Welcome to the Circular Economy Transition
The Circular Economy Transition (CET)
What is a circular economy?
Why transition to the circular economy?
CET activities in Switzerland
Building
support
business lab Research & Policy
& Outreach
for circular spaces
activities
We all aspire to a sustainable future within the planetary boundaries, but we will only be able to do this if we introduce an element of circularity in our economic circuit.
A sustainable future has to be linked to a circular economy. Business as usual is not possible as the cost of inaction is too high.
For many people the relationship of business and the planet can be summed-up by “do no harm”. But the concept that if you are a particularly successful business you do not harm the planet is obsolete.
Today we need to give back. We need to have businesses which are net-positive.
We need entrepreneurs.
Regenerating nature requires an economic transformation. Entrepreneurs can be seen as a main drivers in this transition. New ideas, new business models, but also new technologies can be the base of an innovation stream which will help us to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The beauty of working for a platform like Impact Hub, is to make sure that we can connect amazing talent with new ideas; entrepreneurs but also cohorts of individuals and organisations committed to improving the state of the world.
We are all in this together. If we really want to achieve the SDGs, we need to work together. Together makes the reality possible.
André Hoffmann, Vice chairman of Roche & Co-founder of InTent
Regenerating nature requires an economic transformation. To bring the natural system into balance, we need an economy that respects the limits of natural resources and protects and restores the health of our natural ecosystems. This requires a transformative shift in how we value our natural environment, how we use and dispose of resources, creating a circular system, as in nature..
With this objective we launched ‘Circular Economy Transition’ (CET) in 2018, a pioneer initiative bringing together entrepreneurs, businesses, policy makers, academia and civil society to harness new circular business models, combining ecology and economy, as well as new models of civic engagement and private-public partnerships, with the aim of enabling systems change for the transition in Switzerland and globally.
CET was initiated with the support of the MAVA foundation and sanu durabilitas, and it is currently taking place in 6 citiesGeneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basel, Zurich and Ticino - at the local Impact Hubs.
In the spirit of the world wide Impact Hub community, #StrongerTogether was not only an agreed upon value, but became an important learning and conviction among the Impact Hubs, CET team, partners and participants.
provided a strong message of what can be achieved through a Swiss-wide, bottom up collaboration of dedicated and innovative people towards a joint vision.
The mission of CET is to make Switzerland an innovation leader in the circular economy, significantly reducing the consumption of natural resources and contributing to sustainable development.
A circular economy is a powerful method consisting of principles and activities that aims to retain the value of resources, materials, components and products for as long as possible in the economy. This is done by narrowing, slowing, closing and regenerating material and energy loops.
In 2020, Nils Moussu, scientific collaborator from the Circular Economy Transition team, shared some of the key arguments why it makes sense for Switzerland to transition to a circular economy.
Circular economy strengthens the economic resilience and reduces risks and damages in case of systemic crises, such as we are experiencing in the pandemic or to be expected due to the consequences of climate change.
It is a systemic approach whose purpose is to reduce the consumption of natural resources and to contribute to sustainable development.
To have a common understanding of the circular economy in practice, the four Circular Economy building blocks were developed by CET as a framework to help companies and organizations to establish roadmaps for the transition.
Learn more about the basic principles, business models and potential of the circular economy in our brochure: Tomorrow’s Economy is Circular
The circular economy shows us the way to the future. It conserves resources, strengthens regional value creation, offers opportunities for new business models and makes our economy more sustainable and resilient.
The circular economy reduces dependencies and risks of global supply chains, promotes regional value creation and creates jobs in Switzerland.
The circular economy is helping to shape the societal changes triggered by the pandemic towards greater sustainability.
Full article: www.circular-economy-switzerland.ch
Circular economy drives the transformation of the food and agriculture sector towards resilience and sustainability.
The circular economy combined with digitalisation opens up opportunities for innovative business models and thus strengthens Switzerland as a location for innovation.
Through events, workshops and learning circles across Switzerland, we are creating a community of people that aspire to drive the circular economy transition in Switzerland forward.
By enabling startups to develop and scale circular products and services, we support the emergence of new solutions to the market, accelerating the transition in both Switzerland and abroad.
Engaging SMEs and large organizations in the transition by supporting them in the development and adoption of circular business models and solutions in their core activities.
Elaborating recommendations for improving the framework conditions for shifting Switzerland to an innovation leader in circular economy.
Offering a platform to showcase innovative and effective circular business models and raising awareness about the role played by entrepreneurs and startups in the transition.
The purpose of the Ecosystem Building activities are to inspire and connect people and organisations to get engaged in tackling the major sustainability challenges in our economy. The content has focussed on building a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges in moving from a linear to a circular economy as well as exploring and showcasing concrete pathways and alternatives for accelerating the transition.
Since 2018, CET has organised regular events in key cities in Switzerland (Bern, Basel, Lausanne, Geneva, Zurich, and later, Ticino)
engaging a wide and diverse audience of key stakeholders from the Swiss society: companies, students, NGOs, city and cantonal authorities, investors, startups, etc.
