy“ (Future Lab Circular Economy) was set up to research digital innovations to promote the sustainable use of natural resources. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and the Volkswagen Foundation are funding this project with 3.7 million euros.
The aim of the circular economy is to use products for longer, reuse components from disused products and recycle materials. This resource-conserving economy and the minimization of waste are essential for the creation of a sustainable and resilient business location in Lower Saxony.
Opportunities of digitalization for the circular economy
Digitalization offers a wide range of opportunities to support the circular economy. It can increase transparency concerning the sustainability and use of products, which enables consumers to make ecologically conscious purchasing decisions. In addition, digitalized service and business models make it easier to offer sharing, reuse and repair services. A higher level of information exchange and automation can make the use of products more efficient and economical in order to better close the material loop.
Digitalization acts as a driver of innovation along the entire life cycle of a product and increases the transparency of material flows and product usage information. This enables targeted reuse and recycling and the development of sustainable business models. Through the intensive exchange of information and targeted analysis, processes such as recycling, repair, dismantling, reprocessing and reuse can be optimized. These advances contribute significantly to the automation and establishment of an efficient circular economy.
The main aim of the new Future Lab Circular Economy at the Center for Digital Innovation Lower Saxony (ZDIN) is to promote the resource-saving transformation of the economy by developing circularly networked, digital and AI-supported products and services. The project is funded over a period of five years by the “zukunft.niedersachsen” science program.
Interdisciplinary research consortium and practice partners
The project consortium of the Circular Economy Future Lab brings together specialist areas such as production technology, computer science, mechanical engineering, assembly technology, product development, software development and environmental management. The Future Lab is headed by Prof. Dr. Andreas Rausch from Technische Universität Clausthal (Clausthal University of Technology). Many practical partners from all over Lower Saxony have already expressed their interest in participating, including large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), local authorities and social partners, who will work together to develop digital solutions.
The match – Institute of Assembly Technology and Robotics at Leibniz Universität Hannover will continue to research automated disassembly in this research network so that subsequent process steps such as remanufacturing or recycling can be optimally prepared. What has already been successfully researched for complex capital goods in the Collaborative Research Centre 871 is now to be transferred to mass products. In addition to the components required for the dismantling plant, methods for recording the condition of the products and methods for dismantling planning based on this must also be developed. The dismantled components will then be supplied to project partners for reworking or repair so that they can be integrated into new products.
The future lab as an opportunity
The Future Lab Circular Economy promises to significantly advance research in this area and build a bridge between different disciplines and industries. The resulting innovations not only support a sustainable and resource-conserving economy, but also contribute to the long-term resilience and competitiveness of Lower Saxony as a business location.
