Smartphones, laptops, monitors, scanners and servers are too often ready for the trash after just a few years, due to their design or a lack of software updates. There is still no established industry standard for the reuse of materials, the procurement of raw materials from conflict-free sources or the use of production waste. Working conditions in globalized IT hardware supply chains still pose challenges for the industry.

IT companies with their hardware-related resource consumption and CO2 emissions are part of the problem, but are also increasingly contributing to its solution: They are optimizing production processes, switching to renewable energies and relying on recycled raw materials for mechanical parts. Manufacturers are making the devices more durable, improving repairability and making it easier to recycle old devices. Through innovative hardware applications, they help users save energy and CO2 emissions during the usage phase. An important transformation lever starts after production:.

The operation of IT requires a growing infrastructure of data centers and data lines. The system of servers, networks and end devices with increasingly data-intensive use cases such as video streaming and mobile use is driving up energy consumption globally. While server virtualization and the cloud have helped to specifically save server capacity, it is now important to keep rebound effects under control due to exploding data volumes from ever new data-intensive applications via video, AI or blockchain. Transformation is decided in a more economical, needs-oriented energy consumption of the hardware in the system, energy efficiency of the devices and a smart coupling of all elements. At the same time, the industry’s innovative strength makes key developments such as smart mobility and smart cities possible and supports transformative business models based on sharing and networking.

The industry includes, for example, the production of data processing and peripheral devices, telecommunications technology and other IT devices. The production of consumer electronics devices is assigned to the “consumer electronics” industry.