Future adaptive design for a circular economy

Extending product life

Extending the life of products give the potential for significant climate and environmental benefits and is necessary to achieve a sustainable future within the planet's borders. At the same time, the very large financial values ​​that are embedded in many types of products when new are wasted in the event of an early product death. Thousands of kronor for a functioning product decrease to a few kronor after material recycling.

We, therefore, know that it can be both commercially profitable and environmentally sustainable to maintain, reuse, repair and renovate products, but today it is only a vanishingly small part of the manufacturing industry's turnover. Instead, other actors are trying to capture these economic values, but often with difficulties in buying the right materials, spare parts or gaining access to knowledge to renovate products that are primarily adapted for cost-effective production.

Are you interested in how your products could fit into a circular business model?

The field of circular business models is wide with many possibilities for both profitable and sustainable business. Maybe you as a manufacturing or reselling firm can increase profitability if you keep product ownership and sell the product as a function instead? Or, explore buyback offerings of already used products, that can be remanufactured upgraded, and sold again?

We help you analyze if any of your existing products would fit into a circular business model. Or by developing knowledge about how you can design new, better-future adaptable products.

A practical way to learn more about an existing product´s strengths and drawbacks regarding durability, flexibility, and adaptability is to use the FAD screening tool. This first screening can help identify what product features that will pose high versus low business risks, in relation to a specific circular business model. The screening tool can also help in focusing on what product improvements that could reduce business risks related to product longevity. You can download the FAD screening tool under the links in the list (above right).

For those companies that find their formula for circular business models with future adaptive products, new types of revenue, lower costs, new customer segments, the potential for a great climate and environmental benefits await, and intangible values ​​that can build a more responsible and innovative brand.

With the developed framework and working methodology for circular business modeling and adaptive design, we break down the complexity and contribute structure and method support for your design and development process. Together and with different approaches and skills we learn more

Our way of working

In our area of ​​expertise for future adaptive design, we work cross-functionally and from a systems perspective in close collaboration with the industry to identify both obstacles and opportunities and find profitable ways of transitioning to a circular economy. We strive to use the knowledge we gain in joint research studies in practice and have the potential for the environment and climate benefit beyond incremental improvements. Our ambition is, together with industry and society, to build knowledge that is necessary to be able to take bigger steps to meet long-term goals, for example. zero-emission 2045 and a circular economy.