Designing Green Electronics for a Better Planet

The non-profit organization Norrköping Science Park (NOSP) works for sustainable growth and a technological upgrade of business and the surrounding society. We work as an enabling intermediary between academia, business, and the public sector. The focus is on the areas of strength that exist at LiU Campus Norrköping and its applications with a positive impact on the global goals, climate, and environment. In addition to NOSP, we also want to involve companies from our ecosystem HOPE.

BACKGROUND
At Campus Norrköping, there is world-leading research in new sustainable and smart materials. Through the HOPE project, NOSP has been commissioned to increase the use of these materials. As part of this work, we need to reach out and explain to potential customers and users what they add compared to what is on the market today. This can, for example, be about making environmentally friendly batteries from wood raw materials or using nano-cellulose as one of the active components in fuel cells.

CHALLENGE
We need help to produce some demonstrators that will initially be used as part of an exhibition during the first quarter of 2023 at Arbetets Museum. The theme is green electronics with a focus on energy and climate. NOSP already has a couple of ideas in need of design, such as a solar cell tree and a solar tunnel for cycling, but also welcomes new creative ideas from the students. Depending on cost and complexity, design can be done in different ways from a static sketch to digital models and working prototypes. Connections also need to be made to environmental and climate benefits, as well as ideas on how implementation can take place to start broad-based use. What they have in common, however, is that they should function in a physical exhibition environment concerning accessibility, usability, and pedagogy. The challenge is multifaceted and includes various forms of design (e.g., graphical, physical, interaction and electronics), societal aspects, physical construction, electronic parts and more.

To work on one of our exciting projects, you must first apply and be admitted to the inGenious course via www.antagning.se/universityadmissions.se.

Photo: Businessisbusiness, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons