Circular business models fostering sustainable production and consumption
Circular business models fostering sustainable production and consumption
How to make real the transition from linear to circular: key concepts, tools and enablers.
Introduction to the Sustainability series
This MOOC is part of the series on “Sustainability”, which is one of the world’s major challenges of today and tomorrow and requires multidisciplinary competences. The series provides technical knowledge on a variety of topics, such as sustainable building, energy transition, water management and food waste prevention.
Discover all the MOOCs of the “Sustainability” series on Pok4Professionals.
Course description
The course will start with the basic concept of Circular Economy, its definition, core characteristics, and differences with the linear economy. The definition of Circular Economy will then be enriched with the main frameworks for understanding Circular Economy (e.g., the butterfly diagram and the RESOLVE model). Additionally, the course will give some practical examples of companies applying Circular Economy principles. Having defined the concept, the course will deepen the topic from a business model perspective: frameworks and tools will be presented as a valuable means to design and evaluate Circular Business Models. Besides, the transition from linear to circular economy involves not only the company per se but also the whole business ecosystem. Accordingly, the concept of circular ecosystems will be defined together with the rationale behind the need for circular ecosystems. The course will also unveil the role of platforms in enabling the transition towards Circular economy. The course ends by identifying the main factors impacting Circular Economy adoption and investigating their role in the transition from linear to circular economy: digital technologies, policies and financing mechanisms.
Total workload of the course: 8 hours
This MOOC is provided by Politecnico di Milano.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By actively participating in this MOOC, you will achieve different intended learning outcomes (ILOs).
Week 1
- Define the concept of Circular Economy
- List its principles and clearly differentiate linear economy from circular economy
- Describe the main models at the core of Circular Economy (e.g., the Butterfly Diagram)
- Get to know some practical examples of companies applying Circular Economy principles
- List its principles and clearly differentiate linear economy from circular economy
ESCO: circular economy
ESCO: adopt ways to reduce negative impact of consumption
Week 2
- Describe the classification of Circular Economy business models
- Use a useful and handy tool to frame a successful Circular Economy Business Model
- Define the concept of circular ecosystem and its rationale
- Explain the role of platforms in Circular Economy
ESCO: business model
ESCO: build business relationships
Week 3
- Explain the role of digital technologies in enabling Circular Economy transition
- Explain the role of policies in supporting Circular Economy transition
- Describe the importance of financing mechanisms for Circular Economy
ESCO: monitor technology trends
ESCO: policy analysis
Prerequisites
No prerequisite knowledge is required for this course.
Activities
Over and above consulting the content, in the form of videos and other web-based resources, you will have the opportunity to discuss course topics and to share ideas with your peers in the Forum of this MOOC.
You will find a large number of readings and insights to further enrich your knowledge of the topics covered.
Assessment
Your final grade for the course will be based on the results of your answers to the graded quizzes. You have unlimited attempts at each quiz, but you must wait 5 minutes before you can try again. You will have successfully completed the course if you achieve 60% (or more) of the total course score. The maximum score possible for each quiz is given at the top of the quiz. You can see your score in the quiz on your last attempt or on the 'Grades' page.
Certificate of accomplishment
You must be registered in POK through Politecnico di Milano personal account to obtain the Certificate of Accomplishment. It will be released to anyone who successfully completed the course by achieving at least 60% of the total score in the graded quizzes and filling the final survey.
You will be able to download the Certificate of Accomplishment directly from Politecnico di Milano web services.
The Certificate of Accomplishment does not confer any academic credit, grade or degree.
Information about fees and access to materials
The course is delivered in online mode and is available free of charge.
Course faculty
Davide Chiaroni
Teacher
Davide Chiaroni is Full Professor of Strategy & Marketing and Circular Economy Business Models at Politecnico di Milano. He is co-founder of Energy & Strategy, the research group of the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano investigating the challenges of energy transition and sustainability in Italy. He is among the most cited author in the field of Circular Economy, where he studies the implications for companies of the adoption of circular business models.
Simone Franzò
Teacher
Simone Franzò is a Senior Assistant Professor at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, where he is Member of the Core Faculty. His research interests are in the fields of sustainability management, with particular reference to energy transition and circular economy. He has more than 60 publications, such as papers, book chapters and conference proceedings. He serves as reviewer for many journals, such as Journal of Cleaner Production, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Production and Consumption, Nature Communications.
Alessio Nasca
Teacher
Alessio Nasca is a research fellow at Energy & Strategy. He is Project Leader for Smart Mobility and Circular Economy Report and is responsible for research projects in the fields of Smart and Sustainable Mobility and Circular Economy which are carried out and presented by Energy & Strategy.
He is a lecturer in Circular Economy Business Model and Circular Economy Lab at the Master of Science in Management Engineering at Politecnico di Milano.
Lucrezia Sgambaro
Teacher
Lucrezia Sgambaro is a Ph.D. Candidate at Politecnico di Milano. Her PhD research activities focus is in the intersection between circular economy and digital technologies. She is a lecturer in Circular Economy Business Model at the Master of Science in Management Engineering at Politecnico di Milano.
She is a research fellow at Energy & Strategy. She works as a consultant and project manager on both consultancy projects and annual research reports. Both projects and reports focus on different topics related to sustainability, such as smart mobility, circular economy, decarbonization and energy efficiency.
Contact details
If you have any enquiries about the course or if you need technical assistance please contact pok@polimi.it. For further information, see FAQ page.