Introduction of the Research Project
EcoING—Development
and Implementation of an Ecodesign
Learning Factory for the University
Engineering Education
Daniela Kattwinkel and Beate Bender
1 Introduction and Motivation
The topic of sustainability has been in the public for some time and still enjoys an
increasing attention. Especially for companies, a sustainable orientation offers the
chance for technological innovation and increases the economic competitiveness (Die
Bundesregierung 2016). This requires the development of new or improved products and services. However, the development of environmentally compatible and
sustainable products represents a complex challenge, since a multitude of partially
competing technical, economic and ecological requirements have to be considered
(Abele et al. 2008, p. 2). Ecodesign (or environmentally compatible product development) is a developmental approach that integrates these requirements throughout the
entire product lifecycle. “The objective is to create sustainable solutions that satisfy
human needs and desires” (Karlsson and Luttropp 2006, p. 1291).
Ecodesign is understood to be a proactive, systematic design approach, in which
a product’s environmental impacts are already considered during the product development to minimize the use of resources throughout the entire product life cycle
without impairing other key targets such as the product’s functionality, quality or
cost (Johansson 2002, p. 98). Within the product development, the choice of functions, functional principles and materials determine the ecological, technical and
economic product properties (Feldhusen and Grote 2013, p. 253). According to this,
an early testing and improvement of the ecological properties of a product is the
starting point for a successful product development (Oberender 2006, p. 31). Over
D. Kattwinkel (B) · B. Bender
Chair for Product Development, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-University Bochum,
Universitaetsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
e-mail: kattwinkel@lpe.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
B. Bender
e-mail: bender@lpe.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting
the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_34
541
EcoING—Development
and Implementation of an Ecodesign
Learning Factory for the University
Engineering Education
Daniela Kattwinkel and Beate Bender
1 Introduction and Motivation
The topic of sustainability has been in the public for some time and still enjoys an
increasing attention. Especially for companies, a sustainable orientation offers the
chance for technological innovation and increases the economic competitiveness (Die
Bundesregierung 2016). This requires the development of new or improved products and services. However, the development of environmentally compatible and
sustainable products represents a complex challenge, since a multitude of partially
competing technical, economic and ecological requirements have to be considered
(Abele et al. 2008, p. 2). Ecodesign (or environmentally compatible product development) is a developmental approach that integrates these requirements throughout the
entire product lifecycle. “The objective is to create sustainable solutions that satisfy
human needs and desires” (Karlsson and Luttropp 2006, p. 1291).
Ecodesign is understood to be a proactive, systematic design approach, in which
a product’s environmental impacts are already considered during the product development to minimize the use of resources throughout the entire product life cycle
without impairing other key targets such as the product’s functionality, quality or
cost (Johansson 2002, p. 98). Within the product development, the choice of functions, functional principles and materials determine the ecological, technical and
economic product properties (Feldhusen and Grote 2013, p. 253). According to this,
an early testing and improvement of the ecological properties of a product is the
starting point for a successful product development (Oberender 2006, p. 31). Over
D. Kattwinkel (B) · B. Bender
Chair for Product Development, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-University Bochum,
Universitaetsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
e-mail: kattwinkel@lpe.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
B. Bender
e-mail: bender@lpe.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting
the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_34
541