How Product Design Drives Sustainability: Insights from Adrian Segens

In this PLM Green Global Alliance interview, Jos Voskuil and Dr. Erik Rieger speak with Adrian Segens of Cambridge Design Partnership about how sustainable product design, circular economy business models, and Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are reshaping product development. The discussion explores how manufacturers can use product data, lifecycle thinking, and innovation to create both environmental and business value while preparing for emerging sustainability regulations.

Watch the Full Discussion

Why Sustainable Product Design Matters

Throughout his career, Adrian has used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and technology to identify environmental impacts across products and manufacturing processes. Today, his work focuses on translating sustainability insights into practical product innovations that help organizations reduce environmental impact while delivering business value.

A key message throughout the discussion is that sustainability is fundamentally a product challenge. For many manufacturers, the greatest environmental impacts are linked to material choices and product use throughout the lifecycle. As a result, design decisions made early in product development often have the greatest influence on reducing emissions, resource consumption, and waste.

Circular Economy Requires More Than Recycling

A recurring theme throughout the discussion is that many organizations still approach sustainability primarily through recycling initiatives and material substitution. However, true circular economy strategies go much further. They require manufacturers to rethink how products are designed, used, maintained, repaired, refurbished, and ultimately recovered at the end of their lifecycle.

At Cambridge Design Partnership, sustainability initiatives combine Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with cost modeling to identify solutions that deliver both environmental and economic benefits. Using packaging as an example, Adrian explains that redesigning product geometry, reducing material use, or simplifying packaging can often achieve greater sustainability gains than simply increasing recycled content.

From Products to Services: Rethinking Circular Business Models

One of the most compelling examples discussed during the interview is a concept for a reusable medical auto-injector. Rather than focusing solely on reducing material use, the design reimagines drug delivery as a service-based model. The reusable device can be returned, refurbished, and redeployed, helping reduce medication waste and improve patient outcomes.

The example highlights an important principle of the circular economy: circularity is often less about recycling and more about redesigning business models. Product-as-a-service approaches enable manufacturers to retain ownership, extend product lifecycles, and build longer-term customer relationships while reducing environmental impact and resource consumption.

How Sustainability Regulations Are Driving Innovation

The discussion also explores the growing influence of sustainability regulations on product development and lifecycle management. Initiatives such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the EcoDesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, and Digital Product Passports are reshaping how manufacturers design, manage, and support products throughout their lifecycle.

Rather than viewing these requirements as compliance exercises, Adrian encourages organizations to see them as catalysts for innovation. Companies that embrace circular economy principles early can create new business opportunities, strengthen customer relationships, and position themselves ahead of future regulatory requirements.

Digital Product Passports and the Value of Product Data

The discussion positions Digital Product Passports (DPPs) as much more than a regulatory requirement. By creating a persistent digital connection to products throughout their lifecycle, DPPs can support repair, refurbishment, service innovation, and continuous product improvement while enabling greater transparency across the value chain.

For designers, engineers, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) professionals, the real value lies in the feedback loop created by product data. Information collected from products in use can reveal customer behavior, usage patterns, and recurring failures, providing insights that support better product development decisions and future design improvements.

How AI and PLM Support Sustainable Product Development

Adrian sees Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a powerful enabler of sustainability, particularly for processing the large volumes of data generated by Digital Product Passports and connected products. At the same time, he notes that AI infrastructure carries its own environmental footprint, making it important to consider factors such as energy consumption and water usage when deploying AI solutions at scale.

Ultimately, the discussion reinforces the importance of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Circular business models, Digital Product Passports, AI-driven insights, and sustainable product design all depend on accurate product data and lifecycle visibility. Without digitalization and strong PLM foundations, organizations will struggle to scale circular economy initiatives and achieve their long-term sustainability goals.

Key Takeaway

The conversation highlights a significant shift for manufacturers. Sustainability is no longer simply about reducing environmental impact; it is increasingly becoming a driver of product innovation, business model transformation, and digitalization. Organizations that combine lifecycle thinking, high-quality product data, and circular economy principles will be better positioned to create both environmental and economic value in the years ahead.

For the PLM community, the message is clear: sustainable product design, Digital Product Passports, AI-driven insights, and circular business models all depend on reliable product data and lifecycle visibility. As these trends continue to converge, Product Lifecycle Management will play an increasingly important role in enabling sustainable and resilient businesses.

About the Guest

Adrian Segens is a sustainability and innovation specialist at Cambridge Design Partnership. His work focuses on sustainable product design, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), circular economy strategies, and helping organizations develop products and services that deliver both environmental and business value.

During this PLM Green Global Alliance interview, Adrian shared practical insights into the role of Digital Product Passports, circular business models, and data-driven product development in supporting sustainability goals across the product lifecycle.