Ideas for a sustainable circular economy

The sustainable circulation of materials and products, powered by regenerative energy sources, in order to bring about a healthy future: that is the underlying vision of the circular economy. Universities have a key role to play in making it a reality. A new book on the circular economy compiled by the TUM Senior Excellence Faculty highlights suggestions and potential sources of inspiration for a sustainable and rationally managed economy.

"We are paying for today's economic structures and consumption habits with the destruction of nature and the loss of biodiversity in the air, on the ground and below the water surface, and are thus undermining the very foundations of our existence," says TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann. "Those with the least access to the benefits of human development are suffering the most from the negative side effects of our actions. We are jeopardizing our own future. This calls for urgent action."

The book "Circular Economy," published by TUM University Press, summarizes the results of a symposium held in the summer of 2021. Scientists and economists developed proposals for action and identified areas where research is needed. The event was held under the auspices of Dr. Florian Herrmann, the head of the Bavarian state chancellery. The symposium is part of the initiative "TUM Forum Sustainability," launched in 2016 by the TUM Senior Excellence Faculty. These events are organized on a regular basis in cooperation with the Institute for Earth System Preservation (IESP) and the TUM Institute for Advanced Study (IAS).