The new edition of the German Resource Efficiency Programme ProgRess III, which was adopted in June 2020, takes a closer look at aspects of raw material use in global value chains. In particular, it identifies the extraction of raw materials and the associated environmental impacts as major global challenges (BMU 2020). The research and development project "RessKoRo - Resource Competence for Raw Material Utilisation in Global Value Chains" funded by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) focuses on the global perspective of product development and production and combines the use of raw materials in value chains with education for resource competence.

The aim is to strengthen resource literacy in design and engineering courses. The central research questions were: How can resource awareness and competence of designers and industrial engineers for the use of raw materials in global value chains be (further) developed and promoted? How can curricula and courses be redesigned and which approaches, modules and educational offers can be transferred to other study programmes?

Based on these questions, the researchers pursue these operational goals:

  1. Recording and presentation of the status quo of resource formation for abiotic and biotic raw material use in global value chains in the study programmes design and engineering sciences with a focus on industrial engineering.
  2. Identification of needs for action and options for increasing resource competence in the addressed study programmes
  3. Model development and testing of selected redesigned teaching-learning arrangements and materials
  4. Elaboration of recommendations for the (further) development of materials
  5. Dissemination and transferability to other study programmes
  6. Updating the BilRess Roadmap University
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