To facilitate the transition towards sustainable manufacturing, current practices and mechanisms for value creation need to be reconsidered along the whole product lifecycle. However, academic research on sustainability is still bound to narrow fields of applications. In this study, a multi-disciplinary research project is presented that focuses on the development of a sustainable pedal electric cycle (Pedelec) from a first idea to a ready-to-use prototype. The results of the project show how different scientific approaches for bottom-up improvement can be applied together in a concrete case. A holistic view on the product lifecycle proved as a meaningful framework for that purpose.