Several co-creation sessions and expert workshops (90% of CET events entail a co-creativity component) have been held across Switzerland, tackling concrete challenges within the economy - ranging from reducing food waste to new production and consumption models within the fashion industry - and connecting relevant actors together.
The co-creative nature of the CET events, led to the development of local and regional networks of practitioners, socalled Circles', organised around specific sectors and actively creating sub-projects and networking opportunities. Some of the circles include: The Textile & Fashion Cirlce, The Furniture, Architecture & the Built Environment Circle, and The Food Systems Transformation Circle, together comprising nearly 400 members.
• The CET events have become a recognized platform for learning and meaningful connections across several Swiss cities, and have set the ground for new collaborations across sectors.
• Concrete examples of increased multistakeholder collaboration, funding opportunities, more inspiring role-models and case studies.
• In particular entrepreneurs and organisations have been able to share their practices Swiss-wide and shown positive examples of circular business models as well as products and services. Some could attract new clients through the events (e.g. Sharely, Foifi, etc).
Impact Hub brought the global climate action movement, Climathon to Basel, Zurich, Geneva and Ticino- together with other implementing partners. Climathon is a 24-hour hackathon dedicated to creating climate action in the form of tangible project solutions, supporting climate positive projects, startups and businesses in cities.
Challenges have been created by the partners as well as Circular Business Modeling Workshops held by CET Team members have been delivered to the participants. Out of the Climathon Zürich, almost all of the 50 projects involved circular economy principles or positively contributed to a transition towards a circular economy on a local level.
Get inspired by exploring the Climathon Zürich 2020 & 2021 solution booklets.
The purpose of this event was to stimulate a dialogue between key international players from politics, advocacy and science to explore how the Coronavirus crisis and the forced “slowing down” of societies is impacting personal lives, our societies and economies. It was exciting conversation exploring the future and whether the Covid-19 pandemic would help societies achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the impending climate targets. The event attracted over 370 online participants.
otto Scharmer
Senior Lecturer in the MIT and co-founder of the Presencing Institute
Bocken
Professor in Sustainable Business at Maastricht Sustainability Institute, Maastricht University
Thorens Goumaz
Member of the Swiss Council of States
Graf
climate activist
Together with key experts and policy makers, the webinar brought forward an exciting exploration on where Switzerland stands with regard to circular economy and what concrete approaches and collaborations are necessary to promote a real transition to a circular economy within the planetary boundaries. The webinar was organised in collaboration with One Planet Lab and attracted over 250 online participants.
Founder & President of Global Footprint Network Simon Widmer
The community events and the circles are still taking place across the country, engaging experts, entrepreneurs and policy makers in the transition.
Ecosystem partnerships are continuing, with circular economy expertise being shared Swiss-wide (e.g. at the Climate Lab from MyBluePlanet, in the framework of University lectures at the University St Gallen, with NTN Innovation booster for applied CE, etc.).
The CET team is continuously represented on panel discussions and organisational boards (e.g. The One Planet Lab, Circular Economy Switzerland). CET Alumni projects are being invited to present their ventures at other Impact Hub events and programmes.
Design & Network Lead, Ellen
Foundation Susanna
Policy Advisor FOEN Nils moussu
Research
The Swiss impact Hubs are looking for strategic partnerships and funding to scale these ecosystem & knowledge sharing activities throughout Switzerland.
The circular economy shows us the way to the future.
A central element of CET is enabling the development of new companies, bringing in new innovations, business models, products and services to the market. Our startup programs also allow us to raise awareness of the need and opportunities for business to drive circular and regenerative models, prepare the market, and strengthen the supporting ecosystem by connecting them to a variety of private and public stakeholders.
We have supported more than 150 startups on their entrepreneurial journey (idea, scaling and matchmaking strategies), through our three key programmes:
The Circular Economy (CE) Incubator is a three-month program that enables early stage startups to prototype and develop solutions contributing to the transition in Switzerland. 90+ Entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors were supported and valuable solutions emerged which received national and international recognition and won numerous awards.
Kickstart Innovation is one of the largest European innovation platforms connecting the innovation needs of key large organizations (public and private sector) with solutions from mature startups and accelerating intrapreneurial teams. Since its launch in 2016, Kickstart has facilitated over 200 commercial deals and participating later-stage startups have raised over 2 billion together.
Accelerate2030 is a global flagship program of Impact Hub Geneva, co-initiated jointly with UNDP in 2016, with an aim to support entrepreneurs across developing and emerging markets to scale their solutions for the 17 Sustainable Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Accelerate2030 has supported nearly 500 entrepreneurs and engaged with +200 partners across the globe.
Increased quality & quantity of circular startups and solutions on the Swiss and International markets.
New partnerships between Swiss organizations and startups that prove the financial viability and technological feasibility of innovative circular solutions.
