The European automotive industry is faced with the task of managing the transition to a sustainable circular economy to meet legal requirements. The integration of circular strategies is particularly crucial in early product development, as this is where the greatest scope for design exists – and this is precisely where the PEARL (Probabilistic, Ecological-Economic Assistant for Circular Product Design) research project comes in. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO is working with researchers from the Vehicle Design group at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology on new approaches and an innovative software tool that is set to fundamentally change the vehicle development process.
Collaboration
In the project, Fraunhofer IAO and KTH Vehicle Design combine their expertise in life cycle modeling, sustainability, and cost efficiency. Project managers Ciarán O'Reilly (KTH) and Dr. Lukas Block (Fraunhofer IAO) plan to initially test PEARL on selected vehicle components and later transfer it to the entire vehicle sector.
Background and relevance of the circular economy
The initiative responds to regulatory drivers such as ESPR, CSRD, the new version of the End-of-Life Vehicles Ordinance and increasing demand for sustainable mobility services. Early consideration of the circular economy in product development is considered a key measure for conserving resources, reducing waste, and facilitating repair and recycling. In the long term, life cycle assessments are to be firmly anchored in the design process to realize economic and ecological benefits.
Outlook and next steps
In the coming collaboration phases, PEARL will be further developed, validated, and integrated into existing development processes in collaboration with industry partners. In the long term, the collaboration is intended to provide vehicle manufacturers and suppliers with approaches and tools for practical, transparent decision-making to optimize products for circularity.
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO
