From June 10th to June 13th, 2024, the Circular Economy Spotlights teaching event brought together a diverse group of students, experts, and industry leaders in a series of immersive and informative sessions held across three TUM locations: Straubing, Garching, and Munich.
Spotlights teaching event kicked off in Straubing with a deep dive into the principles and practices of the circular economy. Participants engaged in dynamic discussions on Participants engaged in dynamic discussions on Measuring sustainability from Prof. Anja Faße, the green carbon cycle from Prof. Hubert Röder, and the direct air capture from Prof. Jakob Burger. Furthermore students had the chance to apply their knowledge in circular economy through the Make it Circular strategy game.
In Garching, Merve Emir welcomed students, followed by inputs by Finn Brunnenkant and Sebastian Preis about industrial circular economy and design for circularity. Participants explored cutting-edge research and technological advancements in circular economy practices through BORG Automotive Reman’s workshop on remanufacturing, guided by Meriem Jerbi and Adrien Delimoy. The day continued with Prof. Michael Zäh’s input about the importance of sustainable manufacturing, and concluded with key-note speeches from Nora Reinbold, David Karl, and Lukas Wohlschläger about current Circular Economy research projects.
The final day in Munich featured impactful presentations and panel discussions emphasizing the integration of circular economy concepts into business models and policies. The day started with a presentation from CIRCULAR REPUBLIC’s co-founder Niclas-Alexander Mauss about inspiring case examples of Circular Economy Business models in action, which was followed by Dr. Fabian Barthel from Vytal | The reuse system on Pioneering the Circular Economy Through Entrepreneurship and Research, Lina Maria Echeverri-Roeder on circular cities and the potentials for Munich as a circular city, and lastly, Prof. Alwine Mohnen on different perspectives to support the Circular Economy and integrating behavioral insights. Building on week’s takeaways, students put their knowledge into practice during an engaging design thinking workshop held by Dr. Christos Chantzaras.
We extend our gratitude to all participants, speakers, and organizers for making this event a remarkable success. We look forward to continuing our journey towards a sustainable future through ongoing education, research, and collaboration.