New markets reached through the scaling of impactful circular solutions.
Inspiring role-models and case studies
are inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders in the transition.
Neustark extracts CO2 from the atmosphere, trapping it permanently in recycled concrete and reducing new emissions by limiting the percentage of cement. 9% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from concrete production. Concrete is the most demanded building material, and is at the same time one of the biggest climate killers.
Some Achievements:
• Won multiple awards since the CE Incubator 2019 edition
• Successful pilot at the Kästli concrete plant in Rubigen, Bern
• In 2020, they are selected in Kickstart Innovation and collaborate with Holcim on a joint materials testing programme, which provides a key foundation for future integration of Neustark’s solution into Holcim’s recycling process.
Plastic pollution is a real problem, and the start-up Tide Ocean Material has a solution by re-using ocean-bound plastic to produce premium raw materials for sustainable products. Their concept of a circular business model has greatly appealed to the Swiss food giant, Coop! Within the Kickstart programme, they were able to develop a partnership with the aim of jointly developing the first travel luggage and the first cosmetic and home care packaging made from ocean plastic.
Continue to enable entrepreneurs across Switzerland as they are the innovators developing concrete solutions and as well as a source of inspiration for others to act and collaborate.
Deepen the impact by expanding our support to nature-based and regenerative solutions and connecting the impact of businesses to our biological ecosystems.
Scaling the CE framework to more countries and foster system change through international exchanges.
No matter what industry we’re in, we’re all facing similar challenges - if we work together, not only we can overcome them, but will also be successful in creating the change our economy needs.
Comprehensive diagnostic tool which measures CE indicators and helps set circular goals for the venture.
Comprehensive journey comprised of workshops and online courses on circular business models, systems and stakeholders mapping, and innovation for circular economy.
Entrepreneurs work closely with dedicated mentors and sector experts to integrate circular principles into their businesses and build their scaling strategies.
We work with partners and entrepreneurs on activating the ecosystem to understand the dependencies and work together, as there is no one actor alone that can make the shift.
Loopia addresses the throwaway issue by making the reselling, repairing and reusing of items easier. It is the digital "home" of your products, where you can find all guarantee certificates and important documents.
Switzerland, Zurich
Voltiris improves commercial greenhouses' energetic efficiency by producing renewable energy without impacting their agricultural yield.
Switzerland, Lausanne
iD Watch's goal is to offer Swiss-made watches tailored to your identity and from the circular economy, with a case made from 100% recycled stainless steel collected in the jura, straps from 80% post-wine grape residue.
Switzerland, Geneva
Cheeky Campers upcycles used vehicles and transforms them with re-used and recycled materials to unique, affordable and sustainable camping vans which are rented out.
Switzerland, Zurich
NoW Care is the first Swiss brand offering a solution to plastic waste from the bathroom, that is so easy to adopt, that everyone can lead a sustainable lifestyle. Naturally, effectively, & conveniently. #careNOW
Switzerland, Bern
Enabling circular and carbon neutral production of concrete by turning CO2 into minerals. Neustark removes CO2 from the atmosphere permanently stores it in recycled concrete and cuts new emissions by reducing the use of cement.
Boost Biomes develops microbial treatments for food & agriculture to extend shelf life and increase crop yields.
United States
HeatNeutral is the future of zero emission and climate neutral heat energy. They produce the worlds most efficient, cost effective and scalable heating system for homes and industry powered by CO2 neutral fuels.
Switzerland, Zurich
Sunspectra upcycles agricultural waste and transforms into cosmetic products. The first product line is reef-safe papaya based sunscreen.
Costa Rica
mycotech supports the global production of sustainable products by providing high performance and responsible biomaterial while empowering local communities in the value chain.
Indonesia
Evreka provides comprehensive intelligent solutions for waste management across the globe.
Turkey
SUSTaiNaBLE aGriCULTUrE
Unibio produces an ingredient that reduces toxicity levels of pesticide formulas. It is a circular business as its nanocarriers are made of natural compounds like shrimp waste, promoting more sustainable agriculture.
Argentina
The purpose of the CET Business Lab is to help companies and organizations of all sizes in the transition by developing concrete opportunities, products and business models, as well as supporting them in the development and adoption of circular solutions in their core activities.
The CET Services has provided workshops and consultancy services to numerous SMEs, business associations, and public entities, as well as engaging large companies and public entities in the transition.
Development of the ‘Circular Economy
roadmap’ as a framework and in-house
methodology to help companies and organizations to implement circular principles.
Numerous workshops & trainings for SMEs, large companies, public authorities, policy organisations and NGOs addressing questions and needs regarding circular economy.
a 6-month support programme for resourcelight organisations and businesses, followed by a publication on ‘Resource-light business models for a circular economy’, in partnership with WWF, sanu durabilitas, Lund university and iiiee.
+15 large organizations from the Swiss private and public sector engaged and 30 concrete circular Proof of Concepts (PoCs) and other commercial pilots developed with startups through Kickstart Innovation.
