Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT
Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT

Tailor-made workshops

Transformation to a circular economy

© Fraunhofer UMSICHT

Innovative packaging solutions

Transformation to a circular economy

© Fraunhofer UMSICHT

Prototype development in the makerspace

Transformation to a circualar economy

© Fraunhofer UMSICHT

Your path to a circular economy: strategic, technological, product-oriented

Your challenge: High complexity and increasing regulations

The circular economy (CE) offers a promising opportunity to conserve resources and reduce emissions, thereby addressing sustainability from an economic, ecological and social perspective. Circular solutions can also help to spread risks and make use of domestic raw material flows. To set up an existing business or business idea in a circular manner, comprehensive know-how about technical and strategic options for action is necessary. The high complexity of existing products and business processes often makes it difficult to address strategy processes, product development and sales at the same time. There is also often uncertainty when it comes to selecting the right materials, processes and technologies. In addition, the growing momentum of regulatory measures and legal requirements - such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the EU Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR), EU Green Deal, National Circular Economy Strategy (NKWS) and Packaging Act (VerpackG) – increases the pressure to achieve sustainability goals.

Our solution: From strategic decision-making to circular innovations and sustainable business models for competitive advantage

Fraunhofer UMSICHT offers manufacturing companies support in transforming their products and value creation logic towards a more circular approach. The institute combines the product perspective from user-centered design with material and process engineering expertise and offers you strategic, holistic support that continuously keeps an eye on many different approaches. All technical departments work together across disciplines, giving customers access to a knowledge pool of 600 experts. This allows important interface competencies from the areas of product development and product design, life cycle assessment, environmental psychology and stakeholder involvement to be quickly integrated on a project-specific basis.

"We help you explore options for action for a circular economy, set up your products and processes in a circular manner, and facilitate market entry."

Increase resource efficiency and reduce costs

Fraunhofer UMSICHT provides support in both strategic decision-making and technical solution development. Its CE experts optimize and scale circular economy-oriented business models and product innovations, thereby enabling the creation of circular value chains and the fulfillment of regulatory requirements in the field of circular economy. Furthermore, the institute supports you in overcoming your implementation challenges on the way to market entry by analyzing obstacles and market opportunities from the customer and stakeholder perspective at an early stage and providing impetus for concrete implementation – e.g., the use of new materials, recycled materials, a modified product design (circular design/ecodesign), or adapted process technology.

How you can work with us

Have you already undergone an initial circular economy consultation and are now faced with the challenge of putting the results into practice? Or do you need basic advice on the opportunities that the circular economy holds for you? We are happy to support you here: We offer a modular and holistic approach consisting of various methodological building blocks that can be used individually or in combination to advance your transformation. We work on a direct contract basis and act as a neutral knowledge carrier, partner and moderator along your value chain, conducting the necessary research and bringing challenges and solutions together.

Our methods toolkit

1. IST analysis of the status quo of your product and business processes
This allows us to identify technological and social trends that will impact your future customers. Based on this, we develop suitable circular economy options along the R- strategies, identify areas for action and present strategic decision options for your company.
2. Product design and development
We support you as a sparring partner in redesign and product development with the aim of reducing costs and resource consumption, as well as meeting regulatory requirements. Through workshops (e.g., disassembly workshops or initial workshops in the makerspace), prototype development and demonstrators, we work with you to embed circular principles in your products (e.g., design for recycling, durability, or material efficiency). 
3. Technological implementation and process coordination
We help you to implement circular solutions technologically and coordinate the processes (e.g., with advice on recyclate and material substitution strategies, trend scouting, extending the service life of plastics, biodegradability). Thanks to our interdisciplinary expertise, we act as bridge builders between the various departments in your company.
4. Involvement of customers, stakeholders, and suppliers
To overcome implementation and communication challenges, we involve all relevant stakeholders using appropriate methods (e.g., simulation games, white spot analyses using backcasting, consumer surveys, focus groups, interviews, co-creation, stakeholder workshops). 

A look at our projects

 

© Fraunhofer UMSICHT

DEBO-Pack

Recyclable multi-material packaging

The aim of the Fraunhofer joint project “DEBO-Pack” is to develop recyclable multi-material packaging by separating the components into pure fractions using “debonding on demand.”

More about DEBO-Pack
 

© Shutterstock/Composing Fraunhofer UMSICHT

EKODA

Circular economy in the automotive industry

In the "EKODA" project, researchers are exploring alternative utilization routes, levers and barriers to the circular economy, working on acceptance in practice, and developing business models to reuse, rather than recycle, used automotive components.

more about EKODA
 

© Forum Rezyklat/Atelier Ralf Bauer

Planspiel

Future of the circular economy for recyclable packaging

Fraunhofer UMSICHT developed a circular economy simulation game on behalf of Forum Rezyklat to work with companies to identify practical solutions for closed packaging cycles for which there are currently no circular material flows. The results were published in a report.

Report on the results

Customer testimonials from the projects

 

© Interzero Product Cycle GmbH

Jan Höschel

Managing Director
Interzero Product Cycle GmbH

 

 

 

 

To the joint project

"The current study impressively demonstrates the contribution our IT remarketing makes not only to climate and resource protection, but also to the competitiveness of our customers. Together with Fraunhofer UMSICHT, we have scientific proof that circular strategies such as reuse and refurbishment bring measurable benefits – both ecologically and economically. Companies that rely on our solutions reduce their environmental footprint while benefiting from new value creation potential. This dual effect is what makes the collaboration so valuable to us." 

 

© Karl Storz

Christian Portscheller

Senior Director - EPR, Technical Writing and Documentation
Karl Storz SE & Co. KG

 

 

 

 

Further informationen

"Medical devices serve the health of humans and animals. They must be safe, effective and economical. Regulatory, normative, economic and ecological user requirements are usually the focus of product development. As part of our strategic ‘Green Portfolio’ initiative, we identify potential for optimizing our ecological footprint. With the help of comparative LCA studies and Fraunhofer UMSICHT's transformation to a circular economy, we were able to gain valuable and practical insights. The collaboration was straightforward, professional and goal-oriented - and we thoroughly enjoyed working together." 

 

© Ralf Bauer

Stefan Schubert

Lead Consortium Management
Forum Rezyklat

 

 

 

 

To the joint project

"The backcasting simulation game, which we conducted together with Fraunhofer UMSICHT, was a prime example of successful stakeholder involvement and interdisciplinary cooperation for Forum Rezyklat. The methodological support provided by Sabrina Schreiner and Dr. Philip Mörbitz enabled us to tackle the complex challenges of the circular economy for packaging in a structured and creative manner. The simulation game not only opened up new perspectives for us and the entire Forum Rezyklat with its more than 70 member companies, but also provided concrete impetus for the further development of our data model and the identification of ‘whitespots’."

Further information

Press releases

Publications

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