Technology

Technological development plays a central role in the implementation of circular economy concepts, from recycling processes and modular product design to repairability and digital systems for tracking product-specific data. But how can new technologies help to keep products and resources in circulation for longer? Which technical solutions facilitate reuse, repair and recycling in practice? Where are the limits of technological solutions? What negative effects can technological progress have on a circular economy? 

Economy

The circular economy requires us to rethink existing economic and business models. Rather than focusing purely on sales, services such as sharing and subscription models are becoming more important. How are value chains changing as take-back, repair and reconditioning structures become more important? How can economic success be measured differently when key performance indicators are no longer based on unit sales, but on service life, utilisation and reparability?

Politics & Society

The implementation of a circular economy is also a political and social challenge. Necessary solutions often fail due to a lack of incentives, inadequate legal frameworks and existing infrastructures, or entrenched habits. What role do political decision-makers and civil society initiatives play in overcoming these hurdles? What barriers arise from rebound effects, where efficiency gains lead to even higher consumption? How do global inequalities and power relations affect the feasibility of the circular economy, and who bears responsibility when seemingly circular processes—such as electronics recycling—are shifted to countries in the Global South at the expense of social and environmental standards?