EcoDesign for Circular Value Creation: Volume I

This 2-volume book sheds new light on the forefront of ecodesign research, encompassing product and service design, smart manufacturing, and social perspectives. Featuring selected papers from EcoDesign 2023: 13th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, it offers interdisciplinary approaches to foster sustainable innovations. Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it underscores the necessity for the manufacturing sector to innovate for sustainable value creation, taking into account technological advancements, regulatory requirements, and consumer behavior. Additionally, it explores the concept of the circular economy, which originated in Europe and seeks to enhance resource efficiency by transitioning from a linear to a circular economic model. This book aims to unite professionals across the globe who are dedicated to advancing the field of ecodesign, and facilitating the exchange of knowledge across various disciplines and communities.

The first volume highlights the product life cycle design and management, sustainability assessment for ecoDesign, and circular economy. Readers will delve into the environmentally conscious design of products and services, life cycle management, sustainable manufacturing, EoL management and process technologies, green supply chain management, life cycle evaluation, and sustainability indices. Contributions from renowned scholars provide critical insights into ecodesign regulations compliance processes like EPD certifications; consumer behavior towards eco-labels; innovative business models for sustainability; participatory approaches for ESG initiatives; digital twins for real-time life cycle assessment; AI techniques supporting wastewater treatment; among others.

Dr. Fukushige is a professor at the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University. After obtaining his doctor’s degree in precision machinery engineering from the University of Tokyo in 2006, he began work at Osaka University as an assistant professor. Since 2014, he served as an associate professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University before moving to Waseda University in 2020. His current research interests include product life cycle design and management, simulation of circular economy, environmentally conscious product and service design, and circular business design.

Tomomi Nonaka specializes in production systems engineering and service engineering. She obtained a Ph.D in Systems Engineering at Keio University, Japan. She graduated from the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University, and entered the Graduate School of System Design and Management at Keio University as a first-year student, completing the master's and doctoral programs. After serving as a specially appointed assistant professor at the Graduate School of Systems Informatics, Kobe University, an assistant professor at the Department of Management Systems Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, and an associate professor at the College of Gastronomy Management, Ritsumeikan University, she became a professor at the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University. In recent years, she has been engaged in research on sustainable business and social system design.

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University. Dean, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2024. He holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Hokkaido University and a Ph.D. in Design Engineering from the Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. He was engaged as a senior manager in the field of environmental and sustainable technologies at Toshiba Research and Development Center before assuming his current position. Chairman of the Carbon Neutrality Research Association. Co-director of the Italian Design Summer School (IDSS) at the University of Bologna. His main research interests are sustainable systems design and management, sustainable consumption and production, sustainable manufacturing, and sustainable transportation systems.

Chiharu Tokoro is engaged in research on "Elucidation of mechanism and control of separation for toxic elements at the solid-liquid interface", "Development of novel separation materials and processes for useful elements", "Development of smart solid / solid separation technology and process for resources circulation", "Optimization of resources recycling process based on life cycle thinking" as well.

Graduated from the University of Tokyo in 2003 (Doctoral degree of Engineering). Worked for Waseda University as an Assistant from 2004, Lecturer from 2007 and Associate Professor from 2009. Now, Professor of Faculty of Science and Engineering from 2015. Director of Office for Promotion of Equality and Diversity from 2018 to 2022. Project Professor of Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo from 2016. Professor of Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo from 2021. Council member of Science Council of Japan, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Environment.

Eiji Yamasue is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Japan. He completed his PhD from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2000. His research interests include industrial ecology, energy and resources, etc. He has authored several books and has published 120 papers with over 1800 citations to his credit.