35th EDM Workshop: Environmental Impact of Digitalization

Invitation: 

Today no company can ignore the sustainability and environmental impact of its products and business. The digitalization of society associated with the proliferation of electronics everywhere implies that electronics is a key element in the environmental impact of a growing number of products, systems, installations and services. This workshop dives into the challenges of assessing the environmental impact of electronics through-out its lifetime.

An Vercalsteren of VITO will introduce the basic elements and the state-of-the-art of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is generally applied to assess the environmental impact of a product or service over its full life cycle. 

Unfortunately, the actual state-of-the-art of the Life Cycle Assessment and the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases, do not allow an accurate assessment of the environmental impact of electronics. Furthermore, the cumbersome nature of LCA severely limits its useability as an eco-design supporting tool. Geert Willems, imec-EDM Forum, will explain how a lean eco-design methodology based on parametric LCI-models may be a workable alternative, also for the SME. The parametric LCI-models provide an answer to the shortcomings of LCI data records as they are used today. Parametric LCI models for PCB manufacturing and Printed Board Assembly will be presented.

Cedric Rollin, imec-SSTS, will discuss the environmental impact of IC manufacturing and the challenges of its impact assessment. Sustainable Semiconductor Technologies and Systems is a new department and research program at imec joined by World leading companies like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and several to engage into more sustainable IC manufacturing.

Also the use of electronics for mobile communication, cloud computing, data streaming, machine learning, etc., may contribute significantly to e.g. climate change if not managed properly.  Jean-Pierre Raskin, UCLouvain, will discuss the environmental impact of a digital society in operation.

The workshop will close with a Q&A session followed by a networking opportunity with some alcohol-free drinks and snacks.

Presentations: 
  • Intro: Introduction
  • Presentation 1: Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment, LCI and LCIA
  • Presentation 2: Internet-of-Things for the best and the worst
  • Presentation 3: Lean eco-design of electronics based on parametric LCI analysis
  • Presentation 4: Parametric LCI analysis of PCB manufacturing and assembly
  • Presentation 5: Assessing the environmental impact of integrated circuit chip manufacturing
Date: 
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Agenda: 

13h00 Welcome

13h30  Intro to Life Cycle Assessment, LCI and LCIA
            An Vercalsteren, VITO
14h00  Internet-of-Things for the better or the worst
            Jean-Pierre Raskin, UCLouvain
14h30  Lean eco-design of electronics based on parametric Life Cycle Inventory analysis
            Geert Willems, imec-EDM Forum
15h00  Parametric LCI of PCB manufacturing and assembly
            Maarten Cauwe imec-CMST, Geert Willems imec-EDM Forum
15h30  Assessing the environmental impact of integrated circuit chip manufacturing
            Cedric Rolin, imec-SSTS
16h00  Q&A and discussion.
16h30  Networking
18h00  Closure

Subscription: 

You can register here by clicking Add to Cart.

Registration fee will be invoiced after the workshop (non-members).

imec collaboraters, please register here.

Location: 
imec, Leuven - Auditorium
Participation fee: 

EDM forum members: free of charge

Non-members: 100 Euro invoiced after the workshop.