Developed by an international consortium funded by the CORNET Initiative, Alu4CED exemplifies the power of collaboration in advancing sustainability. Together with the Polish research institutes Łukasiewicz ITR and Łukasiewicz IMN, as well as the Fraunhofer IEM, Fraunhofer IZM explored aluminum’s potential as a replacement for traditional plastic housings in WLAN routers. The result is an innovative design that uses the aluminum housing itself as a functional carrier for components and circuits, eliminating the need for bulky circuit boards.

This approach combines cutting-edge material science and eco-design principles, resulting in a compact, recyclable solution that reduces environmental impact and sets new benchmarks for sustainable product design. Aluminum’s high recyclability and lower carbon footprint compared to plastic after just two product cycles further underscore its advantages in the circular economy.

Fraunhofer IZM played a key role in the project, contributing its expertise in electronic packaging, environmental assessment, and sustainable product design. In close collaboration with its partners, the institute helped develop the new housing concept and the design for recycling. Furthermore, the IZM provides expertise in thermal and reliability testing of the lacquer- based technology. Various product design and material scenarios were assessed by the IZM using standardized lifecycle assessment (LCA) methodology.

The award was presented at KIDE 2024, held from December 5–7, 2024 in Taiwan, a globally renowned event celebrating innovation and design.