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.
Next edition
18th online symposium: disassembly & circular business models
Successful remanufacturing relies on both suitable technical processes and viable business models. Understanding how products can be disassembled and how their continued use can create value is essential for putting circular strategies into practice. This symposium brings together research and industry: the disassembly of fuel cell stacks and practical experience from the media and event technology sector.
- 17 Nov 2026Tuesday
- 14:00–15:30CET
- onlineMicrosoft Teams
- freein English
17 November 2026 · 14:00–15:30 CET
- Opening remarks & symposium roadmap – Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Vette-Steinkamp, Fernand Weiland and Felix Walter: recap of key learnings from previous symposia and the thematic roadmap
- Eric Holle, ZeMA – Zentrum für Mechatronik und Automatisierungstechnik: Challenges and solutions in the disassembly of fuel cell stacks
- Robert Trebus, VPLT: Circular business models in media and event technology – experiences from the Certified Pre-Owned programme at d&b audiotechnik
- Joint discussion & Q&A, moderated by Matthias Vette-Steinkamp and Fernand Weiland
- Key takeaways and outlook on upcoming symposium topics
Register free of charge on Eventbrite
Flyer with programme as PDF (2 pages, 1.3 MB)
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. 18th edition · 17 November 2026
- Disassembly and reverse logistics Manual, assisted and automated disassembly, handling unknown condition, core management. 18th edition · 17 November 2026
- 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 Eventbrite
- 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.