Infineon Applied sciences AG has taken over as head and coordinator of the broad-scope European analysis undertaking EECONE (European ECOsystem for greeN Electronics), supposed to make electronics in Europe extra sustainable. The target is to research the corresponding applied sciences alongside the whole worth chain, from design, manufacture and use all the way in which to recycling. EECONE is among the Key Digital Applied sciences analysis initiatives supported by the European Union as a Joint Enterprise. 49 companions are taking part within the undertaking, which has a quantity of roughly 35 million euros whole prices. The undertaking is being funded by the European Union and the nationwide governments of the taking part corporations with round 20 million euros.

“Electronics are elementary to bettering the sustainability of many functions.
However this isn’t enough, electronics themselves must develop into greener,” says
Constanze Hufenbecher, Infineon Administration Board member and Chief Digital
Transformation Officer. “Infineon is happy to tackle the lead function within the analysis
undertaking EECONE with a view to advance the round financial system along with our
companions alongside the worth chain. The one approach to obtain sustainability from design
and use and all the way in which to recycling is by working collectively.”

EECONE is aligned with the 6R idea (Scale back, Reliability, Restore, Reuse, Refurbish, Recycle); the quantity of supplies required by electronics is to be decreased, electronics are to be made extra dependable, simpler to repair and use once more, and simpler to recondition and to recycle. The undertaking will examine a complete of ten software examples from the widest attainable number of fields by way of creating inexperienced electronics. The functions are from the areas Automotive, Client Electronics, Well being, Data and Communication Applied sciences, Aviation and Agriculture. Focus factors are for instance decreasing the quantity of fabric utilized by making circuit boards thinner or smaller, or bettering sustainability by introducing supplies that are simpler to separate throughout recycling. Facilitating the substitute of not solely circuit boards but in addition of semiconductors is to make it simpler to restore units. The applied sciences concerned may additionally make it attainable to reuse and recycle digital elements. The undertaking will as well as develop applied sciences which for instance generate and retailer their very own energy in IoT units. New, ecologically pleasant supplies are to make it simpler to recycle lithium-ion batteries. Synthetic Intelligence will probably be used to lengthen the service lives of digital tools, whereas instruments for extra sustainable digital design, together with complete affect assessments for the usage of electronics, are to be developed as nicely. EECONE additionally covers the use, dissemination and standardization of electronics and can prepare specialists in dealing with digital refuse.

The EECONE analysis undertaking has a deliberate length of three years. It would set up decisive foundations for the sustainable improvement, manufacturing and use of electronics in Europe. The on-site inaugural occasion of the undertaking will probably be held in Toulouse on 20 and 21 September 2023.