Online Symposium on Innovation and Automation in Remanufacturing
The meeting point for experts from research and industry – online, in English and free of charge.
Since July 2020 Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld and FJW Consulting have been organising the online symposium series on innovation and automation in remanufacturing. Each edition takes about ninety minutes on MS Teams: short talks from research and industry, followed by an open discussion. The series is endorsed by APRA Europe and Rematec.
2026
A workshop series: from product design to circular business models
In 2026 the online symposia follow a common thread. Seven modules lead step by step through the remanufacturing and Re-X value chain – from eco-design to the legal framework. Participants get a compact overview of the whole chain; companies can better assess whether their products are suitable for circular strategies.
- Eco-design as the starting point Design for remanufacturing and circularity, material selection and modular design, design for disassembly. Held
- Robotics & AI: from vision to application Remanufacturing in transition – hype, reality and the path to automation: humanoid AI robotics, live demo, local AI and data privacy. 16th edition · 27 May 2026
- Inspection, testing and cleaning Incoming inspection and condition assessment, functional testing, industrial cleaning, quality assurance. 17th edition · 24 June 2026
- Business models for remanufacturing and Re-X Promising product groups and markets, value and aftermarket potential, comparison of reman, repair, reuse and recycling. Date to follow
- Disassembly and reverse logistics Manual, assisted and automated disassembly, handling unknown condition, core management. Date to follow
- Digital product passport and data Product data as an enabler, traceability across the life cycle, data for inspection and disassembly planning. Date to follow
- Legal frameworks and regulation Regulatory drivers, requirements for repair, reuse and remanufacturing, product liability and warranty. Date to follow
The modules are also available as an in-house workshop for your company – see Consulting.
Take part
How it works
- Online via MS Teams, about 90 minutes, in the afternoon (CET)
- Held exclusively in English
- Free of charge – registration via the invitation
- Talks from research and industry, followed by Q&A
- Would you like to give a talk? Write to us: robotik@umwelt-campus.de
Archive
All editions since 2020
Moderated by Wolfgang Gerke, Fernand Weiland and Matthias Vette-Steinkamp, with panellists from industry such as Daniel Köhler, Mike Hague-Morgan, Rachel Waugh, Jirka Horwath and Joe Kripli.
| No. | Date | Speakers | Talks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 24 June 2026 | Research and industry | Inspection, Testing and Cleaning Processes in Remanufacturing |
| 16 | 27 May 2026 | Matthias Vette-Steinkamp, Jan Brandt, Ahmad Khormoji, Jonas Scheffler (BIT); ignite AI | Remanufacturing in Transition: Hype, Reality and the Path to Automation – humanoid AI robotics, live demo, local AI and data privacy |
| 14 | 11 February 2025 | Timo Reuter, Greening Christian Konstroffer, UTK | Cell Update for Smart Batteries Medical Devices & Eco-Design |
| 13 | 21 November 2024 | Gregory Planche, Valeo | Remanufacturing of Headlamps and Cameras |
| 12 | 12 July 2023 | Thomas Meyer Team Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld | Core Management – a Challenge for Remanufacturing Rematec video |
| 11 | 26 April 2023 | Rachel Waugh Erik Sundin | Remanufacturing and the Steel Industry Automation in Remanufacturing |
| 10 | 8 February 2023 | Julia Dvorak Florian Hansen | IoT & AI Automated Disassembly |
| 9 | 9 November 2022 | Jeff Stukenborg Marten Bootsma | Remanufacturing at ZF (Heavy Duty) Practical & Profitable Remanufacturing |
| 8 | 4 May 2022 | Matthias Vette-Steinkamp Fernand Weiland M. Colledani | Lithium Battery Dismantling Remanufacturing of E-Vehicle Components Testing Lithium Batteries |
| 7 | 23 February 2022 | Christoph Schmidt Grzegorz Jurkiewicz Michael Schmetzer | Identification of Cleaning Technologies for Remanufacturing Automated Cleaning Solutions for Remanufacturing Automated Approaches for Cleaning in Remanufacturing |
| 6 | 7 July 2021 | Javier Ramirez Harald van der Mijle Meijer James Barry Frank Homann | Remanufacturing of Wind Turbines Remanufacturing of Wind Turbine Blades Remanufacturing of Wind Turbine Components Bolting Technology for Wind Turbines |
| 5 | 5 May 2021 | Markus Wagner, Marian Schlüter, Hannah Lickert, Katharina Schweitzer | Identification of Used Units and Cores (EIBA) |
| 4 | 10 March 2021 | University of Bayreuth Jirka Horwath Jesper Mosberg | Additive Manufacturing in Remanufacturing Additive Manufacturing at ZF Aftermarket Additive Manufacturing at Borg Automotive |
| 3 | 4 November 2020 | François de Ribet Matthias Vette-Steinkamp | Passenger Cars – Electrification & Key Challenges for Remanufacturing Disassembly Research on Lithium Batteries at Trier University of Applied Sciences |
| 2 | 9 September 2020 | Duc Pham Clemens Ortgies | Robotic Disassembly Research at the University of Birmingham Automation & Mechanisation in Engine Remanufacturing |
| 1 | 7 July 2020 | Thijs Jasink Sebastian Groß | Remanufacturing Future Agile Production Control in Dynamic Remanufacturing Systems |
Edition 15 (2025/2026) will be added to the archive.