Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) evaluates how a company systematically governs every stage of a product’s journey - from concept design and material selection through manufacture, distribution, use, maintenance, reuse/repair, and end-of-life recovery - to optimise resource efficiency, reduce environmental impacts and maximise economic value. The topic covers:

• cross-functional PLM processes and digital systems (e.g., digital twins, LCA-enabled CAD) that integrate environmental criteria alongside cost, quality and compliance;
• design strategies for durability, modularity and disassembly that enable repair, upgrade and closed-loop recycling;
• embedded lifecycle assessment (LCA) and eco-design reviews that inform material choices and process improvements;
• feedback loops from take-back, refurbishment or remanufacturing programmes that feed data into next-generation product development;
• governance, KPIs and targets that align PLM decisions with circular-economy frameworks such as EU ESRS E5 and SDG 12.