Oxford researchers to help make electronics more sustainable

The University of Oxford is partnering in the newly launched Responsible and Resilient Electronic and Electromagnetic (RaRE) Materials Network Plus, led by the University of Glasgow and bringing together more than 50 partners from industry, universities and government.

The network is one of four networks and nine partnerships connecting research and industry which will share in £12.8m in new funding from UKRI’s National Material Innovation Programme, announced this week.  The network aims to strengthen the UK’s electronics industry by improving the way researchers share knowledge and work together across areas such as semiconductors, wireless communications and electronic systems – bringing materials researchers closer to the people who design and manufacture electronic devices.

The UK’s electronics and technology sector supports around 100,000 jobs and contributes £100 billion a year to the economy, according to the network’s launch news release. However, disruptions to global supply chains can affect industries including telecommunications, defence, energy and car manufacturing.

Combining Oxford’s work on sustainable design and researcher development, the network will help build the knowledge, skills and partnerships needed to make the UK’s electronics industry more resilient and reduce its reliance on newly mined materials.

Professor Lucia Corsini from the Department of Engineering Science will lead two key activities: the Design for Circularity and Sustainability Challenge Driven Theme, and the Career Development and Training pathway.

Designing electronics for a more sustainable future

Electronic devices rely on critical raw materials, which can be difficult to source and recover. Growing demand and disruption to global supply chains make it increasingly important to use these materials wisely and reduce waste.

The Design for Circularity and Sustainability theme, co-led by Professor Corsini and Professor Jeff Kettle (University of Glasgow), will explore how electronic products can be designed to make them easier to repair, reuse and recycle. Keeping materials in use for longer could reduce the need to extract new resources.

Choices made when a product is first designed can affect how easily it can be repaired or recycled later. The team will bring together expertise in materials, product design, manufacturing and environmental assessment to help make sustainability a priority from the start.

“Materials innovation is a key lever for achieving a circular economy in electronics. The University of Oxford is thrilled to join the RaRE Network Plus, bringing expertise in circular economy design, circular business models and sustainability assessment, and building on existing initiatives on circular electronics.”

Professor Lucia Corsini

The team will explore how technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins – computer-based models of real-world products or systems – can help researchers understand how materials and products might perform over time. They will also use life-cycle assessment, a way of examining a product’s environmental impact throughout its life, to help identify more sustainable choices.

Planned activities include online seminars, annual events bringing together researchers and industry, and a platform to connect businesses with researchers who can help solve design challenges. Funding will also support projects exploring sustainable materials and ways to reduce environmental impacts.

The aim is to build lasting partnerships between universities, industry and policymakers, helping turn research into practical ways to make electronics more sustainable.

Supporting the next generation of researchers

Professor Corsini will also co-lead the network’s Career Development and Training pathway alongside academics from the University of Glasgow, which aims to help early-career researchers build the skills, experience and connections they need to develop their careers and put their research into practice.

Activities will include an annual forum for early-career researchers and research schools developed with the network’s specialist groups. A dedicated programme will help researchers with backgrounds in materials science learn more about electronics, encouraging people from different fields to work together.

Researchers will also have opportunities to gain experience supervising students through funded research internships. Professional organisations including the IEEE, IET, Royal Society of Chemistry and Institute of Physics will support activities to connect researchers and help them develop their careers.

The UK Electronics Skills Foundation will help coordinate activities and links with industry, drawing on its connections with more than 700 scholars involved in semiconductor-related programmes.

UKRI press release