Overview
In the current global linear economic system, radical improvements can be achieved through the arrangement of the physical flows toward a more cyclical model, which is known as the Circular Economy (CE). The Ökihöfe are a role model for extensive recycling in Swiss municipalities and have become indispensable for their population. In practice, recovery can never be 100%. However, beyond recycling, other CE entrepreneurial opportunities exist (e.g. servitization) which may reduce the material throughput of the economic system. The goal of this ITC project is the submission of a proposal to Swiss Federal Office of Environment (FOEN). We propose to leverage the institution Ökihof as a springboard to promote and implement CE entrepreneurial opportunities at community level, thereby supporting the transition to CE. To this end, we study the role of four potential enablers of this transition: 1. Ökihof customers: They are adopters of new goods and services and show high loyalty culminating in cult-like devotion; 2. (Ökihof) digitalization: Digitalization is primarily an information revolution and, in the CE, the coordination of material and information flows are key. 3. Ökihof business model (BM): The CE transition starts at the BM level before moving to the ecosystem (ES) level with potential partners. 4. Ökihof stakeholder co-creation: At ES level we need to consider the changes in value creation for a broad range of actors. Stakeholder co-creation enables consensus-based action in the present, aimed at transitioning the system toward a co-envisioned future: Ökihof as integral part of (municipal) circular ecosystems.
