Sustainability in engineering: A guide for companies

Sustainability is no longer just a trend, but a decisive competitive factor. Companies that design their products sustainably not only secure market share, but also make a valuable contribution to environmental protection. But how can sustainability be effectively integrated into the development process? The new compendium of the it’s OWL project ‘Sustainable Lifecycle Engineering (SLE)’ offers a practical solution. It supports developers and product managers in taking sustainability aspects into account in the early engineering phase – and throughout the entire product lifecycle.

A compendium is a systematic compilation of knowledge and information on a specific topic. The recently published compendium of the SLE project is a concise and comprehensive collection of relevant sustainability aspects that significantly influence engineering. “Our aim was to provide developers with a practical tool that enables them to develop sustainable products,” says Stefan Pfeifer, project coordinator at Fraunhofer IEM. The compendium offers developers clear guidance on which aspects need to be considered in the various phases of the product life cycle – from the product idea to production and disposal. The compendium’s end-to-end approach ensures that all key sustainability factors are included in the decision-making processes. “The various approaches and solutions in the compendium can be used to make product developments more environmentally friendly,” says Stephan Kunert, Project Manager at Diebold Nixdorf.

Sustainability aspects in engineering

The sustainability aspects covered in the compendium encompass environmental, economic and social dimensions. These include resource efficiency, environmental protection, economic viability, social justice and ethical considerations. These aspects guide the development of products that are not only technically sound, but also environmentally sound and socially beneficial. “By integrating these comprehensive sustainability aspects into the development process, we create a solid basis for decisions that not only meet current requirements but are also future-proof,” says Kay Langhammer from the Wuppertal Institute. The comprehensive engineering concept in the compendium covers the entire range of engineering activities – from invention and design to the production and improvement of structures, machines and systems. The focus is on creating solutions that meet the needs of the present without compromising the possibilities of future generations.

Regulatory drivers and challenges: Sustainability as a mandatory program

Increasing regulatory requirements, such as the European Green Deal or the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), are increasing the pressure on companies to integrate sustainability into their development processes. “One example of this is the obligation to document the carbon footprint of a product over its entire life cycle,” says Pfeifer. This means that companies must not only take into account emissions during production, but also energy consumption and the environmental impact of materials, transportation and disposal. In order to meet these requirements, precise and integrated sustainability strategies are necessary that include all phases of product development. The compendium provides support in gaining an overview of these diverse requirements and implementing them in a targeted manner. It provides valuable guidance for efficiently identifying laws, relevant factors and sustainability metrics and integrating them into the development process. “Thanks to the compendium, developers have to spend less time on research and therefore have more time for the sustainable design of their products,” explains Pfeifer.

Results from research and practice

The compendium is based on extensive research, expert interviews and a survey conducted by the project team in December 2023 and January 2024. This thorough approach ensures that the compendium provides sound and practical information to help engineers integrate sustainability into their projects.

Important tool for sustainable product development

The SLE project is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and implemented by the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Design Technology (IEM), the Wuppertal Institute and the Heinz Nixdorf Institute with the industrial partners Miele & Cie, Siemens, Diebold Nixdorf, Harting and Wago. With the compendium, the project is making a decisive contribution to sustainable product development. The compendium is an important tool for companies that want to integrate sustainability into their development processes right from the start.

To the compendium

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