Course syllabus for Sustainable product development

Course syllabus adopted 2025-02-04 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameHållbar produktutveckling
  • CodeMEN127
  • Credits3.5 Credits
  • OwnerTKMAS
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyEnergy and Environmental Systems and Technology, Mechanical Engineering
  • ThemeEnvironment 3.5 c
  • DepartmentINDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 55156
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0119 Examination 3.5 c
Grading: TH		 3.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

The course is directly based on the course Engineering Materials and the course Materials and manufacturing engineering or similar.

Aim

The course aims at basic understanding of product development considering sustainability aspects, generally applicable on the field of mechanical engineering. Basic parts of the course deals with environmentally adapted product development and sustainability, and also with methods for implementation of such considerations into product development processes.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

a) explain the concept of sustainable development and reflect on ethical aspects in this context, private as well as professional
b) describe cause- effect chains for known environmental problems such as the eutrophication, acidification and the green-house effect
c) perform basic environmental and sustainability assessments with a systems analysis approach with methods and models such as life-cycle assessment, and use generic methods as well as strategies for sustainable product development.
e) select and use appropriate basic information for assessment of the environmental effect and sustainability of products and manufacturing

Content

  • Sustainable Development and Sustainable Product Development
  • Environmental Threats and Planetary Boundaries
  • Ecodesign Tools and Methods for Sustainable Life Cycle Solutions
  • Life Cycle Analysis and Simplified LCA
  • Sustainable Design and Circular Economy
  • Environmental Perspective on Metallic Materials
  • Environmental Perspective on Polymeric Materials
  • Industry and Sustainable Product Development

The course focuses on the basics of sustainable product development, relevant for product-developing and manufacturing companies. It provides insight into how companies use Ecodesign and tools to analyze and develop sustainable solutions from a socio-ecological perspective. In the course, you will learn to choose and apply suitable support tools to create solutions considering sustainability aspects. The course covers global environmental issues and introduces system analysis methods such as life cycle analysis and strategic sustainability analysis.

After the course, you should be able to explain the concept of sustainable development, analyze environmental impact using support tools, and choose suitable strategies for sustainable product development. The focus is on a holistic perspective, including material selection, manufacturing processes, and product use from a circular perspective. You will also reflect on social sustainability and ethical aspects and understand cause-effect chains for environmental problems such as eutrophication, acidification, and the greenhouse effect. The course emphasizes the industry's need for new knowledge and solutions to tackle future challenges.

Organisation

The course consists of 9-10 lectures (per two lecture hours) and 6-8 supervision hours for assignments.

Literature

Course material consists of lecture presentations and text sections related to the lectures. Both presentations and text sections will be uploaded to the course website in Canvas.

Recommended reference literature (not mandatory):
Ceschin, F., & Gaziulusoy, İ. (2019). Design for Sustainability: A Multi-Level Framework from Products to Socio-Technical Systems. Routledge.

Faludi, J. (2025). Sustainable Design from Vision to Action. 1st Edition. Routledge

Examination including compulsory elements

Examination is based on:

  • Written digital exam in Swedish, grading scale: fail, 3, 4, and 5.
  • Two mandatory assignments with reports for approval per project group.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.