Vision for a circularity-driven functional electronics integration
Fuente:
Zenodo
Gespeichert in:
| 1. Verfasser: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Recurso digital |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Veröffentlicht: |
Zenodo
2025
|
| Schlagworte: | |
| Online-Zugang: | |
| Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
| _version_ | 1866901704918695936 |
|---|---|
| author | VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik |
| author_facet | VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik |
| contents | <p>The transition to a circular economy is a crucial step toward achieving sustainability in the automotive sector, aligning with the European Union’s green and digital transformation goals. The UNICORN Research and Innovation Action (RIA), funded under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe, positions Functional Electronics (FE) as a key enabler of circular mobility systems. This initiative outlines a vision for the future of circularity in printed and flexible electronics, presenting a structured roadmap for integrating these innovations within the automotive industry. By accelerating this transition, UNICORN offers a scalable and replicable model for sustainable electronics applications.<br>Functional Electronics have transformative potential in automotive design and manufacturing, facilitating the use of lightweight, low-impact, and bio-based materials while leveraging resource-efficient production techniques such as additive and net-shape manufacturing. <br>Embedding eco-design principles into automotive electronics allows for decoupling environmental impact from industrial growth, ensuring resource efficiency and lifecycle circularity. FE integration fosters modularity, reparability, and improved material recovery, catalysing the transition toward circular value chains.<br>At the heart of this deliverable is the vision for circular printed electronics, which serves as the foundation for achieving transformative sustainability outcomes, including reduced carbon emissions, improved modularity, and enhanced recyclability. This vision is built upon a comprehensive context map, which outlines the complex regulatory framework, evolving mobility trends, market developments in functional electronics for the automotive sector, and key functionalities. These interconnected elements provide the basis for a systematic roadmap for sustainable electronics integration.<br>Hereby, the UNICORN project conducts an in-depth analysis of global market trends, evolving mobility trends, and regulatory landscapes, highlighting the growing importance of lightweight, flexible, and multifunctional electronic systems. By aligning with global decarbonisation goals and circular economy strategies, functional electronics can play a pivotal role in accelerating sustainability initiatives across multiple industries.<br>Building upon the findings of this deliverable, a comprehensive roadmap will be developed and provide targeted recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders to facilitate the transition from technical feasibility to large-scale deployment. These next steps will further define how functional electronics can drive impactful contributions to global sustainability goals, shaping the future of circular and sustainable mobility. The vision outlined in UNICORN serves as the guiding framework for these efforts, ensuring that the proposed solutions are aligned with regulatory requirements, market demands, and environmental priorities. This work will lay the foundation for future advancements in sustainable technologies, ensuring their practical adoption and long-term impact within and beyond the automotive sector.<br>The UNICORN vision for circular Functional Electronics in the automotive sector is centred on achieving the right amount of resources for the realisation of functionality.<br>This means that materials and energy are used efficiently to enable high-performing, durable, and sustainable electronic components while aligning with circular economy principles. The goal is to transition towards a system where functional electronics are designed for longevity, adaptability, and end-of-life recovery, minimising waste and resource depletion.<br>The vision revolves around two transformative pillars:</p> <ol> <li>Extended functionalisation of printed electronics to replace conventional electronics</li> <li>Positioning printed electronics as a blueprint for sustainable electronics, with the introduction of a transversal "greening" functionality that can be adapted to conventional electronics.</li> </ol> <p>These pillars reflect the dual need to enhance sustainability of the electronic sector while pushing the boundaries of performance and integration of printed electronics.</p> |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_17897120 |
| institution | Zenodo |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | Vision for a circularity-driven functional electronics integration VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik Flexible electronics Circularity Automotive functional electronics <p>The transition to a circular economy is a crucial step toward achieving sustainability in the automotive sector, aligning with the European Union’s green and digital transformation goals. The UNICORN Research and Innovation Action (RIA), funded under the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe, positions Functional Electronics (FE) as a key enabler of circular mobility systems. This initiative outlines a vision for the future of circularity in printed and flexible electronics, presenting a structured roadmap for integrating these innovations within the automotive industry. By accelerating this transition, UNICORN offers a scalable and replicable model for sustainable electronics applications.<br>Functional Electronics have transformative potential in automotive design and manufacturing, facilitating the use of lightweight, low-impact, and bio-based materials while leveraging resource-efficient production techniques such as additive and net-shape manufacturing. <br>Embedding eco-design principles into automotive electronics allows for decoupling environmental impact from industrial growth, ensuring resource efficiency and lifecycle circularity. FE integration fosters modularity, reparability, and improved material recovery, catalysing the transition toward circular value chains.<br>At the heart of this deliverable is the vision for circular printed electronics, which serves as the foundation for achieving transformative sustainability outcomes, including reduced carbon emissions, improved modularity, and enhanced recyclability. This vision is built upon a comprehensive context map, which outlines the complex regulatory framework, evolving mobility trends, market developments in functional electronics for the automotive sector, and key functionalities. These interconnected elements provide the basis for a systematic roadmap for sustainable electronics integration.<br>Hereby, the UNICORN project conducts an in-depth analysis of global market trends, evolving mobility trends, and regulatory landscapes, highlighting the growing importance of lightweight, flexible, and multifunctional electronic systems. By aligning with global decarbonisation goals and circular economy strategies, functional electronics can play a pivotal role in accelerating sustainability initiatives across multiple industries.<br>Building upon the findings of this deliverable, a comprehensive roadmap will be developed and provide targeted recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders to facilitate the transition from technical feasibility to large-scale deployment. These next steps will further define how functional electronics can drive impactful contributions to global sustainability goals, shaping the future of circular and sustainable mobility. The vision outlined in UNICORN serves as the guiding framework for these efforts, ensuring that the proposed solutions are aligned with regulatory requirements, market demands, and environmental priorities. This work will lay the foundation for future advancements in sustainable technologies, ensuring their practical adoption and long-term impact within and beyond the automotive sector.<br>The UNICORN vision for circular Functional Electronics in the automotive sector is centred on achieving the right amount of resources for the realisation of functionality.<br>This means that materials and energy are used efficiently to enable high-performing, durable, and sustainable electronic components while aligning with circular economy principles. The goal is to transition towards a system where functional electronics are designed for longevity, adaptability, and end-of-life recovery, minimising waste and resource depletion.<br>The vision revolves around two transformative pillars:</p> <ol> <li>Extended functionalisation of printed electronics to replace conventional electronics</li> <li>Positioning printed electronics as a blueprint for sustainable electronics, with the introduction of a transversal "greening" functionality that can be adapted to conventional electronics.</li> </ol> <p>These pillars reflect the dual need to enhance sustainability of the electronic sector while pushing the boundaries of performance and integration of printed electronics.</p> |
| title | Vision for a circularity-driven functional electronics integration |
| topic | Flexible electronics Circularity Automotive functional electronics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17897120 |