EXC 3035:  Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era (REC²)

• Subject Area: Materials Science ; Electrical Engineering and Information Technology ; Computer Science ; Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry ; Molecular Chemistry ; Condensed Matter Physics ; Social Sciences ; Economics
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 533607596

“Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era” (REC²) will create disruptive paradigm shifts in the conceptualisation, design, realisation, usage and end-of-life treatment of electronic devices. Our society is dependent on electronics, which are increasingly integrated into every aspect of our lives. Electronics are essential for our continued progress, providing solutions to global challenges like climate change. At the same time, electronics are also part of the problem: their already vast energy needs continue to grow, and their ever-shorter replacement cycles drive enormous consumption. The resulting depletion of critical natural resources is further exacerbated by difficulties with recycling: e-waste contains numerous densely packed chemical compounds that are not only challenging to separate but are also often hazardous. These multi-faceted challenges are increasingly recognised in society – including within the electronics industry and research community – and urgently demand a fundamental change in our approach to electronics. REC² will provide the science essential for the realisation of responsible electronics that integrate environmental and social sustainability criteria across all technology levels. By creating a novel library of materials that can be disassembled on demand, REC² will enable the reuse of electronic components. Moreover, controllably biodegradable materials and devices for short-lived electronics, such as smart labels, will rot at their end-of-life and prevent e-waste entirely. REC² will address the growing demand for ubiquitous sensing and communication by demonstrating innovative, self-sufficient systems. These should ultimately replace current design and manufacturing approaches in favour of resource-saving, energy-efficient concepts to reduce environmental impact. REC² will finally identify device designs that would enable to recycle electronic components in an ecologically and economically sensible manner. To realise this highly ambitious vision, we will bring together an interdisciplinary team of natural scientists, engineers, social and environmental scientists, economists, as well as resource management and recycling experts. Our unique approach to technological innovation will respect the importance of sustainability, resource and energy management in a circular economy, laying the foundation for responsible electronics. Together with its partners, TUD Dresden University of Technology offers a perfect match of expertise – as exemplified by an outstanding list of principal investigators – and an ideal environment for the success of the innovative and ambitious REC² approach. REC² will place the TUD at the forefront of sustainable electronics at a decisive time in the climate change era and significantly strengthen the growing microelectronics research and technology hub in Saxony.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
• Participating Institution: Fraunhofer-Institut für Organische Elektronik, Elektronenstrahl- und Plasmatechnik (FEP); Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR); Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden; Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden (IFW) e.V.; Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V. (IPF); NaMLab gGmbH; Ruhr-Universität Bochum; Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg; Technische Universität Berlin; Technische Universität Chemnitz; Technische Universität Darmstadt; Technische Universität Hamburg
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Andreas Fery; Professorin Dr. Yana Vaynzof
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Dr. Marlen Gabriele Arnold; Professorin Dr. Larysa Baraban; Professor Dr.-Ing. Jeronimo Castrillon-Mazo; Professor Dr. Alexey Chernikov; Professorin Dr. Anjana Devi; Professorin Dr. Samanthi Dijkstra-Silva; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Christina Dornack; Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Ellinger; Professor Dr. Sven Engesser; Professor Dr. Artur Philipp Nikolaus Erbe; Professor Dr. Xinliang Feng; Professor Jens Gutzmer, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Edeltraud Günther; Professorin Dr. Elizabeth von Hauff; Professor Dr. Stefan Kaskel; Professor Dr. Akash Kumar; Professor Dr. Stefan Mannsfeld; Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Mikolajick; Professor Dr. Ivan Minev; Professor Dr. Kornelius Nielsch; Professor Dr. Michael Sommer; Susann Wagenknecht, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Marco Zimmerling