On 3 November, CIRCO takes the stage at the Thuringian Resource Conference REKON in Erfurt, Germany. At the opening of the conference, Pieter van Os, Programme Manager CIRCO International, will give a keynote on what companies discover once they start applying circular design. He then joins Prof. Dr. Katharina Reuter, Managing Director of the German Association for Sustainable Business (BNW), for a conversation moderated by Caro Matzko.
The first step is closer than you might think
Companies have their hands full running their day-to-day business. Yet what we see time and again in CIRCO Tracks is that a first step towards circular innovation is more manageable than expected. Participants take a fresh look at their product, their business model and their value chain, and find opportunities with immediate returns: cost savings, stronger customer relationships and a firmer grip on the supply of materials and components.
That first step often leads to more. Research among CIRCO Track participants shows that 70 percent start implementation afterwards. New questions then come up, about strategy, sector and value chain. Our partner Circonnect offers tools and methods to build on that, matched to the innovation step a company is taking and to the questions that arise, even before those questions are clearly defined.
Lessons learned
In Erfurt, Van Os shares lessons from the Dutch practice: on frontrunners who are the first to get involved, on companies that follow once the relevance for their sector becomes clear, and on product groups in which value chains work together on circular solutions. The common thread is how circular innovation strengthens the competitiveness, resilience and future-readiness of companies. Companies that shift from managing loss to managing value become less reliant on scarce resources, and new business opportunities arise. Circularity then follows naturally, as a result of those choices.
CIRCO International
CIRCO is active in the Netherlands and 23 other countries. In Germany, we work with four regional CIRCO Hubs that bring companies and value chain partners together and facilitate explorations and pilots. Within the worldwide CIRCO Hub Network, insights at company and product-group level from one country help companies in other countries move forward, and value chains are connected across borders.
About REKON
Since its first edition in 2023, REKON has become Thuringia’s central platform for resource conservation, the circular economy and the efficient use of materials and energy. The Thuringian Energy and GreenTech Agency (ThEGA) organises the conference on behalf of the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, with the involvement of the Ministry for Economic Affairs. Under the motto “Verbrauch reduzieren. Kreislaufgerecht wirtschaften.” (Reduce consumption. Do business the circular way.), the programme features practical examples from Thuringia and beyond. The conference takes place at COMCENTER Brühl in Erfurt and participation is free of charge; registration is open via ThEGA.