Consequences of the global economic miracle
Between 1950 and 2005, global metal production increased sixfold, oil consumption increased eightfold, and natural gas exploitation increased fourteenfold. Alarming resource consumption, if it continues unabated, may mean that future generations will not have sufficient access to raw materials.
Man’s industrial activity has already decisively changed the face of the earth – sometimes to such an extent that the livelihood of the entire human race must be called into question.
Effective
Life cycle
Sustainable manufacturing should be established as an integral part of the production, marketing, and use of manufactured goods. This means that the entire life cycle of a product – right through to scrapping or recycling – should be considered in terms of environmental compatibility and sustainability.
In addition, social factors such as the absence of exploitation, child labor, or dangerous working conditions are increasingly being understood as sustainable by civil society.
New paths for the industry
Sustainability is a competitive factor of increasing importance for industrial production in Germany. The core objectives are to reduce resource consumption, to dispense with materials that are harmful to the environment, and to design consistent recycling from the outset.
In addition to optimizing existing processes, the New Production Institute sees itself in the task of breaking completely new ground here. The first step in this direction is local, individualized production (for example, in open labs or open factories), which enables the significant shortening of supply chains and a significantly reduced ecological footprint.
Our goal
Developing concrete and applicable solutions for Sustainable Manufacturing is not only a challenge but also an obligation. The New Production Institute comprises a team of experts that has been dedicated to this goal for years. This path is to be ambitiously continued in order to be a pioneer for promising future projects.
Info: Sustainable Manufacturing
Sustainable Manufacturing aims to quantify, evaluate, minimize and influence the ecological footprint of a product as early as the product design, manufacturing processes, and use stage (Life Cycle Assessment).
This task cannot be accomplished by engineers, software developers, or mechanical engineers alone.
An interdisciplinary approach is needed to link economic efficiency with sociological, environmental, climate-friendly, and other standards.