FLEXCRASH WEBINAR

Ecodesign in Automotive R&D: from policy to practice and end-of-life

15 October 2026 | 10h - 11.30h CEST

The transition towards a more sustainable and circular automotive industry requires integrating ecodesign principles throughout the entire product lifecycle. This webinar will explore how evolving European policies, life cycle thinking, and end-of-life strategies are shaping the future of automotive research and development.

Bringing together experts from research and industry, the session will provide practical insights into the opportunities and challenges of implementing ecodesign in the automotive sector, highlighting the role of sustainability, circularity, and material recovery in the development of next-generation vehicles.

Join us to discover how ecodesign can support innovation, regulatory compliance, and the transition towards a more resource-efficient automotive value chain.

REGISTER HERE

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The FlexCrash project is developing a flexible and hybrid manufacturing technology to enhance weight reduction and crash resistance by locally reinforcing the critical areas for a crash event, creating structures that are safer and lighter compared to current solutions. The project selects vehicle parts and applies surface patterns onto performed parts with the objective to reduce weight, increase safety and optimise crash performance of current and future vehicles.

The main ambition of the project is to provide a general improvement of car safety with a reduction of risks and fatalities in crashes, as well as a reduction of CO2 emissions coming from the direct contribution of the lightweighting of car body parts, and from the simplification of the entire supply chain.

Agenda

10.00h – Welcome and introduction 

Maddalena Rugolo, Sustainability Analyst, Gemmate Technologies

10.05h – FlexCrash project: the new generation of crash-tolerant structures

Sergi Parareda, FlexCrash technical coordinator and Researcher at the Metallic and Ceramic Materials Unit, Eurecat

10.20h – Introduction to Ecodesign: From EU policy to automotive practice

Maddalena Rugolo, Sustainability Analyst, Gemmate Technologies

10.40h – Ecodesign in practice: Lessons from Electric Vehicle batteries

Violeta Vargas, Advanced Researcher at the Waste, Energy and Environmental Impact Unit, Eurecat

11.00h – Designing for Recycling: Aluminium at End-of-Life

To be confirmed

11.20h – Questions & Answers

11.30h – Closing & final remarks

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