What does this new cross-cutting topic (circular economy) stand for?

It is becoming increasingly clear that a linear economic model is not sustainable, both in terms of raw material consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and in view of fragile supply chains and global competition. Political decision-makers and companies have to make informed decisions now to advance the transition to a circular economy.

This is precisely where the new cross-cutting topic of the circular economy comes in by pooling all the different levels of analysis and the variety of methods at Fraunhofer ISI. We examine its future potential considering different stakeholder perspectives, concrete implementation possibilities, and what framework conditions are needed for a circular economy.

Who is your target group?

We deliberately follow a broad understanding of circular economy that encompasses the design, production and consumption phases as well as closing the loop after product use. This is why the cross-cutting topic targets companies all along the value chain that want a circular design for their products and business models, but also political decision-makers who are responsible for further developing the framework conditions.

In addition, we provide a point of contact for research institutes and other potential project partners interested in collaboration on this topic.

What is your own academic background and what does leading this topic at Fraunhofer ISI mean for you?

I studied energy and environmental management, and my thesis dealt with concepts for industrial transformation. This then led me to Fraunhofer ISI, where I am working on how a circular economy can contribute to decarbonizing industry, and also to a PhD at the University of Utrecht. Alongside my degree, I also worked for a start-up developing a reusable deposit cup system, very much in line with the circular economy.

I am now using these experiences in my role as head of the cross-cutting topic. During the first interdepartmental meetings, I was very impressed by the diversity of the topics covered and the level of interdisciplinarity. I am looking forward to bringing this expertise together and developing it even further!