Against the backdrop of growing demands for education in sustainable development, the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software in higher education is becoming increasingly important. This paper aims to systematically identify the opportunities, challenges, and potential of LCA software solutions, and provide practice-oriented recommendations. To answer the research question, a mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a market and literature analysis with 15 guided interviews involv ing experts from five countries. A further online survey was conducted with students to complement this. The collected data was analyzed using focused qualitative content analysis (MAXQDA). The results demonstrate that the didactic use of LCA software can strengthen ecological awareness, foster systems thinking, and support the development of sustainability competencies and professional skills. However, consistent with previous studies, its application remains limited by licensing issues, technical entry barriers and a lack of didactic materials. Universities would Benefit particularly from the use of teaching concepts with different levels, freely accessible educational resources, solutions with a low barrier to entry, interdisciplinary curriculum integration, and partnerships with software providers. For software providers, key success factors include user-friendly interfaces, transparent licensing models, and training partnerships with didactic support. This study provides concrete recommendations for the structured, scalable, and practical integration of LCA software in higher education.
Lucas Waag (Wed,) studied this question.