Research and innovation with SimaPro

As a researcher, you know that transparency and accuracy are essential when selecting LCA software. With SimaPro, you get access to transparent data structures and advanced features that allow you to achieve reliable and unbiased results.

Environmental research requires a high level of transparency. When conducting LCAs, you need to be able to track the source of your impact scores down to the smallest detail. If organizations come to you with a research question, they are looking for truly independent, scientifically supported results. Thoroughly substantiating the source of impacts and uncertainties is important, as is being able to provide a detailed sensitivity analysis of your assumptions.

 

Essentials for robust scientific research

  • Databases: SimaPro comes with various databases, including ecoinvent with unit processes, uncertainty parameters, and different options to deal with multi-output processes: cut-off, allocation at the point of substitution (APOS) and consequential system models.

 

  • Methods: SimaPro also supports you in selecting the right methods for your LCAs – you can select many options within various methods, such as the different perspectives and normalization sets in ReCiPe. Switching between these options is a powerful way to test the sensitivity of your LCA models. The uncertainty of each flow can be analyzed quantitatively, and you can also add uncertainty factors to your own data.

 

  • Uncertainty analysis: The built-in Monte Carlo analysis feature allows you to calculate uncertainty in your inventory results. A Monte Carlo analysis gives you an indication of how reliable, complete, and representative your results are.

 

Results everyone can understand

In the world of LCA research, your findings can have a tremendous impact on shaping a sustainable future, particularly when exploring the effects of policies and technological advancements. However, to make a real difference, it is crucial to convey your results in a clear and understandable way to decision-makers. This is where SimaPro can help. With SimaPro, you can export your results to Microsoft Word or Excel, and with Report Maker add-on, tables and graphs stay updated even as you change your model. Additionally, with the SimaPro Share and SimaPro Explore online modules, you can share your research with business stakeholders. They can interactively explore the results by creating and comparing their own scenarios.

 

Identify hotspots to drive change

Pinpointing the exact processes that cause the strongest impacts in each life cycle stage is crucial for making impactful decisions. SimaPro helps you substantiate which materials or processing are most in need of change, and which life cycle stage needs the most attention. Determining these ‘hotspots’ provides decision-makers with science-based, actionable information that is easy to understand.

 

A reliable choice

SimaPro is used by research institutes and individual sustainability practitioners. It’s science-driven, always strives to incorporate the latest methodologies and databases, and relies on over 30 years of LCA thought leadership. PRé Sustainability, the developer of SimaPro, has been at the forefront of LCA development since the 1990s and continues to contribute to major policy and research developments.

 

Find the right plan for you

For robust scientific research, we recommend the SimaPro Expert plan. Do you need to link SimaPro to Excel spreadsheets or other programs? Then SimaPro Power is the best option for you.

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We have been using SimaPro for over a decade now. Currently as a server application, which is much more convenient when you have several users. We often need to go deep into the inventory to see where specific impacts come from, with SimaPro this is possible. Also working with parameters makes SimaPro extra valuable.

Tom Ligthart

LCA and sustainability expert at a scientific research institute

Frequently asked questions

Read all frequently asked questions

Which databases are included in SimaPro?

SimaPro comes with a wealth of life cycle inventory databases including ecoinvent v3, Agri-footprint, EU and Danish Input Output database, US Life Cycle Inventory database, as well as various data from industry associations in the Industry data 2.0 library.

Additional databases are available for download via the SimaPro Marketplace. You can explore which processes are in each database or search for a specific process using this Excel file.

Which impact assessment methods are available in SimaPro?

Find the complete list here or check the SimaPro methods manual to learn more about each method.

What is SimaPro online platform?

The SimaPro online platform includes the web-based modules:

  • SimaPro Collect for data collection
  • SimaPro Flow (beta) for LCA modeling
  • SimaPro Share for LCA result sharing
  • SimaPro Explore for extensive scenario analysis

There are two user types on the platform – expert and business users. The expert role is suitable for LCA practitioners, whereas the business user role is especially created for non-LCA experts such as management, sales and marketing, product designers and procurement specialists. Business users can view results and compare scenarios that are based on the LCA model created by the expert user.

Expert access is included in the SimaPro Expert, Power and PhD plan. Business user licenses can be purchased separately. On our Help Center, you can learn more and compare the different user types.

What are SimaPro’s technical requirements?

SimaPro desktop is a 32 bits Windows application that also runs on 64 bits Windows. We recommend you use Windows 10 or 11. Read the full technical requirements for installing and using the SimaPro desktop software to learn more. Please note that SimaPro is designed to run on Windows. Using SimaPro on Mac and Linux is possible with a Windows emulator.