Kick-Off - Future Lab Circular Economy

On August 21, 2024, the ceremonial kick-off for the new future lab Circular Economy, which is based at the Center for Digital Technologies (DIGIT) at Clausthal University of Technology, took place at GoTec in Goslar. Christoph Willeke, Member of the Lower Saxony State Parliament, opened the event and welcomed the participants. "That was a great start! I am delighted that this innovative project is being carried out here in Lower Saxony, laying another foundation stone for a sustainable future," said Willeke, who has supported the development of the project from the very beginning.

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Andreas Rausch, spokesperson of the Future Lab and Head of the Institute for Software & Systems Engineering as well as Chairman of the Board of DIGIT, the research lab is dedicated to the development of sustainable, digital solutions for the efficient use of natural resources. The project is supported by a grant of 3.7 million euros from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and the Volkswagen Foundation.

The Future Lab will specifically research the possibilities of digitalization to advance the circular economy. The core areas include improving transparency about the sustainability of products and their use, promoting sharing, reuse and repair services as well as automation and information analysis throughout the entire life cycle of products. "Through digitalization along all cycles as a driver of innovation, we not only increase transparency about material flows and component states, but also enable new digital service and business models that promote more sustainable product use," explained Prof. Dr. Rausch.

Three major sub-cycles of the circular economy are being researched as part of the project: the use and product cycle, the product design and component cycle and the recycling and material cycle.

"Cooperation between industry, research and politics is crucial for a sustainable future. I look forward to the joint projects and innovations," commented Tristan Niewisch, Managing Director of pdv-software GmbH, one of the project's practice partners.

The project consortium is pleased about the active participation of existing practice partners and is open to new interested parties. Other companies and organizations from the region, from Lower Saxony and throughout Germany are cordially invited to participate in the project if they are interested.

In addition to Clausthal University of Technology, the interdisciplinary project consortium also includes Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films, Leibniz University Hannover, OFFIS - Institute for Information Technology, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and the Technical University of Braunschweig.

Participating practice partners include ceconsoft GmbH, Electrocycling GmbH, Glaub Automation & Engineering GmbH, GREAN GmbH, Hellmann Process Management GmbH & Co. KG, Henze das Rad, Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Bremen-Oldenburg, OHLF e. V., the Oldenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce, REWIMET e. V., Siemens AG, the City of Goslar, Stiftung digitale Chancen, SWMS Consulting GmbH, Volkswagen AG, WasteAnt GmbH and zentegra gGmbH.