The second sustainability-themed day of the Wiring Harness Transformation Hub will again focus on issues surrounding the use of sustainable materials in wiring harnesses, circular material flows, and recycling and dismantling concepts. The event will take place in the Open Hybrid LabFactory in Wolfsburg instead and will also be broadcast online.

The content of the theme day is based on a previous call for papers aimed at stakeholders from industry and research. This resulted in submissions on current developments, technological solutions, and scientific findings, which now shape the theme day's program.

For those who were unable to attend live, the documented recordings and presentations of the lectures are available. The complete agenda from March 19th, as well as all documentation, can be found further down this page.

08:30 a.m. | Arrival, registration, breakfast

09:00 AM | Welcome
Stefan Schmitt, Open Hybrid LabFactory eV

09:30 AM | Life Cycle Engineering for a sustainable and circular wiring harness
Steffen Blömeke, TU Braunschweig IWF

10:00 PM | Coffee break

10:30 AM | PCF calculation with Catena-X from a user's perspective
Klaus Falkenberg, SEI Automotive Europe GmbH

11:00 AM | Catena-X PCF Rulebook: When calculating Product Carbon Footprints is simple - and when it isn't
Yanni Sandro Astono, Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH

11:30 AM | Decarbonization and sustainable supply chains with Catena-X & SAP
Thomas Janzen, SAP SE

12:00 am | Lunch break

13:00 PM | Visit to the ZIRKEL battery dismantling cell and preview of automated vehicle dismantling
Christoph Persch & Maxim Reimche, TU Braunschweig

13:30 p.m. | Sustainable copper from Aurubis - how the cable and wiring harness supply chain benefits
Cornel Abratis, Aurubis AG

14:00 PM | Sustainability in the Green On-Board Network: Recyclates, Monomaterials & New Lifecycle Approaches 
Robert Koch, ITW Automotive

14:30 p.m. | A cross-section of wiring harness components with published sustainability goals
Dan Belke, TU Braunschweig

14:45 PM | Closing remarks with coffee and cake

The second sustainability theme day of the Transformation Hub Wiring Harness on March 19, 2026 at the Open Hybrid LabFactory in Wolfsburg provided a central platform for exchanging information on current challenges and solutions related to sustainable vehicle electrical systems and wiring harness systems.

Nearly 80 representatives from industry and academia participated both in person and online. Several expert presentations brought together diverse perspectives along the value chain – from scientists and manufacturers to component suppliers, material producers, software providers, and consulting firms. The content was not only presented but also discussed in depth, revealing a significant overlap with the activities of the Green On-Board Network working group.

The focus was on the existing need for action regarding material selection and availability, as well as the consistent implementation of Design for Dismantling and Design for Recycling. Furthermore, the impact of new E/E architectures, particularly zonal approaches and the division into partial wiring harnesses, on removal, dismantling, and recyclability was examined. Digital solutions also played an important role: Catena-X and the PCF Rulebook represent initial approaches to CO₂ accounting and component documentation, while simultaneously highlighting the need for practical, standardized, and easily applicable data structures.

Alongside the diverse challenges, concrete progress also became visible, for example through new materials and the first products developed with sustainability in mind. Overall, the event demonstrated that the transformation towards a circular value chain requires a shared understanding and close collaboration across established value chain boundaries.

For those who were unable to attend live, the presentations and recordings of the lectures are available below. This allows you to review the content afterward. If you are interested in a direct exchange, we would be happy to put you in touch with the speakers.

Lectures and recordings:

• Life cycle engineering for a sustainable and circular wiring harness | Steffen Blömeke, TU Braunschweig IWF
• PCF calculation with Catena-X from a user's perspective | Klaus Falkenberg, SEI Automotive Europe GmbH
• Catena-X PCF Rulebook: When calculating Product Carbon Footprints is simple – and when it isn't. | Yanni Sandro Astono, Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH
• Decarbonization and sustainable supply chains with Catena-X & SAP | Thomas Janzen, SAP SE
• Sustainable copper from Aurubis – how the cable and wiring harness supply chain benefits | Cornel Abratis, Aurubis AG
• Sustainability in the green electrical system: Recyclates, mono-materials & new lifecycle approaches | Robert Koch, ITW Automotive
• A cross-section of wiring harness components with published sustainability goals | Dan Belke, TU Braunschweig