On the 30th of January there was a workshop on the challenges and opportunities linked to the transition to a circular economy (CE) in the electromobility industry. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss and identify research gaps with the aim of finding research directions for new SEC projects.
Owain Griffiths, Circular Business Strategy Lead at Volvo Cars presented ongoing work and future ambitions. He pointed at the increasing pressure from regulation, rising CO2-prices, resource scarcity and supply chain risks that the industry is facing. Further he stressed that CE used to be a sustainability ambition, but nowadays it is becoming a core business necessity. Recycling is crucial to meet climate and regulatory targets. However, the current limited availability of recycled material, low system readiness and design complexity remain major constraints.
During the workshop, participants emphasized that many of the key challenges lie at the system and business‑model level, rather than in the technology itself, although design and material complexity constitute obstacles. Central issues highlighted included unclear distribution of costs and benefits, long product lifetimes, and difficulties in scaling remanufacturing and recycling systems. It was also noted that a successful transition to CE will require new competencies and capabilities within organizations.
Future SEC research could explore the technical, logistical, and business feasibility of scaling remanufacturing, including how products can be designed for remanufacturing without increasing environmental impact. Another important direction is to examine ways to reduce material diversity while preserving required functionality, and to identify how standardized approaches to design for recycling and material efficiency can be developed.
Further research is also needed on material return and collection systems, analyzing both the economic (business and societal costs) implications and the emissions associated with different system configurations.
Finally, SEC could investigate how CE principles can be integrated at a system level, bringing together product design, supply chains, organizational structures, skills development, and governance models. This includes understanding how regulations, material prices, and technological uncertainty shape the transition toward CE.