#4 CIRCLETTER ? | Circular innovation is booming

Dear friends,

“Circular innovation is booming” - it is something I am picking up in all my engagements - governments that look for innovative policy solutions before COP, start ups that join accelerators or businesses that put the circular economy at the heart of “futureproofing themselves”. Google also just announced? a circular economy accelerator. A great opportunity for each one of us to create together is the “Circular Cities Week” (25-31 Octobe) initiated by CE Club, one of the? biggest bottom up movements in the yearly innovation calendar. Don’t miss out on getting engaged wherever you are locally.?

“Biz Focus 2022 - Circularity & Regeneration”

I am often asked what current trends are on biz strategy and sustainability that will shape global businesses in 2022/23. Next to the circular economy transition, I see myself pointing more and more to the importance of “regeneration” & “regenerative leadership”, a topic that for some is part of circularity. To my mind though, we need to emphasize it separately. You will find some food for thought in this CIRCLETTER ?.

• Interview: ?Shyaam Ramkumar
• Interesting other reads
• Calendar of circular events
• Figure of the month
• Video of the month
• Community question

Circular Interview: “Need many more “Circular Silicon Valleys”

For this Circletter I found the opportunity to catch up with an old colleague of mine - ?Shyaam Ramkumar, who just finished? his PHD in Milan - on circular economy and innovation. His focus and interest is how to scale circular innovation

Question 1: Dr Shyaam - you left an impact consulting organization - to go into academia - did you have an “aha moment”?

Shyaam: “Circular innovation is booming - many more products, tech, new processes and biz models have been developed in the last 24 months compared to the years before. Question is - how many will scale fast enough to bring about circular disruptions in their industry. That is exactly what I looked at. Through my research, I found that people focus on financial or technological consequences of innovation, but there is little focus on the social dynamics to scale innovations faster, particularly in a B2B context.”

Question 2: Your research focused on the car industry….

Shyaam: “Yes, one of my papers explored the case of Jaguar Land Rover and their REALCAR closed loop recycling initiative. The research focused on how external relationships are important. The company made a shift from steel to aluminum, which was more expensive and also found that the car production process wastes 30% of materials. So they developed a new alloy that they could recycle by recovering this wasted material, but now they had to install collection systems in their supply chain. Key was to convince their suppliers to collaborate, and many did not because there was direct financial benefit, but because it would ensure they maintain good relations . However, the scrap dealers further downstream lost out as they were no longer able to sell the waste and make a profit, so they tried to leverage their relationships with suppliers to delay the adoption of waste collection systems. So, companies adopting circular approaches need to be aware of potential losers and have a more holistic view on the consequences for their partners. Especially how to mitigate the negative consequences.

Question 3 : How do you innovate successfully - what was another key take away?

Shyaam: “Spread of innovation is often modeled with contagion models - not unlike the spread of diseases. Innovation can spread if you target companies who have the most connections to other companies. However, my research found that this is not always the case for disruptive innovations that involve the circular economy. We need to look at not the number of relationships but rather the quality. It is not the most connections that matter, but the ones with the most motivation to promote the innovation.”

Question 4: How is the USA doing in your opinion on circular economy transition?

Shyaam: “Greenbiz circular conference in the US showed that in the US in the last years the conversation in the USA has gone from a more recycling focused discussion towards a discussion of new biz models, designs, and more upstream towards what kind of materials people use. That is a very different and really positive development. There are also many pockets of circular economy activities in cities like Austin, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Boulder, etc. which is really exciting to see. New circular companies are also emerging from the US like https://rheaply.com/ - a resource exchange -? or https://trove.com/ - a business that taps into the emerging opportunity for established brands for re-commerce solutions.

Question 5: Now you apply knowledge with this Dutch startup - you say systemic transformation will need time and won’t happen overnight:

Shyaam: “Since the quality of relationships is more important for disruptive circular innovations, innovators that want to scale their solutions have to focus on committed partners and build out a close circle of customers that are very committed to circular economy ideas. This has a much better rate of growth of innovation adoption and diffusion compared to focusing on customers with the most connections like with traditional innovations. Since circular innovations are very new and require more understanding to implement, it is about establishing trust. I am working now on tools that can automate this process.”

Question 6:”Running out of time - your big shout out to the people driving innovation:

Shyaam: “Generally it is sad that it takes the war in Ukraine and COVID to force people to think differently, as it seems like only now are companies realizing the risks of the linear economy. There are a lot of good signals that progress is being made, primarily in Europe through product declarations and battery passports, as well as Ecodesign guidelines To truly drive innovation we need to motivate businesses to innovate faster and have them pilot and experiment with new ideas with a goal of de-risking their future.Businesses also need to engage smaller players like start ups and innovators and see how their solutions can be integrated into existing operations, as well as how to act as ambassadors for these innovations to spread them faster..

