About

The Center for Industrial Ecology (CIE) at the University of Coimbra is a research group in the multi-disciplinary field of Industrial Ecology. The CIE develops and applies tools to enhance the sustainability of products and systems supported by life-cycle thinking.

The CIE is actively involved in the Energy for Sustainability Initiative at the University of Coimbra and is part of ADAI (Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics) - LAETA (Associated Laboratory of Energy, Transports, and Aeronautics).

The CIE promotes scientific research, development, and innovation to support industry, public authorities, organizations, and consumers towards sustainable production and consumption. The CIE takes a holistic and systematic approach to the analysis of systems by exploring trade-offs and synergies between economy, environment, and society.

The CIE has assembled a multidisciplinary team of faculty, researchers, doctoral/Master’s candidates, and visiting scholars. Research is carried out in collaboration with other Portuguese institutions and with international partners mainly in Europe, the United States, and Latin America.

The CIE team has experience in both research and technical projects in the field of Industrial Ecology and provides expertise in:

• Life-cycle management
• Life-cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA)
• Environmental life-cycle assessment (LCA), Social LCA, and Life-Cycle Costing (LCC)
• Dynamic LCA, multi-objective optimization, and other extended life-cycle approaches
• Carbon, water, and environmental footprints
• Eco-design
• Urban metabolism
• Circular Economy

Our expertise is applied in the following areas:

• Energy | renewables (bio-energy, bio-fuels, solar, and others), natural gas, electricity
• Transportation | sustainable mobility, vehicle components and systems (electric vehicles, trains, fleet analysis, batteries), power trains
• Buildings and Sustainable Architecture | building components and materials, prefabricated architecture, sustainable construction, and retrofit, sustainable urban development
• Agri-food and Forestry | fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, animal-derived products, sustainable diets, wood-based materials, land-use change
• Waste Management | waste cooking oil, beef tallow, demilitarization, anaerobic digestion, building waste management
• Packaging | plastics, and biopolymers for food, pharmaceuticals, and other purposes.

The CIE provides the following services:

• LCA studies and critical reviews (ISO 14040/44)
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), including DAPHabitat
• Product Carbon Footprint (PAS 2050, GHG Protocol, ISO 14067)
• Assessment of sustainability criteria for biofuels
• Sustainability assessment of buildings
• Development of eco-design tools (improvement of resource and energy efficiency, and waste minimization)
• Training and scientific meetings