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| Detailed information |
| Original study plan |
Master's programme Management 2024W |
| Objectives |
- Clarify limitations of the linear economy and incremental sustainability approaches (eco-efficiency).
- Introduce theory and practice of circular economy innovations and related transitions.
- Provide in-depth understanding of various technical and biological cycling strategies.
- Provide insights into industry best practices.
- Equip students with frameworks to analyse the circular economy on multiple levels (industry, network, firm, product-service system)
Learning Outcomes
- LO1: Understand sustainability challenges and how the circular economy helps to overcome them.
- LO2: Distinguish linear from circular business practices.
- LO3: Analyze firms’ activities and structure them using the circular economy framework.
- LO4: Apply circular design strategies to existing products.
- LO5: Identify and outline collaboration needs for developing circular solutions.
- LO6: Analyze and position circular innovations within the context of long-term sustainability transitions.
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| Subject |
This course introduces the circular economy as the most recent framework to contribute to sustainable development, achieve resource independency, and drive regional job creation in the service sector. The circular economy paradigm envisions products flowing either in technical cycles (e.g. repair/maintenance, reuse, remanufacturing, recycling) or biological cycles (e.g. biodegradation). Major conceptual frameworks and best practices from industry provide insights into the transition from value chains to value cycles. Innovations to drive the circular economy are analysed on multiple levels including industry, networks, firms, and product-service systems.
Contents:
- Sustainable development challenges and goals
- Sustainable business: disparate, instrumental, and embedded systems views (systems thinking)
- Efficiency paradox, rebound effects, and basic sustainability strategies
- Circular economy framework
- Technical (repair/maintain, reuse, remanufacture, recycle) & biological (biogenic/biodegradable) cycles
- Material health as quality in the circular economy
- Strategic life cycle assessment
- Product, service, and business model development in a circular economy
- Managing cross-value cycle collaboration in circular ecosystems
- Circular economy transitions from the multi-level perspective
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| Criteria for evaluation |
Oral or written exam (L01-LO6) depending on group size
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| Methods |
- Classic lectures
- Industry examples and cases
- Practitioner guest lectures, site visits, or teaching cases
- Learning videos (optional)
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| Language |
English |
| Study material |
Exemplary literature:
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF). (2013). Towards the Circular Economy 1: Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition, Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF). Retrieved from https://emf.thirdlight.com/link/x8ay372a3r11-k6775n (accessed: 15.2.2024).
- Hansen, E. G., & Schmitt, J. C. (2021). Orchestrating cradle‐to‐cradle innovation across the value chain: Overcoming barriers through innovation communities, collaboration mechanisms, and intermediation. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 25(3), 627–647. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13081.
- Stahel, W. R. (2019). The circular economy: A user's guide. Abingdon, Oxon, New York, NY: Routledge.
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| Changing subject? |
No |
| Further information |
For quality assurance and improvement purposes, please participate in all
JKU course evaluations and surveys!
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