FERNS: Training the Next Generation of Circular Electronics Innovators
As the demand for smart electronics increases, their production and disposal leave a heavy footprint on our environment. Every year, millions of tonnes of electronic waste pile up across the globe. These devices contain valuable — and increasingly scarce — raw materials and they are the root cause of the global issue of electronic waste (e-waste). To meet the EU’s ambitious Green Deal target of climate neutrality by 2050, we need to rethink how we design, use, and reuse our electronic devices. The new EU-funded consortium FERNS will study how to integrate eco-Friendly dEsign tools, mateRials, and fabrication technologies for the responsible co-creation of future Sustainable integrated electronic systems.
What is FERNS?
Under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Doctoral Networks programme, FERNS will bring 15 talented doctoral researchers across Europe to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time: making electronics sustainable, by training them to become experts in the field of sustainable green electronics.
This isn’t just about recycling. FERNS takes a holistic view, embedding circular approaches — such as eco-design, sustainable materials, and societal acceptance — into the core of electronics development.
Targeting Real-World Applications
FERNS focuses on three areas where electronic products are becoming increasingly common — and disposable:
• Fitness devices
• Short-use health electronics (like medical sensors)
• Farming technologies
By embedding sustainability into these applications, the network aims to show that greener electronics can also be practical, affordable, and attractive for society.
Building Skills for the Future
At its core, FERNS is about young researchers training as much as technological and social innovations. Doctoral Researchers in the network will gain:
• Cutting-edge technical expertise in eco design, sustainable materials, processes, social appropriation and circularity models.
• Transversal skills in communication, data management, project organisation, collaboration & teamwork, entrepreneurship & innovation, research & ethics, career development
• Intersectoral exposure to understand real-world challenges
This comprehensive training ensures that FERNS graduates will not only push the boundaries of science but also drive Europe’s transition to a more circular and competitive economy.
Why It Matters
Electronics are becoming part of our lives — but without urgent changes, they risk undermining our green ambitions and targets. At the same time, the transition to a sustainable economy is reshaping the labour market. “Green” jobs are among the fastest-growing sectors, with job vacancies in clean tech manufacturing across the EU doubling between 2019 and 2023. However, this surge in demand is accompanied by significant labour shortages, threatening to slow down progress at a critical moment for Europe’s climate and industrial goals.
FERNS is helping to close this gap by fostering the skills, knowledge, and innovations needed for circular electronics, aligning with Europe’s Green and Digital transitions. By investing in people, partnerships, and sustainability, FERNS is supporting the green transition and sowing the seeds of a future where technology and the environment grow hand in hand.
A Collaborative Effort Across the Value Chain
The project is powered by a consortium of 10 leading partners and 9 associate partners, spanning the entire electronics value chain. From materials science to product design, from social sciences to business innovation, FERNS unites experts to co-create solutions that are both technologically advanced and socially responsible.
The project is structured as a “doctoral network”, currently actively looking for 15 young, talented and motivated researchers with a passion for sustainable electronics. During their doctoral studies, researchers will enjoy a unique opportunity to train in a fully multidisciplinary way by combining expertise in areas such as natural eco-design and Safe & Sustainable By Design (SSbD), synthesis and fabrication of materials, printing and laser writing manufacturing methods, system integration, social acceptance and appropriation, and circular business models.
The call for applications is open, xx link
The FERNS network is led by Tyndall National Institute and includes:
Tyndall National Institute, (Tyndall), Ireland
RISE, Sweden
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST, United Kingdom
UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA PT
BRANDENBURGISCHE TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT, Germany
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON United Kingdom
University of Tampere, Finland
POLITECNICO DI TORINO, Italy
CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA - RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENT, Switzerland
EMPA, Switzerland
FERNS is a Doctoral Network (DN) project under the framework of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the European Union’s reference programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training.
Its funding, amounting to €4.8 million, comes from both Horizon Europe's MSCA programme and the UK's research and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)