Four years of CIRCONOMY^® – a look at the (interim) results

CIRCONOMY^® was launched four years ago. The initiative’s goal: to connect stakeholders from business, academia, politics, government and civil society within innovation ecosystems and to accelerate the practical implementation of the circular economy. Since then, the topic has evolved from a vision for the future into a central pillar of innovation and transformation policy. In this interview, project manager Dr. Hartmut Pflaum explains the momentum CIRCONOMY^® has already generated, where companies currently stand on the path to circularity, and why durable products play a special role for him.

Looking back on the past four years: What do you think CIRCONOMY^® has already achieved?

Hartmut Pflaum: We got started on Fraunhofer's CIRCONOMY^® concept very early on – perhaps too early. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a forward-looking approach to create something like real-world laboratories through virtual, hybrid or physical networking, where key innovations for the circular economy are put into practice. Businesses, academia, politics, government and society are finding solutions for the mission “More Circular Economy” in shared, flexible innovation ecosystems – our CIRCONOMY^® Hubs. This mission-oriented approach – which was only beginning to take root in the innovation system back then – is now standard practice: Innovation ecosystems have made their way into the german coalition agreement and the High-Tech Agenda. The current call for proposals for the Transfer Hubs of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) also points precisely in the direction we envisioned in 2021 with CIRCONOMY^®. Our first hub, “Circular Carbon Technologies” in Bavaria, demonstrates that we can put theory into practice. Additional hubs are in the planning phase.

Where do companies currently stand on the path to a circular economy?

Hartmut Pflaum: If you look at the textbook definition, the circular economy aims to reduce the use of raw materials extracted from the environment, minimize material inputs into the environment, and improve the resilience of national economies by reducing dependence on supply chains. If you look at the numbers globally or even in Europe, we’re still struggling quite a bit with the circular economy overall. Linear economic models dominate many business models.

In some areas, however, we are on an encouraging path: in the transition of the energy system away from fossil fuels; in innovative yet durable and repairable products from long-established German companies; and in innovative companies in the recycling and circular economy sectors that generate secondary raw materials at the end of a product’s life and keep them in the cycle. In a circular economy, energy supply, manufacturing and recycling must work hand in hand, because circular innovations often emerge at the intersections of these areas. The Fraunhofer CIRCONOMY^® Hubs bring these stakeholders together and create areas to implement innovations and for companies to be pioneers.

What role does circularity play for you personally?

Hartmut Pflaum: For me, a long service life and the associated reparability of products are top priorities. Not only because life cycle assessments show that these two aspects contribute significantly to resource conservation and emissions reduction, but also because I’m simply happy when something I use lasts a long time. Exception: Technological progress demonstrably leads to more efficient and circular solutions.

I inherited a brush cutter that’s now over 30 years old; first, it still works, and second, I can get replacement parts for it that – with a little DIY effort – whether by me or a professional – bring the machine back to life. I own (leather) shoes that, thanks to occasional conditioning and polishing, I’ve also been wearing for over ten years. That may sound a bit eccentric, but the ubiquitous temptation toward ever-shorter usage times and life cycles – supposedly called “modern” – is, in my view, the greatest enemy of the circular economy.