Increasing requirements
The electronics industry is facing increasing demands related to sustainability, more efficient resource use, and improved documentation of climate and environmental impacts. At the same time, demand for electronic products is growing, leading to higher material consumption and increased waste. This creates a clear need to understand how the industry can become more circular.
The challenges are particularly complex in electronics sector, where products consist of many components and materials that are difficult to trace, reuse, and recycle. This makes it necessary to develop more knowledge and holistic approaches among actors across the value chain.
Circularity requires collaboration
This preliminary project is based on these challenges and aims to map barriers and opportunities for circular transition in the Norwegian electronics industry. Key issues include how materials can be better utilized throughout the value chain, how products can be designed for longer lifetimes and improved repair and reuse, and how companies can develop circular business models. In addition, there is a need for improved solutions for collecting, analysing, and reporting sustainability data.
The need for stronger collaboration within the industry is particularly relevant as both authorities and the market are placing increasingly stringent expectations on sustainability and documentation. New regulations and rising customer expectations require companies to work more systematically and knowledge-based in these areas. However, many companies lack a clear overview of where the main challenges lie and which measures provide the greatest impact.
Project approach
SINTEF contributes to the pre-project with research-based knowledge and mappings in close collaboration with industry partners in the Electronic Coast cluster. Through workshops, case analyses, maturity models, and assessment of best practices, the project identifies concrete challenges and potential measures. The work forms the basis for further R&D projects and the development of targeted solutions that can be implemented in the industry. The work is organised into the following work packages:
