Holistic life cycle engineering

Vehicle production is one of the most resource-intensive industries in the world and, according to Statista, generated sales of more than 564 billion euros in Germany in 2023. The Paris Climate Treaty and the global scarcity of resources necessitate a radical paradigm shift in the industry. In this context, the EU is currently revising the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, thereby proposing a future-proof system of rules that improves end-of-life recycling, promotes reutilization and ensures the most efficient utilization of valuable resources. 

Future-oriented vehicle production: Life cycle- and AI-based strategies for the circular economy

Amongst other things, these requirements are forcing car manufacturers to increase the proportion of secondary materials and to take into account – from the product-development stage onwards – the extent to which components can be dismantled and separated. At the Fraunhofer CCEM, the Fraunhofer IST, in collaboration with the TU Braunschweig and the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, is researching an AI-supported evaluation methodology that enables Re-X strategies to be effectively integrated into the development process of vehicles and their components.

With its comprehensive expertise in multi-criteria evaluation and Life Cycle Engineering, the Fraunhofer IST provides automotive manufacturers with support in the identification of potential for improvement in product development and in the profitable implementation of Re-X strategies. This not only promotes the circular economy, but also contributes towards the sustainable development of the automotive industry in Germany and Europe.