‘Les métiers Durables’ - the development of a professional re-integration program based on circular economy in Vaud.
Selected by the Canton of Geneva, Department of Economy and Employment (DEE) for a mandate to support Genevabased companies in order to carry out a diagnosis-action for their circular transition.
assessment expertise and tools
Helping companies to assess current situation and to start working towards sustainable and circular solutions that make sense in their business.
Circular Design know-how
Co-Creation of radical, restorative and regenerative approaches to develop high quality, long lasting products that create and maintain value over time.
Circular Business model development
Help with business model innovation to discover the potential benefits of e.g. payper-use and sharing strategies.
materials, sourcing & the value chain redesign
Explore innovative materials and potential suppliers, assess collaboration opportunities with like minded businesses.
Transition journey roadmapping
Identify circular financing options and partners, plan the transformation process towards future profitable business.
• Covid-19: The pandemic required a concentration of resources for the mere survival of businesses, and was thus a barrier for long-term investments and involvement in the CET business lab.
• Despite these challenges, the CET business lab outputs provide success stories and a valuable starting point to strengthen relationships with involved companies, expand the Circular Economy community and further develop relevant offers for SME and organisational needs.
The CET Business Lab team supported the transformation journey of Fidriser Heuberge, a small Swiss mountain resort who set out to become the first (T)Eco-Resort in Switzerland.
In 2019, Coop had the objective to be a frontrunner in offering quality plant based products. Through Kickstart and a pilot project with alumni startup Planted, Coop tested the demand and acceptance of plant-based meat products in several selected stores. As a result, Coop became the first retailer to launch the popular peabased chicken alternatives Planted products are now listed in the large majority of Coop's 994 sales outlets.
The CET team developed a number of digital analysis tools both for universities and startup support programs, such as the ‘circularity diagnostic tool’, used for supporting startups in Africa, Asia and Latin America through the Accelerate2030 program.
although CET is continuing its consultancy and expert services, the initiative can achieve an even bigger impact among SmEs and large private and public-sector organizations by focusing on enabling collaboration and innovation through startup-large organisation matchmaking programs like Kickstart innovation. Currently, a needs assessment study among SME from food and textile sectors is being conducted to help identify and address the companies’ challenges more effectively.
rEDUCiNG FooD WaSTEThe City of Zurich had the goal to reduce food waste at the City Hospital Waid and Triemli. Through Kickstart they worked with the startup Prognolite to determine the influence of weather, public holidays and trends utilizing automatically imported receipts of the last two years to predict demand for the gastronomy sector. This resulted in a successful pilot project.
Working with Kickstart is a key way for us at la Mobilière to develop internal innovations, invest in forwardfacing business lines and advance intrapreneurship within our own ranks.
Andrea Kleiner Head Business Development, La Mobilière
In close collaboration with the foundation for sustainable development sanu durabilitas, the Impact Hubs set out to provide knowledge and capacity building to support Swiss stakeholders in their decision making processes regarding circular policies and business models. While publicly less visible than other activities, this CET pillar significantly contributed to important progress on the political level.
Numerous consultations, hearings, position papers for political decisionmaking processes related to circular economy.
individual expertise has been provided for the development of parliamentary interventions on various circular economy related topics. For instance, the revision of the Law on the Protection of the Environment, or several provisions on specific issues (electronic and electric products, reuse in the construction sectors, green deals, etc.)
Establishment of an interparliamentary Group on Circular Economy in 2021, with 25 members of the Swiss Parliament and sanu durabilitas acting as secretariat.
Development and dissemination of sets of policy recommendations for Circular Economy Switzerland on ‘Circular economy as a resilience strategy’ (2020), and ‘Broad Policy Orientations for Switzerland (2021).
Collaboration with scientific research projects, e.g. with the Swiss National Research Programme “Sustainable Economy” (NRP 73).
The work of the CET Policy Recommendation team has contributed to the fact that circular economy now is #1 priority in policy discussions on environment and sustainability and to the broadening of the support base for circular economy among all the political forces.
Circular economy now is #1 priority in policy discussions on environment and sustainability in Switzerland
In 2021, an Interparliamentary Group on Circular Economy (2021) was established with sanu durabilitias acting as secretariat. 25 members of the parliament, representing all the major political parties in Switzerland, joined forces to advocate for a circular Switzerland.
Together with the partner Circle Economy from the Netherlands, Circle Economy Switzerland and Deloitte, CET is developing the first Circularity Gap report of Switzerland.
The Gap Report will be accompanied by a broad-based stakeholder process in order to gather the expertise of the various Swiss actors and will include a clear roadmap for Switzerland towards circularity, which should provide orientation for Swiss decision-makers.
More specifically, the report will:
Create awareness around each nation’s circularity benchmark through an accessible and comparable measurement framework
The goals of the group are to:
promote dialogue between politics, business, research and society on the subject of the circular economy.
