Why Digitalization and Sustainability Belong Together

Picture of Gerhard Friederici Gerhard Friederici 22.11.2024

Digitalisation Insights

“Twin transformation” and ‘digitainability’ are terms that Benjamin Schleich uses to emphasize the inseparability of digital transformation and sustainability strategies in companies. CADFEM employee Marc Vidal met with the Professor of Product Lifecycle Management at the Technical University (TU) of Darmstadt, Germany, for a conversation about mindset, competitive advantages and practical approaches for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Benjamin, you are head of the Product Lifecycle Management department at TU Darmstadt. What is the main focus of your research?

In our research, we focus on the development of products and processes from a life cycle perspective. We map complete product life cycles virtually in order to design them in a more resource-efficient way. The aim is to achieve data-driven sustainability or “design for sustainability”, i.e. the early evaluation of design decisions with regard to the sustainability of products during their manufacture and subsequent operation.

What are the main drivers of this trend in the industry?

Many companies are responding to the tangible consequences of climate change and are thus assuming social responsibility. In addition, legislation in this area is being tightened. A third point is that sustainability can save costs and even develop new business models. Companies who think about sustainability right from the development stage have a competitive advantage. After all, greater energy efficiency reduces production costs, and a good environmental footprint is increasingly a decisive factor for customers.

Turning to the technical side, what do you think are the most important “ingredients” for implementing data-driven sustainability?

In my view, it is crucial that the right mindset for sustainability is anchored in the company, with clear responsibilities that extend beyond product development. On the technical side, prospective life cycle analyses are essential. This requires modern development tools - i.e. CAD, CAE, PLM, as well as detailed material data and precise information on life cycle assessment. All of this needs to be linked in a meaningful way.

Tip

Guideline (German) for implementing Design for Sustainability (D4S) in medium-sized companies with Prof. Benjamin Schleich.

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This topic doesn't just affect the big players, but also SMEs, such as medium-sized mechanical engineering companies. What do you recommend they do to approach “Design for Sustainability”?

The right approach is a step-by-step strategy - instead of tackling it as a huge project straight away. I think it's particularly important that sustainability goes hand in hand with digitalization, as this offers a lot of levers for becoming more efficient. This is referred to as “twin transformation” or “digitainability”. This combination is key to anchoring sustainability in product development. My recommendation is also to get expert support, for example from research partners like us and digital engineering specialists such as CADFEM.

From your experience, what would be the first step to take?

In my opinion, the first step is to define your own situation and the relevant aspects. No matter which solution you implement later, it must always follow the individual starting point. One mistake you should avoid is implementing solutions or tools that don't actually fit your company and the respective problems. From the outset, it is crucial to define where data-driven improvements can deliver relatively quick results. Once understood, the next steps usually become self-evident.