Institute of Automotive Management and Industrial Production (AIP) - Production and Logistics

Prof. Dr. Thomas S. Spengler was honored to be received by Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Schloss Bellevue on 23.10.2024, as part of a celebratory dinner with members of the Wissenschaftsrat. It was an evening of meaningful exchange and remarkable impressions that will be remembered for years to come. The Wissenschaftsrat (German Science and Humanities Council), established in 1957, serves as Germany's leading advisory body for science policy, offering strategic guidance to federal and state governments on advancing research, science, and higher education.

From October 3-5, the Global Product Systems Sustainability (GPSS) Workshop 2024 took place at the University of Rhode Island, co-organized by Manbir Sodhi, Prof. Dr. Thomas S. Spengler, and Alexander Barke. With 25 participants from leading research institutions, the workshop facilitated in-depth discussions on the pressing issues of sustainability. Under the central theme of the workshop, “Opportunities, challenges, and risks of a circular economy in the context of achieving absolute sustainability”, five engaging sessions were held: 1. Absolute Sustainability (Michael Hauschild  and Christoph Herrmann) 2. Circular Economy Concepts (Prof. Dr. Thomas S. Spengler and Grit Walther) 3. Industrial Decarbonization and Demand (Daniel Cooper, Heather Liddell, Roland Geyer, and Daniela Pigosso) 4. The Social Dimensions of a Circular Economy (Karsten Kieckhäfer and Manbir Sodhi) 5. Negotiation Game: Conoco’s Green Oil Strategy (Timothy Gutowski) We would like to thank all participants for their insightful contributions and delightful discussions. Your engagement made this workshop a truly valuable experience. We look forward to welcoming you again at GPSS 2026!

Congratulations on the great work! It's inspiring to see such impactful research on energy efficiency in crane operations. A big thank you to Matthias Heinicke, Siemens, and all collaborators for their contributions!

We at the Institute of Automotive Management and Industrial Production (AIP) - Production and Logistics would also like to thank our project partners and the BMBF for supporting the #SIMTEGRAL project.   As the final video shows, the interdisciplinary collaboration has produced a wide range of results, all aimed at promoting a more sustainable design of battery supply chains. For those interested in further exploring our work related to the SIMTEGRAL project, detailed results can be found in the following publications:   https://lnkd.in/eTyzE46C   https://lnkd.in/d6bRNNKZ   https://lnkd.in/dFtfDh_j   https://lnkd.in/eMMBqYzi

We are thrilled to announce that our colleague Yannik Graupner has recently published an article in the Journal of Industrial Ecology. The paper, titled "Effects of European Emissions Trading on the Transformation of Primary Steelmaking: Assessment of Economic and Climate Impacts in a Case Study from Germany", delves into the topic of decarbonizing energy-intensive industries. This research is particularly relevant in today’s context, as it evaluates how European emissions trading impacts the transformation of primary steelmaking facilities, focusing on economic outcomes as well as resulting greenhouse gas emissions. By combining activity analysis, life cycle assessment, and optimization, Yannik and his co-authors have provided a methodological framework that supports steel manufacturers in transforming their production infrastructure. Also, valuable insights into how legislative changes can accelerate the adoption of low-carbon technologies in steel production are provided. This publication underscores the importance of our institute’s ongoing efforts to contribute to the global discourse on sustainable industrial practices. Congratulations, Yannik, on this outstanding achievement! Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/du-tsg6e

At the beginning of this month, our colleague Karen Ohmstede attended the International System Dynamics Conference (ISDC) in Bergen, Norway, from August 4th to 8th. This event brought together experts and professionals from around the world to explore and discuss the latest developments in system dynamics. At this conference, Karen presented a work-in-progress titled "The Role of Airports During the Transformation Towards Hydrogen-Based Aviation."   We appreciate the organizers for hosting a successful conference and look forward to the next ISDC in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA.

We place great value on international academic exchange and collaboration at our institute and at Technische Universität Braunschweig. This is why we were thrilled to host Liam Caldwell as a DAAD RISE Intern for the past nine weeks. We extend our sincere thanks to DAAD German Academic Exchange Service for this opportunity. Liam has been diligently working on a life cycle assessment of various conventional and alternative fuels for truck transport, such as hydrogen and HVO100. His research took into account the spatial, technological, and temporal dimensions to compare different versions of each supply chain. His findings, which align with existing literature, once again highlight the critical importance of a green electric energy grid for a sustainable future road transport system. We look forward to seeing Liam's continued achievements and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the guidance and support provided by Tjard Bätge. 

Exciting News from the Institute of Automotive Management and Industrial Production (AIP) - Production and Logistics and the Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology (IWF)! We want to share our latest research findings on the circular battery production in the EU. In our recent paper, published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, we integrated prospective life cycle assessment into system dynamics modeling to quantify achievable recycled content and environmental impacts of circular battery production in Europe. Key Findings:  -       Post-consumer battery waste alone may not meet the specified levels of recycled materials due to long battery lifetimes. -       Avoidance of post-production waste results in 9% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to recycling with 100% recycling efficiency. -       The delay between production and recycling limits the potential for circular production, which significantly depends on market conditions. -       Besides recycling, the industry needs to advance production processes including upstream material extraction and refinement to reduce environmental impacts Find out more in our open access paper: https://lnkd.in/dDder8VM Great collaboration between Raphael Ginster, Steffen Blömeke, Jan-Linus Popien, Christian Scheller, Felipe Cerdas, Christoph Herrmann, Prof. Dr. Thomas S. Spengler #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #LithiumIonBatteryProduction #IndustrialEcology #TUBraunschweig #BatteryLabFactoryBraunschweig #CircularLIB

The article of our colleague Dr. Alexander Barke "Green Batteries for Clean Skies: Sustainability Assessment of Lithium-Sulfur All-Solid-State Batteries for Electric Aircraft" has become one of the most downloaded articles in the Journal of Industrial Ecology (A-ranking). The article investigates the environmental and socio-economic impacts of lithium-sulfur all-solid-state batteries (LiS-ASSBs) for short-haul electric aircraft and introduces a new metric to quantify their contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The article was written in the context of the Cluster of Excellence SE²A - Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Aviation and highlights the importance of our research in the field of sustainable aviation. Thank you to everyone who has read and shared our work. Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/d-TsU_wG

14 students of the Technische Universität Braunschweig had the opportunity to experience the transition to a green industry first hand during our excursion to the Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH.   As part of our lectures Production Facility Management and Sustainability in Production and Logistics we visited a blast furnace and the hot rolling mill, while the engineers explained the current production processes and their transition to a hydrogen-based production of green steel as part of the SALCOS project. We would like to thank the Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH for giving the students the opportunity to get an insight into the challenges and opportunities the steel industry faces in their transition to a sustainable production of steel.