Automotive Circular Economy Summer School

Discover the keys to a circular economy in automotive industry and develop innovative concepts for sustainable mobility at the shared campus in Wolfsburg.

This week-long Summer School provides students with exclusive insights into sustainable production processes within the automotive sector. Renowned professors from TU Braunschweig and Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences vividly link cutting-edge research to real-world applications. The programme includes hands-on workshops, experiments and simulation games. Excursions to leading regional industry partners also give participants the opportunity to establish valuable contacts for their future careers.

Perfect for anyone who has completed at least the fourth semester in a bachelor’s programme and is passionate about sustainability and future-oriented technologies.

Rethinking mobility

The Summer School for Automotive Circular Economy provides students with in-depth insights into sustainable circular-economy practices in automotive manufacturing. Through hands-on experiments and analyses, they develop the expertise needed to implement resource-efficient concepts and effectively tackle future challenges in the industry.

Students studying in the university library.

Aerial view of the Open Hybrid LabFactory

Interior view of the Open Hybrid LabFactory e.V.

Shared Campus Wolfsburg

The Summer School will take place on the shared Campus Wolfsburg. A research campus for automotive circular economy has been established at the Shared Campus Wolfsburg, and thus within the ecosystem of the Open Hybrid LabFactoryFunded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, this public-private partnership brings together academic institutions (TU Braunschweig, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Ostfalia), private companies (including Volkswagen), and start-ups under one roof. In a unique technical center with state-of-the-art laboratories and industrial-scale facilities, projects are carried out from the initial concept to the finished automotive component.

More about the Open Hybrid LabFactory

Info

Date	08.09. - 12.09.2025
Registration deadline	15.08.2025
Format	In presence
Language of instruction	German / English
Registration fee	€60 (including programme and leisure activities)
Target audience	Undergraduate students from their fourth semester onwards
Credit points	Participation is eligible for ECTS credits for students of TU Braunschweig and Ostfalia University. You will receive full details after registration.

Registration

We appreciate your interest in the Summer School for Circular Economy. Please complete the registration form and send it, along with the requested documents, by email to summerschool(at)tu-braunschweig.de.

Download registration form

Graphic with a weekly overview of the Summer School activities

Key Speakers

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Herrmann
Professor of Sustainable Manufacturing and Life Cycle Engineering at TU Braunschweig and Director of the IWF and the Fraunhofer IST. Head of a German-Australian research group on sustainable manufacturing with UNSW Sydney.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Dilger
University Professor of Joining Technology and Head of the Institute of Joining and Welding Technology at TU Braunschweig, Chairman of the Board of OHLF e.V. since .
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Dröder
Professor for Production Technologies & Process Automation and Head of the Insitute of Machine Tools and Production Technology (IWF) at TU Braunschweig. CIRP member, on the board of the OHLF and the NFF.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Vietor
Professor of Design Engineering at TU Braunschweig and Head of the Institute of Engineering Design. Spokesman of the NFF Board and member of the OHLF Board.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Müller
Professor of Vehicle Body Development at Ostfalia University and Head of the Institute of Vehicle Construction Wolfsburg.

Topics

Design for Circular Economy
Sustainable product development right from the start: Identify the impacts of design decisions and make targeted improvements.
Reverse Production
Recirculation and recycling: getto know robot-assisted disassembly and identify potential for new solutions.
Circular Material Concepts
Materials for a green future:material concepts for e cient recycling and reduced resource consumption.
System Analysis & Design
How to achieve holistic change:from material selection to vehicle recycling in the circular economy system.