Course contents This course presents advanced strategies for materials selection, integrating technical functionality with environmental sustainability. The programme focuses on the definition of performance indices and the analysis of the material life cycle, providing doctoral candidates with the tools needed to optimize component design while minimizing ecological impact. The curriculum introduces the fundamental principles of materials selection through the definition of performance indices, such as the optimization of component lightness based on density and mechanical properties. Using material property charts, students will learn rapid selection techniques and extend these methodologies to environmental studies through the definition of ecological performance indices. [...]