Question 7: Are you more hopeful or more pessimistic that a circular innovation will happen fast enough?

Shyaam: “More hopeful - as many solutions exist that can help us to get to environmental, social and climate targets. Now we just have to come together and collaborate to scale these innovations faster. We need many more “Circular Silicon Valleys” and provide the right resources and financing to grow these ideas.

Shyaam can be reached on LinkedIn

Interesting reads:

Source: Neue Zürcher Zeitung

What is it about: 90% of Zurich citizens said yes to including circular economy ideas into its regional constitution - which will be adapted to include an article calling on authorities to create frameworks for a “considerate treatment of resources, materials, and goods, as well as the closing of materials loops”. Also all political parties were in favour of the idea.

?Source: UEFA?

What is it about: “Football Goes Circular”: UEFA has released its Circular Economy Guidelines. To reduce the negative environmental effects of football and to increase resource efficiency and cost savings, the organization has set a goal for 2030 of integrating the so-called "4R approach"—built around reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering—into every aspect of its operations.

?Source: Ellen Macarthur Foundation

What is it about: We need to understand the potential positive impact of the digital revolution better for an accelerated circular economy transition. This is a good starting point for blockchain related solutions

Source:? Circular

What is it about: Circular shoes have become a thing - we need these iconic products to showcase real success of companies embracing circular models

?Source: WEF

What is it about: Great read on why using your stuff longer is key as your contribution to a better future & which investments in new clean technologies are now so urgently needed

Source: NewsWire

What is it about: This survey revealed that 87% of Canadian consumers agree that their actions have an immediate impact on the environment. This awareness is reflected in their purchasing behavior, as the same percentage (87%) reportedly prefer purchasing goods from businesses that actively implement circular economy initiatives.

Regenerative reads:

In 2022 we all have to be regenerative - as businesses, governments and citizens. Here some inspiration on key topics such as regenerative agriculture and tourism.

Source: BizJournal

• What is it about: A mindset shift and approach to tourism in the Hawaiian islands

Source: Open Access Government

• What is it about: Reforestation, biodiversity and regrowing natural habits As the damages continue, one part of the solution is going to let nature do what nature does best. Letting reforestation work in the most ecologically and economically efficient way.

Source: World Bench Marking Alliance

• What is it about: Learning from the Regenerative agriculture movement. If you’ve never heard about the amazing potential of regenerative agriculture and land use practices to naturally sequester a critical mass of CO2 in the soil and forests, you’re not alone. One of the best-kept secrets in the world today is that the solution to global warming and the climate crisis lies right under our feet

Source: The Economist

What is it about: Decarbonising business models and navigating net zero. Decarbonization can give businesses the chance to maintain their competitiveness in the face of a variety of possible climate futures while also reducing emissions to prevent the worst possible climate scenarios.

Want to get started, read more around A Compass for Just and Regenerative Business via: https://www.forumforthefuture.org/just-and-regenerative-business

Calendar

October?

• 28.10.-2.11. Circular Economy Club Week

If you have the time do join in! The CEC is one of the biggest community lead efforts towards a circular world. I personally highly encourage you to join and sign up to promote local efforts. I've seen literally hundreds of projects and companies come out from the joined collaborations.

CEC LinkedIn group: https://www.dhirubhai.net/groups/8620369/

CEC Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CircularEconomyClub/

CEC Mighty Network group: https://www.ceclub.org/feed

November

• 8-20 Nov, COP 27, Egypt
• 22 - 24th, Nordic Circular Summit 2022 - Stockholm

December?

• 6-8 : WCEF Rwanda

Figure of the Month

Another big reason for hope for the circular transition and higher uptake for circular products, is the rapidly changing consumer behavior.

• 77% of EU consumers would rather repair their goods than buy new ones
• 75% of Americans are open to the idea of buying a refurbished product,

Video of the Month

As we are moving closer to the climate change negotiations in Egypt in November this year, I felt like this is a good reminder about the positive impact of the circular economy on climate change with some circular heroes such as Cristiana Figueres.

Global Circular Community

I’m super grateful to be connected with all of you, if you have any feedback or suggestions to add into the upcoming newsletters just send me a direct message or add it in the comments below. I love to hear from you ??

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