Econsense: How Companies can Advance Cross-Industry Collaboration on Circular Economy in Germany

The transition from today’s “take, make, waste” economic paradigm to a circular economy requires a joint effort from actors at all levels: governments, business, and civil society. While companies are amongst the drivers of the circular transformation, they find it hard to achieve a circular economy on their own. Hence, cross-industry collaboration is one of the imperatives for scaling a circular economy.

Against this background, econsense, together with Accenture and the Wuppertal Institute, launches its latest study “Germany’s Transition to a Circular Economy – How to Unlock the Potential of Cross-Industry Collaboration”.

Based on a survey and expert interviews within the econsense community, the study finds that companies are yet to unlock the full potential of cross-industry collaboration. While two-thirds of analysed industry collaborations have a high potential for scaling the circular economy, only 43% of those already show a high degree of interaction.

The study provides concrete guidance for companies to get started with circularity and identify the right partners for cross-industry collaboration. Specifically, the report recommends companies:

Understand what circularity is about and map it on their own operations and processes.
Understand the different circular business models and identify the ones relevant to each business.
Discover areas where collaboration can help to create the needed foundation and to execute circular actions.

For more information: