Enhancing future skills and entrepreneurship : 3rd indo-german conference on sustainability in engineering

Abstract

The 3rd Indo-German Conference on Sustainability in Engineering: Enhancing future Skills and Entrepreneurship aims at raising awareness, providing hands-on training, and sharing the latest knowledge in the areas of sustainability in various engineering fields to discuss the newer methods of teaching-learning and high-tech entrepreneurship. The papers are divided into three categories: sustainability, entrepreneurship, and engineering education. Sustainability in all fields of engineering, particularly in manufacturing, is essential for a world worth living in. Resource conservation and energy efficiency in manufacturing not only reduce the environmental impacts of industries, but also improve their competitiveness. The UN Sustainable Development Goals call for immediate actions. In Germany, several programs aimed at progressing the Energy Transition and mitigating climate change. India as an example has an ambitious target of 100 GW solar energy production by 2022. In its NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions), India has promised to ensure that at least 40% of its energy in 2030 would be generated from non-fossil fuel sources like solar, wind, or bio-fuels. Many researchers are working on India-specific applications of solar energy harvesting techniques. Some of the papers on renewable energy discuss the renewable energy forecasting, design & simulation, and developing solar curricula. Case studies on lean and green manufacturing discuss the application of these techniques. Papers on the machining area focus on the soft and intelligent sensors developed for the energy measurement and surface roughness prediction. The Circular Economy Initiative Germany brings together partners from industry, academia, and social stakeholders together. In addition, in India, there is a huge potential for the circular economy. For example, the estimated size of the recycled PET business in India is $400–550 million. For instance, PET waste in India is recycled by the organized sector (65%), unorganized sector (15%), and reused at home (10%). Plastic recycling and their use in 3-D printing are also demonstrated. The papers on life cycle engineering of ceramic products focus on the high environmental impact areas of the supply chain to be mitigated.