Plenary Speakers

Abstract

New, innovative economic systems are needed to decouple resource consumption from prosperity. The traditional linear “take-make-use-dispose” approach is not sustainable in the long term, and political framework conditions are also making sustainable and circular production patterns increasingly unavoidable. In our Collaborative Research Centre 1574 “Circular Factory”, we are pursuing the goal of enabling integrated production that combines linear and circular processes on an industrial scale. The aim is to systematically transfer used products into current product generations - a key step towards the vision of the “perpetual innovative product”. In order to implement this transformation, far-reaching interdisciplinary issues need to be resolved, including in the areas of production technology, product development, materials technology, ergonomics, robotics, IT and knowledge modelling. The keynote will provide insights into these challenges and show ways in which the production of the future can be designed to be sustainable and competitive.