KIT

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is a leading research institution in Germany, with over 9,500 employees and 25,000 students across various disciplines. Known for its interdisciplinary approach, KIT is a powerhouse in science and innovation, featuring over 100 institutes that tackle critical global challenges. The Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), a leading institute within KIT, specializes in evaluating the impacts of scientific and technological progress. ITAS focuses on understanding and managing the complex effects of technology on society, the environment, and the economy. By employing methods like life cycle assessments and sustainability analyses, ITAS provides valuable insights into minimizing risks while maximizing the potential benefits of technological advancements.

EPISODE aims to develop a sustainable sodium-ion battery technology helping us to tackle multiple challenges related to the availability as well as sustainability of current technologies. KIT-ITAS decided to participate in the EPISODE project as it allows to complement our activities on the prospective sustainability assessment of new emerging technologies to support a climate neutral and safe energy transition. Our goal is to integrate economic, ecological, and social aspects out of a life cycle perspective into the early phase of material or technology development in order to identify and analyze promising and sustainable paths for the design of new materials and technologies. The high expertise of partners from academia and industry bundled in EPISODE on the development, manufacturing, operation and end of life management represents a unique opportunity to do so. In addition we see a high potential to support a European based battery production, and to provide decision aid when it comes to sustainability.

In frame of EPISDO we will help to identify benefits and hotspots related to the sustainability, criticality and cost of the used materials, manufacturing, operation and recycling of the developed battery via the use of life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, and social life cycle assessment. The prototype will be upscaled to analyse the potentials on a systemic level. In addition, we will provide decision aid to our partners by the use of interactive decision-making approaches.