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Circularity & Circular Business Model Development

 

INSTRUCTORS
Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences

Christ Oliver

University of Lodz

Sibińska Anna

AIM

This introductory course explores the foundations of circularity and the circular economy, highlighting how regenerative value creation differs from the traditional linear “take–make–dispose” model. Students will engage with key frameworks, including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Butterfly Model, R-strategies, and Cradle-to-Cradle, and learn how these guides the design of closed-loop systems.
The course also examines circular business model development and introduce diffrent patterns of CBMs such as ProductasaService, Waste-as-Input, and Sharing Platforms. Through real cases from the food and agrifood sectors, students will analyze how circular principles extend product life cycles, upcycle byproducts, valorize organic waste, and promote ecological regeneration. Furthermore, the course is to familiarize the students with the concepts of circular business ecosystem and industrial symbiosis network to describe the processes of sustainability value co-creation and diffrent for of collaboration, partnerships and coopetition.
By combining conceptual foundations with practical applications, the course develops knowledge and build understanding of students about circular economy’s principles and equips students with the analytical tools needed to evaluate circular economy strategies, business practicies and enhance their skills in planning and developing circular business models.

 

MAIN TOPICS

  • Challenges and benefits of classical linear economic models
  • Need for systemic change and transformation
  • Fundamentals and perspectives of the circular economy
  • Basic models and concepts of the circular economy, limitations, opportunities, and critical assessment
  • Transformation of the linear economy to the circular economy
  • Business models development process
  • Transition towards circular business models: circular and regenerative value creation logic
  • Circular business models’ patterns: Product-as-a-Service (PaaS), Waste as Input; Sharing Platforms
  • Fundamentals and potential of circular business ecosystem and industrial symbiosis network

 

TEACHING METHODOLOGY

The course will integrate both expository methods and conversational lecturing and presentations, along with discussions and exercises, to apply the introduced concepts, models and frameworks.

 

DAY-BY-DAY PROGRAM

N° Topics Instructor
Lesson 1

Fundamentals and perspectives of the circular economy

·       Necessities of a sustainable economy

·       Basic models of sustainable economics

·       Challenges and advantages of the linear economy

·       From linearity to circularity in business

·       Example Food Industry

 Oliver Christ
Lesson 2

Basic models and concepts of the circular economy, limitations, opportunities, and critical assessment

·       Cradle-to-Cradle Model

·       Butterfly Model

·       R-Strategies

·       ISO Norms on Circular Economy

Exercise: Application of the R-Strategies

 

Transformation of the linear economy to the circular economy

• Challenges of circular transformation

• The circular economy as a systemic approach

• Measuring and controlling the circular economy

• The need for new forms of cooperation and business models

•Where and how to start?

 Oliver Christ
Lesson 3

Circular Business Models (CBMs): the essence, main circular practices, viability and scalability of CBMs

· Business model elements and development process: value creation logic

· Circular business model concept

· Circular business models’ patterns: Product-as-a-Service (PaaS), Waste as Input; Sharing Platforms – based on examples from agri-food industry

Exercise: Developing business model towards circularity

Anna Sibińska
Lesson 4

Circular Business Ecosystem: the main assumptions, cross-sectoral partnerships, sustainable value creation

· From linear value chain to network of value

· Fundamentals of business ecosystem and circular business ecosystem – coopetition, value co-creation, proximity, resources sharing

·       The concept and main assumptions of functioning industrial symbiosis network – based on examples from agri-food industry

Exercise: Developing circular business ecosystem

Anna Sibińska

 

SUGGESTED REFERENCES

  • Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2021). Completing the picture: How the circular economy tackles climate change (Reprint of the 2019 paper). https://www.hoop-hub.eu/virtual_images/134-6254016ea43c113bc152bb9f06f1ec02.pdf
  • Potting, J., Hekkert, M. P., Worrell, E., & Hanemaaijer, A. (2017). Circular economy: Measuring innovation in the product chain. Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, 25(44).
  • International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 59010:2024 Circular economy - Guidance on mapping organizations’ value chains and circular economy activities (1st ed.). ISO. https://www.iso.org/standard/80649.html
  • International Organization for Standardization. (2024). ISO 59020:2024 Circular economy - Measuring and assessing circularity performance (1st ed.). ISO. https://www.iso.org/standard/80650.html
  • Urbinati, A., Chiaroni, D., & Chiesa, V. (2017). Towards a new taxonomy of circular economy business models. Journal of Cleaner Production, 168, 487–498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.047
  • Gassmann, O., Frankenberger, K., & Choudury, M. (2022). The Business Model Navigator: The Strategies Behind the Most Successful Companies (2nd ed.). Pearson.
  • Nußholz, J. L. K. (2018). A Circular Business Model Mapping Tool for Value Creation from Prolonged Product Lifetime and Closed Material Loops. Special Issue Product Lifetimes and the Environment. Journal of Cleaner Production. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.112.
  • Takacs, F., Frankenberger, K., & Stechow, R. (2020). Circular Ecosystems: Business Model Innovation for the Circular Economy. Institute of Management & Strategy, University of St. Gallen. https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/entities/publication/71a992f7-5ff0-459c-a404-a73d7332478c
  • Jamadagni, A., Aurisicchio, M., & Nybom, L. (2024). Modelling an ecosystem of business models in a circular value chain: the circular business ecosystem model canvas. Proceedings of the Design Society, 4, 1309–1318. doi:10.1017/pds.2024.133.
  • Sibińska, A., Godek-Brunel, M. (2025). How to Design and Sustain Industrial Symbiosis Network Within SMEs?. In: Valeri, M., Sánchez-García, J.Y., López-Hernández, C. (eds) Effective Strategy Implementation. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-94336-2_1