CE Models & Strategic Frameworks
Developing and evaluating circular economy frameworks for urban and industrial contexts — drawing on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s ReSOLVE framework, industrial ecology and urban metabolism approaches to model material and energy flows.
Sustainable Urban Development
Evidence-based approaches to city planning that integrate circular principles from the ground up: mixed-use density, short supply chains, urban farming, green infrastructure and adaptive reuse of buildings and public spaces.
Waste Prevention & Design
Upstream research on waste prevention through product design, packaging reduction and behavioural interventions — grounded in the EU Waste Framework Directive and the waste hierarchy (prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery).
Resource Efficiency Metrics
Development and application of validated metrics — including Material Flow Analysis (MFA), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the EU Resource Efficiency Scoreboard — to assess and benchmark city-level resource performance.
Small Business CE Transition
Applied transfer research supporting SMEs in implementing circular strategies: business model innovation, supply chain transformation and stakeholder engagement — funded through ESF+ and national BBWA programmes.
Urban Pilot Projects
Co-design and scientific evaluation of CE pilot interventions in Berlin and partner cities — from neighbourhood repair cafés to district-level material passports, providing real-world evidence for scaling.
Theoretical Foundations
Cluster 4.2 draws on industrial ecology, urban metabolism theory, sustainable transition studies (MLP framework) and behavioural economics. Methodologies include Material Flow Analysis (MFA), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), agent-based modelling and comparative case study research across European cities.