Integration of multi-disciplinary environmental sustainability aspects into early-phase microelectronics research and development

Abstract The environmental impact of a device is to a large content defined in the device design phase. Hence, it is of importance that the researchers understand how they can affect the environmental sustainability of a microelectronics device and what are the relevant topics that can be affected during the early phases of research and development of new microelectronics devices. Through participatory and multi-disciplinary design science research, we develop a design science artifact for knowledge integration of how environmental sustainability can be considered during the early phases of microelectronics research and development projects in a research and technology organization. In addition, we present different aspects that during the design science research was found to affect efficient knowledge utilization of sustainability related knowhow from other departments of the research and technology organization. Our design science artifact is a practical innovation management tool for how environmental sustainability could be brought into every microelectronics researcher’s awareness without costly additional work. In addition, we highlight aspects that are important to consider for successful knowledge integration within multi-disciplinary organizations. Managers can use our results as a starting point in working out a cost-efficient approach for how to consider environmental sustainability in early-stage research and development projects in their microelectronics departments.