FERNS (Holistic integration of eco-Friendly dEsign tools and mateRials, fabrication techNologies for the responsible co-creation of future Sustainable integrated electronic systems) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network that trains 15 Doctoral Researchers (DRs) to embed circularity into the design, fabrication, integration, and societal adoption of electronic systems.

Project Vision

FERNS responds to the urgent challenge of electronic waste, resource depletion, and the environmental footprint of digital technologies. The project integrates engineering, material science, social sciences, and business research to develop circular, eco-designed electronic systems aligned with the European Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan.

Doctoral Researchers at BTU

The BTU contributions anchor the social, behavioural, and economic transformation dimension of FERNS. The work guarantees that sustainability is embedded not only in materials and manufacturing processes, but also in:

• Consumer practices
• Repair and reuse cultures
• Circular value chains
• Ethical and equitable access
• Business model innovation

DR9 – Public acceptance and appropriation

DR9 studies how people accept, use, and “appropriate” green/sustainable electronics in everyday life. The work maps consumer roles (e.g., co-designers, prosumers, multipliers, beneficiaries) and develops evidence-based tools for consumer research, based on surveys, interviews/focus groups, and comparative case studies. 

DR10 – Social sustainability dimensions for green electronics

DR10 develops a multi-dimensional social sustainability assessment for green/sustainable electronics—combining a meta-study of research with participatory work in FERNS case studies. It identifies key issues (ethics along the value chain, equity, affordability, health/wellbeing) and produces design and evaluation tools for both formative and summative assessment of green electronics projects.