Objective

Enterprises often lack the expertise to adapt life-cycle responsible design in business operations. On the other hand, today’s students, the future professionals, need to learn how to embed circular economy principles into product design. We bring these 2 groups together by creating a modular education package where Master students around Europe analyse genuine industrial cases by utilizing modern pedagogical approaches such as virtual reality.

The solution (technology)

Circular economy demands new approaches to the product design phase. In the product design phase, many decisions are made that determine the circularity of the product as well as its overall sustainability. These issues can be further supported with optimal value chain and business model choices and innovations.

A transformation towards circular economy and sustainability is a significant issue that should be addressed not only by governments but also companies and academia. The e-CirP project initiates a platform of education modules to bring together actors within European countries to accelerate the transformation through Master of Science education. It provides an interactive education, networking and knowledge-sharing opportunity for students in the fields of environmental, mechanical, chemical, energy, civil and industrial engineering, sustainability assessment and product design. In addition, it provides an opportunity for companies to have their actual and topical challenges related to, for example, product design, life-cycle sustainability or circularity, to be examined by postgraduate students under the guidance of subject experts.

Partners

  • Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland (Lead Partner)
  • Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (Fraunhofer), Germany
  • Metso Outotec, Finland
  • Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
  • Technische Universiteit Delft (Delft University of Technology), Netherlands
  • Università degli Studi di Padova (University of Padova), Italy
  • University of Helsinki, Finland

For more information, please visit the project web page.