SUPPORTING INNOVATION FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

We develop and curate advanced innovation strategies, principles and tools that can help your organization transition to a circular economy.

 

CIRCULAR STRATEGIES

Design for a circular economy narrows, slows, closes and regenerates material and energy flows. These strategies are complementary and require life-cycle based, systemic and multi-actor approaches.

NARROW FLOWS
(USE LESS)

Narrowing flows refers to using fewer components and products, and less material and energy during the creation and delivery of physical products, components and materials.

SLOW FLOWS
(USE LONGER)

Slowing flows refers to using products, components and materials longer over time. Loops can be slowed by selling long-life and high quality products (mostly in the premium segment), and offering intermediate service (such as maintenance, repair, or spare parts availability) or advanced service (provide an outcome, a result or a function), also often referred to as product-service systems).

CLOSE FLOWS
(USE AGAIN)

Closing flows refers to the recycling and reusing of wasted products, components and material and/or the use of biodegradable materials (and their safe disposal into the natural environment).

REGENERATE FLOWS
(MAKE CLEAN)

Regenerating flowsrefers to a minimized use of hazardous substances, the increased use of renewable energy during value creation, delivery and use, as well as the regeneration of natural ecosystems to create and deliver critical ecosystem services for human flourishing.

 

SERVICES

WE HELP YOU UNDERSTAND AND USE CIRCULAR STRATEGIES IN YOUR WORK

Tool: The Circularity Deck

The Circularity Deck is a learning and organizing tool for designers, entrepreneurs and managers. Made to be easy to use, it helps create a common understanding and language for circular economy strategies.

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For more info and to download a free workshop package for this tool, click here. 

WE HELP YOU DESIGN SOLID PARTNERSHIPS TO BUILD YOUR CIRCULAR BUSINESS

Tool: Circular Collaboration Canvas

Identify the relevant and critical partners to develop a circular oriented innovation project. Develop a quick assessment of whether the idea has enough value to incentivize collaborative partners. Make a tangible plan for whom to contact and why.

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The background publication for this tool is under review.

WE HELP YOU PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Tool: The Minimum Viable Business Model for Circularity

Bridge the gap between a Circular Business Model idea and its implementation. Since "the devil is in the details", you will have to make a concrete implementation plan by thinking of specific actions that you can perform right now, with available knowledge, resources and manpower.

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Read more about this tool here.

 

THE TEAM

Three PhD researchers based in the Design for Circular Economy research group at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.

PHIL BROWN

Explores how to design and facilitate collaboration within circular networks. His research builds upon challenges experienced and ideas developed via his hands-on management of collaborative Horizon 2020 and Innovate UK circular innovation projects

BRIAN BALDASSARRE

Explores how to design, implement and assess the impact of new business models in the context of a circular economy, working on a large Horizon 2020 project (Zero Brine) for the recovery of raw materials in the port of Rotterdam.

JAN KONIETZKO

Explores how organizations can experiment with new business models for a circular economy and sustainability. He is most interested in how organizations can experiment together with other organizations, to develop superior ecosystem solutions that are desirable, feasible, viable and sustainable.

This work is supervised by:


Prof. Dr. Nancy Bocken

Professor and Research coordinator in Sustainable Business Management and Practice at Lund University, IIIEE

Associate Professor at TU Delft


Prof. Dr. Erik Jan Hultink

Professor of New Product Marketing at TU Delft


Prof. Dr. Ruud Balkenende

Professor of Circular Product Design at TU Delft

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Dr. Giulia Calabretta

Associate Professor of Strategic Value of Design at TU Delft

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PUBLICATIONS

Baldassarre, B., Konietzko, J., Brown, P., Calabretta, G., Bocken, N., Karpen, I.O., Hultink, E.J., 2020. Addressing the design-implementation gap of sustainable business models by prototyping: A tool for planning and executing small-scale pilots. J. Clean. Prod. 255, 120295.

Konietzko, J., Bocken, N., Hultink, E.J., 2020. A Tool to Analyze, Ideate and Develop Circular Innovation Ecosystems. Sustainability 12, 417.

Konietzko, J., Bocken, N., Hultink, E.J., 2020b. Circular ecosystem innovation: An initial set of principles. J. Clean. Prod. 253, 119942.

Konietzko, J., Bocken, N., Hultink, E.J., 2019. Online platforms and the circular economy, in: Innovation for Sustainability - Business Transformations towards a Better World. Palgrave.

Brown, P., Bocken, N., Balkenende, R., Brown, P., Bocken, N., Balkenende, R., 2019. Why Do Companies Pursue Collaborative Circular Oriented Innovation? Sustainability 11, 635.

Baldassarre, B., Schepers, M., Bocken, N., Cuppen, E., Korevaar, G., Calabretta, G., 2019. Industrial Symbiosis: towards a design process for eco-industrial clusters by integrating Circular Economy and Industrial Ecology perspectives. J. Clean. Prod. 216, 446–460.

Bocken, N.M.P., Boons, F., Baldassarre, B., 2019. Sustainable business model experimentation by understanding ecologies of business models. J. Clean. Prod. 208C, 1498–1512.

 
 

©2020 by Circular Strategies

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