A US-based sustainable manufacturing consortium, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), is partnering with its member, Purdue University, and Tuskegee University on an international effort to replace conventional electronics with more sustainable technologies.
The university-based A US-based sustainable manufacturing consortium, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), is partnering with its member, Purdue University, and Tuskegee University on an international effort to replace conventional electronics with more sustainable technologies.
The university-based Global Traineeship in Sustainable Electronics programme is funded with a five-year, $3.2m grant from the National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) programme.
The programme combines education and training of future engineers with research to develop new, more environmentally friendly and sustainable materials."The rapid, global proliferation of smart phones, laptops, tablets and other electronic devices has connected the world in positive ways, but the electronic waste is — literally — piling up,” said Carol Handwerker, Purdue's Reinhardt Schuhmann Jr. Professor of Materials Engineering and co-chair of the iNEMI Research Committee, is principal investigator for the project.
“We want to create materials that will allow computer components to be disassembled, recycled and reused," said Handwerker.There is a growing realisation that the traditional, linear model of consumption — 'design it, build it, use it, throw it away' —has long ceased being viable for electronics," said Handwerker.
iNEMI and six committed industry partners – Alcatel-Lucent, Celestica, Cisco, Dell and Intel, plus Heritage Environmental Services – will participate throughout the IGERT trainees’ education, research, and training programme.
“Working with industry is critical to the program's success and, at the same time, programs like these are critical to industry,” said Bill Bader, CEO of iNEMI.
iNEMI is based in Herndon, Virginia with regional offices in Shanghai, China; Limerick, Ireland; and Tokyo, Japan. Global Traineeship in Sustainable Electronics programme is funded with a five-year, $3.2m grant from the National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) programme.