Create optimal political conditions so that the circular economy becomes a priority for sustainable development.
Create space for discussion of circular economy topics before they are dealt with in the sessions.
organize thematic events.
provide guidance and define a roadmap, for industry and government on the key levers for change that will drive the transition from a linear to a circular model
inspire action for business leaders and policymakers with tangible strategies, practical benefits, and best practice examples.
The completion of the report will be widely communicated and published at the World Economic Forum, in Davos 2023.
There is still a lack of exchange and cooperation within politics and public administration to work towards a common vision. if CET succeeds in further extending its power of community and collaboration to politics by providing specific resources, methods and spaces, its contribution to the Circular Economy Transition could increase significantly.
Together with the partner Circle Economy from the Netherlands, Circle Economy Switzerland and Deloitte, CET is developing the first Circularity Gap report of Switzerland.
The CET team developed and disseminated a set of broad policy recommendations for the circular economy in Switzerland (2021):
ECoNomY
produce durable products that are modular, repairable and recyclable. New sources of revenue can be tapped and customer loyalty increased by offering services such as repairs and maintenance. Such innovative business models not only conserve resources, but also extend the value chain of Swiss companies.
When purchasing, focus on components, products and services that are in line with the principles of the circular economy. For example, more product components should be purchased that are made from secondary instead of primary raw materials. Or preference should be given to suppliers who recycle leftover materials from production and unused by-products instead of disposing of them as waste. This not only conserves resources, but also saves money.
Venture more cooperation with suppliers and competitors.
In order to move one’s own sector together towards the circular economy, new cooperations are essential. It is most efficient if the know-how required for the implementation of resource-saving business models is developed in partnership. This will strengthen the industry as a whole and is thus in the interest of each individual company.
Develop plans for the circular economy. Master plans, strategies or roadmaps can reveal the potential of the circular economy at municipal, cantonal or national level, adapted to the context, and thus form a basis for strengthening the business location.
align procurement policy with the circular economy.
The public sector’s high demand for goods and services shapes and stimulates supply. Innovative procurement policies can significantly promote solutions that are in line with the principles of the circular economy. In addition, expenditure is reduced in the long term if life cycle costs are taken into account in procurement.
provide infrastructure and create incentives.
Reusing products instead of throwing them away saves resources. This can be made much easier by promoting suitable infrastructures and events for sharing, repairing, reselling and giving away. In addition, rules of the game for sustainable consumption behaviour can be established at events in public spaces.
poLiTiCS
align economic policy with the shift towards a climate-friendly circular economy.
To achieve the climate goals, we need more sustainability in production and consumption. The circular economy achieves this by conserving resources, using renewable energy and strengthening regional value creation. An economic policy that strengthens the circular economy therefore makes Switzerland resilient, climate-friendly and resource-efficient.
reducing dependencies on international supply chains.
Better framework conditions are needed to enable more production steps in Switzerland. In order to make domestic labour cheaper, the tax burden should be shifted to resource consumption. In addition, better conditions are needed for regenerative, decentralised food production and resource-conserving agriculture.
Extend the life of products. There is a need for minimum requirements on the reparability of products, the availability of spare parts and an extension of guarantees for specific product categories. In addition, mandatory information on product lifespan, repairability and life cycle costs closes the information gaps for consumers.
Strengthen recycling.
In order for recyclable materials to be increasingly used as raw materials for new products, hurdles must be removed. These secondary raw materials require simpler processes than waste handling.
Shape innovation promotion and digitalisation sustainably.
The research and development of technical solutions that strengthen sustainability must be intensified. Digitalisation and the circular economy must be thought of together when promoting innovation. Appropriate support for start-ups and the integration of the circular economy into training and further education at various levels and professional groups can achieve a lot.
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a Swiss-wide reach with further potential
While providing an invaluable platform for the CET community and visibility of supported startups and their success stories, the communication pillar has not yet reached its full potential to allow for a Swiss-wide information and knowledge sharing platform e.g. about the current state, facts and figures, ongoing progress, and best practices with regards to Swiss and international circular economy in general.
Various Swiss and international media highlighted the program, in uencing the public discourse and raising awareness about the circular economy framework. Circular Economy as a framework is now broadly featured in Swiss media, more widely known among the general public and an acknowledged issue in the business environment. This eventually contributes to increased knowledge, expectations and demand from clients, politics, and business to rethink the economy in a circular way.
CET team members Amanda Byrde and Laurène Descamps, took on the TedX stage in Brussels, presenting in front of an audience of policy makers. Why and how they built up an initiative that is accelerating the Circular Economy Transition in Switzerland. This talk was an opportunity to share with decision-makers and an international community that these collaboration platforms for change are needed and can be replicated around the world.
