Towards a Sustainable Future: EU Safe and Sustainable by Design Framework and AI in Circular Economy

Speaker: Gesa Beck

Host: on invitation of Prof. Dierk Raabe

This talk explores two interconnected pillars of holistic sustainable development: Sustainability Improvement and Circular Economy.

1. Sustainability Improvement via SSbD in the EU CLASCO Project: The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach, as implemented in the EU-funded CLASCO project, will be presented to demonstrate how sustainability assessments their resulting recommendations can enhance the sustainability of emerging technologies. CLASCO combines additive manufacturing with laser-based surface functionalization - including laser polishing and direct laser interference patterning integrated with AI-driven in-line monitoring. A multicriteria Life Cycle Assessment illustrates how this emerging technology significantly improves sustainability compared to conventional production methods, enhancing global social responsibility, reducing environmental impacts, and strengthening European economic resilience.

2. Green Loops Project: AI-Enhanced Circular Recycling: Next, the Green Loops project - recently selected as one of the ten finalists for Manchester Prize for Clean Energy Systems - will be introduced. The project integrates production of clean energy-relevant materials into the recycling of complex waste photovoltaic modules, metallized plastics), supported by AI-driven product development, sustainability assessments, and process optimization.

By linking SSbD design principles with AI-supported circular recycling, this presentation reveals how safety, sustainability, and digital innovation reinforce each other. Participants will gain insights into advanced EU frameworks and pioneering projects that drive adoption of safe, sustainable, and circular technologies.

This presentation reveals how circularity, sustainability, and digital innovation reinforce each other. Participants will gain insights into advanced EU frameworks and pioneering projects that drive the adoption of safe, sustainable, and circular technologies.

Registration: https://plan.events.mpg.de/event/528/

The colloquia series is organized by of the International Max Planck Research School on Sustainable Metallurgy (IMPRS SusMet)