Circular Robotics: Designing Sustainable Autonomy for a Finite World (ICRA 2026 Workshop)

Automation for Flexible ManufacturingCall for PapersEventIndustry 5.0Sustainability

Date & Time: 1. Juni 2026 – 14:00-17:30 CET
Location & room: HALL C5, VIECON / Messe Wien, Messeplatz 1, 1020 Vienna

About the workshop

Robotics is rapidly advancing and becoming a cornerstone of modern societies—yet its environmental footprint and societal integration are still underexplored. This workshop brings robotics and sustainability together and asks: What kinds of robots are we producing—and how are we producing them?

Circular Robotics applies circular economy thinking, lifecycle approaches, and sustainable design principles to help robotics evolve within planetary boundaries.

Robotics often supports sustainability elsewhere (e.g., renewable energy, recycling, precision agriculture). However, the sustainability of robotics itself—from material extraction and supply chains to manufacturing, operation, and end-of-life—still lacks established frameworks and visibility in mainstream robotics venues.

This workshop connects robotics researchers with environmental and social scientists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to explore circularity in robotics as a practical pathway toward accountable and measurable impact.

Topics & guiding questions

Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and environmental accounting for robotic systems
Circular economy practices: reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling
Sustainable design: modularity, repairability, design-for-disassembly
Material flows, supply chains, and responsible sourcing
Standards, governance, and environmental accountability in robotics
Aligning robotics innovation with long-term societal and ecological priorities

Schedule

Why attend?

Learn from cross-disciplinary keynotes and panel perspectives
Connect with global sustainability-focused robotics initiatives
Contribute to a shared roadmap for circular and responsible robotics
Build collaborations that continue beyond ICRA

Organizers

Dr. Patrick Courtney (King’s College London) · Asst. Prof. Fausto Ferreira (University of Zagreb / MARBLE) · Sharath Chandra Akkaladevi (PROFACTOR, Primary Contact) · Franziska Kirstein (Three Robotics) · Dr. Adrien Escande (Inria) · Assoc. Prof. Ludovic Righetti (NYU) · Dr. Carl Maria Mörch (FARI/ULB) · Prof. Luisa Damiano (IULM) · Dr. Shirley A. Elprama (imec-SMIT/VUB) · Dr. Ilaria Alfieri (IULM)