Fresh impulses for life cycle sustainability assessment at Pforzheim

Under the theme “From LCA to Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment!?”, the event brought together around 40 early-career researchers from Germany and Austria. The aim was to explore approaches for integrated sustainability assessment — spanning environmental, economic, and social dimensions.

A major highlight was the opening keynote by Tobias Viere, CIRCOMOD member and INEC professor, who welcomed participants and introduced the conference theme of LCSA.

Throughout the workshop, young researchers presented their latest work. Among the featured contributions was a poster presentation by Alejandro Arias Castillo (Pforzheim University / INEC) titled “The Climate Life Cycle Impacts of Industry-Specific Machinery.” His research examined the climate-related environmental impacts of industry-specific machinery over its full life cycle.

In addition to traditional presentations, the event included poster pitches, interactive LCA mapping sessions, barcamps, and networking activities — formats that foster lively scientific exchange with practical relevance.

Significance for the LCA community

The 20th Ökobilanz-Werkstatt highlighted the growing importance of holistic sustainability analyses. Through the leadership of Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences and its INEC team, dialogue between research, education, and industry has been further strengthened. Contributions like those of Alejandro Arias Castillo demonstrate how current research can support more sustainable industrial processes and product systems.

Overall, the event represented an important step toward broader implementation of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment — offering new impulses, innovative methods, and a strong network of researchers committed to sustainable transformation.