Digital Sustainability

Fraunhofer FIT, Wuppertal Institute, and the ecosign Institut für nachhaltige Zukunft (ecosign Institute for a Sustainable Future) have joined forces to develop innovative, scientifically sound solutions that effectively address current challenges of sustainable development. In particular, legal requirements such as the EU Taxonomy, various sustainability reporting obligations, the Green Claims Directive or the Ecodesign Regulation call for innovative approaches to reducing CO2 emissions and using resources sustainably. 

European economy, our political system and society at large are faced with the challenge of designing processes, products and services in a way that is both ecologically and economically sustainable. Climate change and its consequences, scarcity of resources and environmental pollution are increasing the urgency of measures to improve sustainability. This is where the cooperation between Fraunhofer FIT, Wuppertal Institute and the ecosign Institute comes into play: The three partners are developing a portfolio of coordinated services – from research results ready for implementation to training and education programs to scientific transformation support for companies and organizations. This will allow them to address a broad spectrum of potential clients and to address both local and global challenges. The focus is on comprehensive support services for sustainability assessments, the design of sustainable products and processes, and the use of generative AI to increase both efficiency and sustainability.

The complementary competencies of the three partners promise strong results from the collaboration. Wuppertal Institute is an expert in sustainability, especially in the field of energy, resources and climate research. In the cooperation they will mainly focus on sustainability and resource management, sustainability assessment and planning of transformation processes, designs for closed-loop recycling and sustainability, as well as related educational concepts. Fraunhofer FIT contributes its expertise in human-centered development of digital solutions, data platforms, AI-based applications, living labs and professional training. This ensures that people's needs are taken into account and that the potential for increasing efficiency and conserving resources can be realized. ecosign Institut is an expert in assisting companies and organizations in their ecological transformation processes. It supports the development and implementation of sustainable products and services, including valid sustainability reporting and effective sustainability communication.

By joining forces, the three partners aim to provide a wide range of more effective, science-based, practical solutions to the problems that companies face in their transition to sustainable development.