Bio:

Patrick Blouet is an electronic and computer science engineer. He is now newly retired but spent more than 40 years in the electronic and semiconductor industry. He had different responsibilities in developing hard real-time systems, image processing systems, in charge of architecture of mobile products in STMicroelectronics and other large and small companies. He spent also several years in the European and public affairs team in STMicroelectronics where he had opportunity to build large European project around semiconductor technologies. He was also chairman of the Green ECS working in charge of defining what to do to make European electronic greener. This led to the creation of the EECONE project with objective to reduce electronic waste. He is interested in environmental and climate issues for more than 30 years and also member of the Shift project.

Abstract:

Many different environmental impacts arise from electronics, and the handling of electronic waste (E-waste) is rising quickly to the top of the agenda. E-waste is a significant issue for Europe: improving its management is an explicit goal of the Green Deal objectives and the Circular Economy Action Plan. However, due to the requirement to involve the whole value chain, from raw material suppliers to consumers, the complex material background and supply chain, as well as the multitude of competing interests, achieving circularity in the electronics industry is challenging.

This project main goal is to reduce E-waste in Europe by managing existing E-waste, developing new tools to extend electronic devices lifetime and increasing recyclability of E-waste. Finally, the EECONE project will focus on deployment of new best practices at European level and on the development of a new strong ecosystem in this domain.