“The Circular Future of Business”@DAVOS, SDG Tent, WEF’s Annual Meeting in 2020. A unique event showcasing innovative solutions by leading entrepreneurs and corporate partners including speakers such as the President of the National Council, Isabelle Moret, Holcim Switzerland & Italy CEO, Nick Traber, and several Circular Economy entrepreneurs, along with broadcasting by CNN Money Switzerland and the Pre-Launch of the world’s first country-wide “Startup Guide Switzerland”.
The CET platform will aim to increase its impact by broadening its audience, acting as a general information and knowledge sharing platform supporting Switzerland’s transition to a circular economy. By specifically addressing more mature companies, showcasing international examples and best practices while at the same time honestly discussing challenges and failures (e.g. unsuccessful business models, greenwashing, etc.), and providing information about the latest developments, CET can leverage its growing community and further promote support and collaboration across all sectors and actors.
We had the honor to give an inspirational input with concrete examples on how far digitalization can support the Circular Economy Transition.
Together with a core team of dedicated organizations, Impact Hub Switzerland, coinitiated the movement ‘Circular Economy Switzerland’ in the summer of 2018. Supported by the MAVA Foundation and the Migros Engagement Fund, CES acts as a catalyst for a new Swiss-wide circular economy movement with various projects and events. Today, more than 330 individuals and organizations from the private and public sectors as well as politicians are part of CES and have signed its Charter.
Born out of CET, Impact Hub Lausanne and its partners Eveil and Mentor Energy, are opening the largest innovation space in Switzerland dedicated to circular economy and inclusion: Beaulieu Circulaire. The 3 000m2 large space for collaborations along value chains and across sectors is a place of reference for experimenting, testing, growing, and maximizing the full potential of projects dedicated to the circular economy transition.
Beaulieu Circulaire - Lausanne
• A showcase of circular innovations and solutions by entrepreneurs across Switzerland
• A launchpad for new activities to develop the resilience of the territory (development of services to replace products or modular, longlasting, repairable and reusable products)
• A laboratory for testing and implementing new concepts resulting from research and their application, in connection with private, public and third party needs
• A space to raise awareness among the general public and empower them to act
• An ecosystem to develop skills for the professions of tomorrow
• A space for citizen consultation and relaying information on public policies.
• A 3 000m2 inspirational space for events, co-working and team work
In 2019, Impact Hub Basel took over the older traditional office building in the Dreispitz area to create the first co-working space. From the beginning of the re-building project, the aim was to “walk the talk” and follow the principles of a circular economy as much as possible. We were happy to work together with a creative team of architects and designers on this vision : InSitu, Bravo Ricky, Christoph Merian Stiftung and Planconsult.
At the beginning of 2020 we have opened our Zero Waste Cafe Spurlos not only as a place for delicious local & sustainable food, but also as a living lab for zero waste in gastronomy. One of the main goals was to reduce waste along the entire value chain of the gastronomy industry with the approaches of the circular economy, the theory of change and the 5R concept: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot.
Adopting circular economy principles in the building sector, can lead to reductions of up to 61 % in the materials-related greenhouse gasses. European Environment Agency, 2022
We have kept as much as we could to reduce unnecessary waste or use of new materials. For example we did not paint new most of the walls or kept the bare floor after removing the worned carpet.
We have re-used and upcycled many materials and interior pieces to avoid usage of new materials and products. For example, we have upcycled the old wooden dance floor from Kaserne Basel into furniture and flooring for our space. All our meeting rooms are equipped with second-hand furniture, event space with second-hand sound and visual equipment.
recycle:
The zero waste Cafe Spurlos is equipped with circular toilets Kompotoi. All our members are invited to recycle pet, paper and bio-waste on our recycling stations on each floor of the building.
Accelerate2030 is the world’s largest program supporting entrepreneurs from developing and emerging markets to scale their solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Born out of Geneva in 2016, the program brings together impactdriven companies, corporates, UN agencies, investors, and other partners to scale the most promising innovations across the globe. We integrate circularity as a leading principle to support innovative startups in the transition to a nature-positive economy.
Drawing from the successful experience of the CET program in Switzerland, and supported by the MAVA Foundation: in 2021, we piloted a circular economy theme across 6 countries, including: China, Croatia, Colombia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Turkey. Within this pilot program, we developed a robust capacity-building infrastructure, cutting-edge curriculum, and suite of tools to train program managers and support entrepreneurs on the topic of circular economy, in addition to the core Accelerate2030 program pillars.
000 USD
total investments from green funders
2021
Through this work we have:
• Researched and summarized learnings from the CET work in Switzerland in a format applicable to entrepreneurs and local business support organizations (BSOs) so that circular principles are embedded in business support particularly in the early stages of business development, when most of the design decisions are made. This methodology (the Embedding Circularity Toolkit - see below) has been successfully piloted across 20 countries, and can now be used internationally.
• Trained multiple local partners and entrepreneurs across developing and emerging markets on the foundations of circular economy, and increased knowledge on the importance of circular business solutions, especially in countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
• In-depth support and knowledge transfer in 6 pilot countries and training of both business support organizations and entrepreneurs driving the circular economy transition.
