Introduction

A total of 15 scholarships for a maximum of 3 years each are awarded within the framework of KLIREC for the preparation and submission of a doctoral thesis. The cooperative doctoral program is led by the Institute for Industrial Ecology (INEC) at Pforzheim University and the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). In addition, there is the Institute for Applied Geosciences (AGW).

The research training group is financially supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg as part of the state graduate funding program. In addition, the Karlheinz-Osterwald Foundation from Pforzheim and the PSD Bank Karlsruhe-Neustadt support the college with their own scholarships. As a cooperative college, supervision is always provided jointly by a university professor and a KIT professor. This means that the expertise and practical knowledge of two competent institutions can be utilized. The doctoral students can work in the institutes. The doctoral examination itself takes place at KIT.

Contents

The challenges of climate protection and the careful use of natural resources are closely linked, are mutually dependent, but can also hinder each other. New technologies associated with the energy and mobility transition, for example, require the increased use of special metals, the provision of which is often associated with increased ecological and social consequences, often even with high specific CO₂ emissions. In the context of the politically demanded "circular economy", trade-offs between the primary and secondary extraction or use of raw materials are also necessary, in which social and ecological factors must be taken into account. Dealing with these issues requires an interdisciplinary approach between scientific-technical and socio-economic perspectives. Holistic evaluation methods need to be developed and methods such as life cycle assessment need to be incorporated into decision-making processes in the circular economy and adapted accordingly.

Supervisors and contact persons:

Prof. Dr. Mario Schmidt, INEC, Pforzheim University (spokesperson)
Prof. Dr. Armin Grunwald, ITAS, KIT (spokesperson)
Prof. Dr. Ingela Tietze, INEC, Pforzheim University
Prof. Dr. Dr. Rafaela Hillerbrand, ITAS, KIT
Prof. Dr. Tobias Viere, INEC, Pforzheim University
Prof. Dr. Christoph Hilgers, AGW, KIT
Prof. Dr. Daniel Lang, ITAS, KIT
Prof. Dr. Jochen Kolb, AGW, KIT
Prof. Dr. Harald Horn, EBI, KIT