AT&S Conducts Research on Green Electronics for Europe

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AT&S is working on the EECONE (European ECOsystem for greeN Electronics) project to develop new technologies to make electronics production in Europe more sustainable.

Together with 48 other companies and research institutions covering the entire value chain, AT&S is working on the EECONE (European ECOsystem for greeN Electronics) project to develop new technologies to make electronics production in Europe more sustainable. The project, with a volume of 35 million euros, is scheduled to run for three years and is funded by the European Union and the participating member states with 20 million euros.

EECONE is a large-scale research project led by the German chip manufacturer Infineon, which aims to find new ways to make the electronics industry in Europe more sustainable along the entire value chain. The aim is to minimize the use of valuable resources in manufacturing processes by researching better ways to recycle, repair and recondition electronic components and, among other things, alternative materials. The reduction of non-recyclable waste and improved recycling systems are also the subject of research in the project.

AT&S brings experience to the table

"This is an excellent project for us because it fits perfectly into our existing sustainability strategy," says Marina Hornasek-Metzl, Senior Director ESG at AT&S. "We also focus on a holistic view of the product life cycle. Modern EcoDesign guidelines for ecologically compatible production and topics such as increasing resource efficiency are also points in which AT&S can contribute to EECONE on the basis of existing know-how. We are always striving to make our products and production processes as sustainable as possible and are therefore investing 1.2 million in our own funds and subsidies in the project."

Green electronics work

The EECONE project was officially opened on 20 September 2023 with a festive ceremony in Toulouse and the researchers in the participating companies and institutions are already waiting in the wings to implement their ideas for a more sustainable electronics industry in Europe. At AT&S, the "Resource Efficiency" group of the research department, headed by Christof Wernbacher and under the patronage of the ESG team, is already in the process of defining the first specifications and implementation concepts for green printed circuit boards. "Today, electronic circuits can be found in almost every device we use in everyday life, from coffee machines to smartphones to electric cars," says AT&S CTO Peter Griehsnig. "As a result, holistic solutions for our products and processes have a disproportionate influence. If our substrates and printed circuit boards use resources in the most environmentally friendly way possible and electronic waste can be further minimized, then we will be able to make a significant contribution to a more sustainable future."

Over the next three years, AT&S will continue to expand its expertise in the field of sustainability in order to be able to offer customers green solutions in all market segments. Life cycle assessment, which is already being used for the life cycles of many products, is to be further improved and taken into account as standard in the company's offerings for customers in the future.

Other project partners will work in parallel within the framework of EECONE to produce microchips in a more resource-efficient manner and to design them more sustainably. The development of energy-efficient, networked sensors that do not require an external power supply is also part of the research plan, as is the use of data analysis tools to optimize the lifespan of electronic products.