Together with the Impact Hub Global Network, we have developed an Embedding Circularity toolkit which offers curated insights, tools and methodologies for other Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs), to implement a Circular Economy lens to their entrepreneur support programs and initiatives, particularly incubators and accelerators. The toolkit contains circular economy trends, frameworks, businesses and sectors and guidance to other organizations on how to integrate circularity as a design principle into programmatic support for entrepreneurs.
The toolkit is designed to offer the insights and tools you need to develop an entrepreneur/venture support program at Start-up or Growth Stage with a circular lens and to build a supportive ecosystem. In addition to the theory and methods, you will find inspiring examples of circular businesses in different regions and sectors, using a variety of circular economy strategies and revenue models. This toolkit is part of the Impact Hub Network’s efforts to:
• Support Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs) to develop and deliver programs, especially at Start-up and Growth Stages, for example through incubators and accelerators;
• Encourage the development of circular products/services/business models;
• Generate a pipeline of innovation for key industries/value chains that need to become more circular;
• Contribute to a nascent yet increasingly active discourse in the entrepreneur ecosystem regarding how enterprise support organisations, investors and others can address climate change.
From iNDoNESia To BraZiL: ENTrEprENEUrS iN aCTioN, CoLLaBoraTiNG
For a CirCULar ECoNomY
After being connected in Geneva through the Accelerate2030 program, two global finalists have embarked upon an exciting joint-venture in Brazil with the mission to eliminate the use of harmful chemicals in agriculture.
Sampangan (Indonesia) and Solubio (Brazil) are partnering up to use Sampangan’s cutting-edge carbonisation technology to convert waste into producing activated carbon, bio fertilizers and bio pesticides and circular economy solutions for regenerative farming in Latin America.
Muhammad Fauzal Rizki CEO of Sampangan
We would never be able to do this if we’re just in Indonesia doing it on our own. I think the future will be solving very big global problems, not just alone, but with a tribe of amazing entrepreneurs from the Accelerate2030 community
To CoNNECT aND SCaLE CirCULar iNNoVaTioN
Since 2016, Accelerate2030 has hosted its yearly Scaling Week in Switzerland, with the aim to connect entrepreneurial champions from across the Global South with the Geneva and Swiss ecosystem, for catalytic conversations about partnerships and funding, that could significantly scale the impact towards the SDGs they are tackling.
The week happens alongside the Building Bridges Week in Geneva, the main moment when the Geneva financial community comes together with the development community and businesses to channel more funding for action towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
At Impact Hub we believe stories are one of the greatest tools to inspire, motivate and enable people to step into action, to innovate, and keep going against all odds. Factory17 is a unique event that aims to bring forward the inherent interconnectedness between humanity and nature, through featuring the courageous stories of the leading business leaders, investors, scientists, intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs who will be sharing both their key insights in their journey to impact, and their vision on what’s really needed to create a sustainable and regenerative future.
Vice-Chairman at Roche & President at MAVA Foundation
Thomas Vellacott
CEO, WWF Switzerland
Nicole Schwab
Co-Director, Nature Based Solutions, World Economic Forum
Based on our learning and experience so far, we see a great potential in continuing and advancing the work around circular economy, using accelerate2030 as our international platform and window toward the Global South. in the future we aim to:
• mainstream circularity in our methodology across all countries the program is present in
• conduct more in-depth trainings for local partners
• support more entrepreneurs in embedding the CE principles in their businesses
• engage more closely with green funders
• unlock market access opportunities for the most promising solutions
Our experience with the A2030 program has been extremely positive. It has showed us that change is possible and that you have a big community supporting this change.
Andrés Martínez
Throughout the years, the CET team documented challenges, learnings and collected feedback from the community as well as key stakeholders to learn what works best and how to improve the initiative along with increasing its impact.
Long-term partnerships and access to funding are a game changer
Both for the CET initiative and for the startup community, reliable relationships with well-established institutions as well as companies are essential to pursue their visions. As was the case with MAVA foundation’s support in the first years, partners can not only help secure longterm continuity and quality of the program but they also act as potential clients and investors for the entrepreneur community.
For various reasons, finding partners who are willing to commit to long term engagement and financial funding has been a major challenge. While keeping the focus on supporting startups, partnering up with established stakeholders will, therefore, continue to be essential for CET’s future success.
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awareness raising and visibility to increase credibility and support base
Even though Switzerland has seen a shift in the public, political and economic understanding, the knowledge about circular economy as a concept and benefits of this business case is still lacking in the broader sustainability discourse. In order to mainstream the transition throughout Switzerland and reach a wider support base, coordinated communication about the initiative’s vision and its pillars’ impact needs to be sufficiently supported both in terms of capacities and funding. To get key stakeholders and decision makers of the private sector on board, it will be crucial to further highlight the urgency of circular business models not only with regards to ecologic and social impact, but in terms of economic and business resilience.
