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What will shape our future.

Circular Economy

The newly published report

«Kreislaufwirtschaft. Innovationen der Berner Wirtschaft im europäischen Kontext. 2021»

analyses for the first time with the Canton of Bern how the entrepreneurial implementation of circular innovation projects stands in a Swiss canton. What conditions must be in place or created for Bernese companies to be successful in regional, national and international competition with business models based on the principles of the circular economy? What challenges have to be overcome?

In numerous company portraits, based on detailed interviews with personalities of the respective company, it becomes clear that it is about much more than technological innovations. The results of a survey published for the first time by the ETH Zurich, KOF, and the Bern University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with Reuter transferpilots.ch also show that Bernese companies are definitely highly aware of environmental issues, but that the actual opportunities of the circular economy are not yet perceived in all management levels of the economy.

Pilot projects from central business areas of the Bernese economy impressively illustrate that companies in the construction industry, agriculture and food, the printing and packaging industry, medical technology, battery and mobility technology, wholesale and retail trade, tourism and the financial sector are driving circular innovations in their companies with great commitment and that the circular economy is possible and successful. However, the circular economy requires holistic thinking far beyond one's own company boundaries and calls for systemic cooperation at home and abroad with the supportive participation of the public sector.

Free download pdf here

Access to the background study by ETH KOF and BFH