An engineer sits at their desk, selecting the materials for a structural component and seeing in real time, the impact of that choice on the product’s overall carbon footprint – all without changing software tool. This vision is at the heart of a co-innovation project led by Sopra Steria in collaboration with Dassault Systems’ R&D department.
It’s a fact that not all industrial companies embrace ecodesign out of philosophical or ecological conviction. In reality, three forces determine what they do.
Regulation comes first. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) obliges companies to document and publish their environmental impacts, with objectives that cascade down to engineering teams. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) goes further, imposing traceability standards over the lifecycle of many products and requiring the use of ecodesign approaches.
Next comes pressure from clients and public opinion. A more recent trend concerns adapting to climate risks themselves. “Companies are realising that climate risks are increasing and that their supply chains are highly exposed,” explains Pierre David, Environmental Performance Consultant at Sopra Steria and one of the architects of this initiative. “The best way to counter them is to anticipate these issues, adapt and continue reducing one’s environmental footprint.”
From a regulatory standpoint, the timeline is clear. Financial penalties are not yet fully enforced, but industry is not waiting. “It is not a question of whether the sanction will fall, but how much it will be,” says David.
PLM as the backbone
Why integrate environmental analysis into PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) rather than a dedicated tool? The answer is primarily practical. PLM is the system that documents the product across its entire definition, from the initial specifications to manufacturing instructions. This is where decisions are made that determine the bulk of the final environmental impact.
Adding an independent environmental layer (a separate tool, data to export, experts to mobilise) creates additional work that engineering teams cannot sustainably absorb. “The benefit of PLM is maintaining continuity of work,” explains David. “Without changing user habits, we have digital continuity. All information is in the same place, both for creating environmental indicators and processing them.”
From generic databases to parametric models
The approach developed by Sopra Steria follows the logic of design phases. Early in the process, generic environmental databases help to establish board benchmarks and guide requirements from the specifications stage – for example, by prohibiting fixed assemblies to enable disassembly, or by setting CO₂ impact targets for each stage of manufacturing.
As the design becomes more detailed, these macro models give way to bespoke parametric models. The approach then involves auditing the client’s industrial system and replicating it directly in the PLM platform. “This allows us to produce an environmental impact precise enough to compare whether my component is 10cm or 13cm long, whether it is machined or forged, and to determine the best solution,” explains David. The engineer does not need to change working habits. Instead, they enter the same parameters as before and the system calculates the environmental impact in the background.
Data reliability is central to the process. Each environmental database has geographical, technological and temporal limits. The more detailed the design, the more generic models reach their limits and the more field data, collected directly from the factory and suppliers, becomes necessary.
A co-innovation with Dassault Systems
The collaboration with Dassault Systems’ R&D department arose from a natural convergence – demanding industrial clients, a 3DEXPERIENCE platform with an existing ecodesign module and field expertise that Sopra Steria has built through close work with major industrial clients, especially in aerospace. “Dassault Systems was interested in sharing their module and using our experience to advance it further,” says David.
The division of roles is clear. Dassault Systems brings R&D strength and the technological platform, while Sopra Steria brings sector knowledge that includes what clients expect, the problems they encounter and those they have not yet imagined.
Before going further, two obstacles must be overcome. The first is development time. Unlike packaged software, the approach involves several months of studying the client’s industrial system before delivering a tailored solution – an investment not all decision-makers are ready to make.
The second is human. “The human factor is often the element that stops most projects,” says David. Changing the way teams approach design and integrating a new dimension of value into their daily reasoning is as much a change management challenge as a technical one.
Implicit ecodesign
David’s vision for the future years is paradoxically minimalist. “My dream is that it changes nothing for an engineer,” he says. They should not have to leave their software or spend additional hours. Everything should happen naturally and without friction.”
An invisible environmental constraint, integrated into the existing workflow, guides without adding burden. Designing sustainably is not only a question of tools; it also involves rethinking the specifications themselves. Are all these options necessary? How can lifespan, recyclability and repairability be maximised?
This shift in approach, supported by the new tools, will ultimately determine the success of this design model in helping solve the future’s challenges.