The concept of a Circular Economy is growth strategy outlining structural changes to move away from a linear, resource-intensive system by 2050 toward a more circular, modern and resource-efficient economy where there are no net greenhouse gas emissions. In 2019, the Circular Economy Initiative Germany (CEID) was launched with these objectives in mind. Along with other civil-social organizations, three ministries, twenty-four companies, and twenty-two research institutions are taking part in a dialogue to discuss how to successfully reverse the linear trend to a circular economy.

The JKU is also involved as Prof. Erik Hansen (Institute for Integrated Quality Design) is conducting research together with Andres Alcayaga, bringing JKU expertise to the roadmap. The findings from their expansive, collaborative research have now been published. In all, over 130 experts were involved.