Circular economy : can it be an effective economic re-design?

• Autor(a) principal: Gupta, Gagan Vinaykumar
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/29017
• topic: Circular economy; Open innovation; Linear production; Domínio/Área Científica::Ciências Sociais::Economia e Gestão

Circular Economy recently has gained massive attention in terms of its implications across multiple industrial verticals. Various schools of thoughts like permaculture, cradle to cradle, industrial symbiosis have been associated with the Circular Economy, yet the application of circular practices is still relatively low. This research addresses the gaps between the theory and practice and analyses the reasons why there is the delay in its application. Moreover, the research also reflects on the understanding of Circular Economy with its circular business models and how those business models can tackle and address the challenges in the traditional linear production systems. Apart from this, the benefits for the key stakeholders in the economy i.e., corporations, governments and consumers have been identified and explained. Multiple case research methodology has been followed to understand the ground reality of the delay in the application of circular economy, four industrial verticals have been chosen and using a semi-structured interview process, various examples, strategies, opportunities and challenges have been understood and they form the analytical structure of the research. The research then uses the results from the case study to be interpreted by using the theory of absorptive capacity in an open innovation system and hence the results are analyzed accordingly, concluded with the understanding of technological, leadership, consumer behavior enabling factors and the monopoly played by corporations as a disabler. Moreover, the recommendations are directed towards the government enabling stricter EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and post occupancy evaluation regulations.