In addition, Prof. Erik G. Hansen (Institute for Integrated Quality Design) also became a member of the steering group. New business models for a circular economy are being developed together with leading universities (JKU, ETH Zurich, TU Munich, TU Berlin, ESCP Europe), external research institutions, companies and civil society initiatives such as the WWF. Technological and regulatory success factors to overcome business model barriers are also being identified.

Prof. Hansen is honored and remarked: "The EU’s 'New Green Deal' reaffirms the EU’s commitment to transforming the decades-long, linear 'take-make-waste' economic system into a closed-loop economy in which high-quality products, components and materials can be reused on as permanent a basis as possible. Created in 2015, IQD has since specialized in these kinds of transformation processes from a business management perspective, exploring how companies can successfully adapt products, services and business models and align corporate quality and innovation management processes accordingly. It is exciting for me to see how the work is being done to bring about successful solutions, first at pioneering companies and now for industrial and political applications. And this in Germany, one of Europe’s most industrialized countries in Europe, in close cooperation between business and politics, as is the case with acatech. Germany and Austria have traditionally strong value integration chains and this kind of transformation will result in significant changes across national borders."