Blog

Insights & perspectives

What we learn in projects, workshops and research - written down for everyone putting the circular economy into practice.

Felix Ambros, 13 October 2026, 18 min read

Incentive is all you need

How AI research can help us rethink circular business models. Illustrated with the reusable wine bottle.

Eva Volpe, 04 August 2026, 8 min read

The knowledge-action gap

A look at the knowledge-action gap in sustainability: the lock-ins that keep us stuck and the strategies that help close the gap.

Anna Nägele, 02 June 2026, 3 min read

ReneTrax

Discover how ReneTrax uses AI-powered robotics to stop solar energy loss and automate large-scale solar farm maintenance.

Anna Nägele, 28 May 2026, 8 min read

NEREIA

NEREIA is cleaning up shipping: Rimah and Julia develop a biocide-free solution to biofouling that cuts CO2 emissions and protects marine life.

Anna Nägele, 27 May 2026, 3 min read

Impact Internship at Thinkubator

What it is like to do an Impact Internship at Thinkubator: Tricia and Victoria on Austrian startup culture, sustainability and their learnings.

Anna Nägele, 22 May 2026, 7 min read

Repartum

Repartum skaliert die Kreislaufwirtschaft mit einer digitalen Plattform für professionell aufbereitete Ersatzteile – günstiger und ressourcenschonend.

Anna Nägele, 20 May 2026, 5 min read

OC - Own your Closet

The fashion industry has a waste problem. OC – Own your Closet helps change buying habits without losing the joy of dressing up.

Lotte Lehtovuori, 24 April 2026, 4 min read

Synergizing Circularity and Social Impact

How the SocialECOnomy project and the Inclusive Loop Framework combine circularity with social impact across European social enterprises.

Alexandra Kick, 15 April 2026, 4 min read

The Value Hill

This blog post explains the circular economy framework value hill which explains the 9r-strategies and compares the linear and circular model.

Lotte Lehtovuori, 15 April 2026, 3 min read

THE BUTTERFLY MODEL

This blog post explains the butterfly model as a framework for circular economy and it's two cycles - the biological and the technical one.

Lotte Lehtovuori, 15 April 2026, 5 min read

The 9R strategies: how to keep products and materials in the loop

This blog explains the framework of the 9r strategies and gives examples how they can be applied to keep products and materials in the loop.

Felix Ambros, 02 April 2026, 7 min read

Value-Access-Process Framework: The Framework That Actually Helps You Design a Circular Business Model

Theory vs. reality: why circular adoption is slow and how the Value-Access-Process Framework helps you design realistic circular business models.

Sophie Gies, 29 January 2026, 8 min read

History of Circular Economy: How far back does circular thinking go?

Explore the history of the circular economy, from pre-industrial reuse and repair to post-war consumerism and modern sustainability efforts.

Francisco Aragao, 16 June 2025, 2 min read

Meet EcoMycel: Sustainable Insulation Materials made from Mycelium

EcoMycel develops eco-friendly insulation materials from mycelium, the root network of fungi: biodegradable, low-impact and fully circular.

Francisco Aragao, 10 June 2025, 4 min read

Terraformer: Carbon Removal Through Agricultural Waste and Geological Storage

Terraformer removes carbon from the air by turning agricultural waste into energy and storing the CO2 underground for the long term.

Francisco Pir, 06 June 2025, 2 min read

AeroVia: Reimagining Wind Energy for Urban and Suburban Spaces

AeroVia is developing vertical wind turbines for urban areas to complement solar energy. Learn how their solution closes the winter energy gap.

Anna Nägele, 23 May 2025, 3 min read

Minimist: The AI-Driven Startup Revolutionizing Second-Hand Commerce

Minimist rethinks how we buy and sell second-hand goods, using AI to make circular commerce faster, easier and more attractive.

Alexandra Kick, 11 December 2023, 6 min read

Innovation through inclusion: employees at the center of the circular economy

This blog post talks about the importance of employee engagement for sustainability and circular economy