Integrating life cycle assessment and design for sustainability for continuous improvement in industrial production systems

Abstract Growing regulatory pressure and societal awareness have made sustainability a strategic necessity for industry. However, despite increasing academic research, significant gaps remain between theoretical approaches and their implementation in industrial decision making, where sustainability assessment often serves certification purposes rather than offering continuous improvement. This study proposes a replicable methodological framework that integrates sustainability into corporate design and decision-making processes. The framework includes three main phases: (i) assessment of the current system through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), (ii) LCA identification of environmental hotspots to define improvement priorities, and (iii) interdisciplinary ideation of circular redesign scenarios using the eco-design approach—a multicriteria, multistage, and multistakeholder systematic process that considers environmental design and development aspects while aiming to reduce adverse environmental impacts throughout a product’s lifecycle. The multifunctional team brings diverse expertise, enriches the holistic framework, and enables innovative and creative design proposals while evaluating competing priorities and facilitating trade-offs between life cycle phases. A game-changer has been challenging the status quo, from a conventional design methodology to an environmentally conscious design perspective with emission reduction as the primary core driver. When applied to an industrial case study at ABB S.p.A. on a medium-voltage circuit breaker, the framework proved effective in identifying design modifications that lower environmental impacts without compromising economic or technical feasibility. The results demonstrate the applicability of the Design for Sustainability initiative in promoting continuous product improvement. This methodology fosters an organizational culture that embeds sustainability into industrial innovation across internal ABB business areas and other manufacturing sectors. Graphical abstract