Knowledge transfer and coaching about circular business models is certainly crucial for startups and (traditional) companies to contribute to the transition towards a circular Swiss economy. However, providing a Swisswide platform and spaces for inspiration, mutual motivation, and collaboration among and beyond entrepreneurs have been the initiative’s most appreciated and impactful element. Engaging, mobilizing and connecting their communities across pillars, sectors and actors has - once againproven to be the involved Impact Hubs’ real superpower. The CET team will increasingly focus on the program’s added value by bringing together (unlikely) allies across business cultures and sectors.
The benefits of a wide outreach and personal connection
The Covid-19 pandemic undoubtedly posed one of the biggest challenges to the CET initiative. Events and masterclasses that were initially planned to take place in person had to be canceled or modified to take place in a virtual format. Still, the CET team was able to quickly adapt to the new situation and modified the content and activities in a way that eventually even increased the initiative’s impact. Through the virtual formats, the CET was able to reach a much wider audience and allow the community to participate and contribute to the Swiss-wide initiative. However, though Incubator participants and the wider community appreciated new flexibility, the team had to make sure there was still enough space for personal exchange and connection. Especially in mentoring and coaching settings as well as peer to peer exchange, an online call cannot replace face-to-face meetings. It will be crucial to maintain the right balance and provide opportunities both for virtual, flexible and for personal encounters.
As with the existing format, creating valuable content for a highly diverse and engaged community was not always easy. Indeed, broad communication and general awareness about the circular economy needs to be mainstreamed. At the same time, the program aims at further increasing its focus on providing sector-specific, tailored training on circular solutions, addressing the startups’ individual stages and core businesses. The combination of reaching a broad public with general communication and collaborating with circular economy experts to offer circularityspecific masterclasses and workshops will be key to increase the CET initiative’s relevance and impact.
The Circular Economy Transition initiative is unique as it is a Swiss-wide initiative focusing on startup support and ecosystem building for circular economy. However, it is certainly not the only actor working towards a more sustainable, circular economy. If the CET team is to overcome today’s challenges and increase its impact - on a societal as well as on program level - it is clear that finding synergies and partnering up with other committed networks is decisive. Joining forces with key actors (such as WWF, Climate Kic, ETH Zürich, Öbu etc.) has been and continues to be invaluable to identify new opportunities, reach different audiences, merge formats and increase the visibility for the topic - in short, to accelerate the transition towards a circular Swiss economy.
_Looking for an impactful investment opportunity to contribute to the transition from a linear to a circular Swiss economy?
_interested in exploring joint opportunities in the field of circular economy?
_Circular economy is a top priority on your agenda and you are looking for opportunities to bound synergies?
_Excited to join a dedicated and empowering community to get inspired and engaged?
Feel free to reach out to our team to explore synergies and foster collaboration for accelerating the circular economy transition in Switzerland and beyond.
The CET team is grateful and would like to thank all our short and long term partners for their support. Thanks to you, we were able to significantly accelerate the transition and pursue our common vision of a circular Swiss economy. Special thanks go to MAVA foundation and sanu durabilitas for their financial support and fruitful collaboration.
If you have questions about the report, the CET initiative in general or would like to collaborate, contact team representative in your region.
National CET Coordinator, Impact Hub Switzerland, amanda.byrde@impacthub.ch
National CET coordinator, Impact Hub Switzerland, noora.buser@impacthub.net
CET coordinator, Impact Hub Bern regula.lenz@impacthub.net
CET coordinator, Impact Hub Zürich laurene.descamps@impacthub.ch
CET coordinator, Impact Hub Basel olena.bolger@impacthub.net
CET coordinator, Impact Hub Geneva & Lausanne jaira.guevara@impacthub.ch
Nils moussu
Co-Lead Policy Recommendations and Business Lab nils.moussu@sanudurabilitas.ch
Ljupka mitrinovska
Accelerate2030 lead ljupka.mitrinovska@impacthub.ch
Katka Letzing
CEO, Kickstart Innovationlead katka@kickstart-innovation.com
Felix Stähli
Beaulieu Circulaire - Lausanne felix.staehli@impacthub.ch
Santu alexandra Boethius
International Business development alexandra.boethius@impacthub.ch
Jie Li
Regional Business development jie.li@impacthub.ch
Impact Hub Switzerland is the largest entrepreneurship and innovation community in Switzerland with +2’500 members having access to six cities in Switzerland (Zurich, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Basel and Ticino) and over 100 Impact Hubs worldwide with almost 25 000 members. At its core, Impact Hub is a community of creators building a radically collaborative world that works for all its people as well as the planet itself. The core function and USP of Impact Hub is its proven expertise in community building, curation and management combined with our expertise in facilitation and collaborative tools, massively increasing innovation and entrepreneurship through collaboration of diverse people and organizations for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Supported by our activities, there are over 2’300 new new full-time jobs created within the Impact Hub Switzerland community each year.