Circular Value Chains in the Built Environment

The transition to a sustainable and future-proof society requires sustainable circular supply chains. Existing supply chains must become more circular, and new supply chains must be developed. The supply chain structure changes as the work becomes more circular due to the need for new services and partners. Circular supply chains are based on slowing down, narrowing and closing material cycles, transcending organizations and sectors. It is also about revalorising waste streams into usable residual flows and reducing negative effects on the environment.

Circular innovation of supply chains is complex due to the diversity of stakeholders, disciplines and technologies. It requires knowledge of materials and material flows, circular design of products (including packaging) and services, circular procurement, return logistics, digitisation (i.e. data gaps, traceability systems, data management, material platforms, blockchain), life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, social life cycle assessment, multidisciplinary collaboration skills, leadership, transition management, system analysis, and knowledge about price and market effects to possibly detect rebound effects (which increase rather than decrease the ecological impact).

The program consists of 3 aspects:

1. Practical assignment in which students work together on a circular supply chain issue in the construction sector.
2. Knowledge development through workshops, master classes, MOOCS, etc.
3. Development of trans-disciplinary cooperation skills (collaboration with various chain partners and technical and economic disciplines). 

The flow of the minor

Chain issue

In the first 4 weeks of the minor, the students explore the supply chain issue with the stakeholders. Based on this, an action plan for redesigning the value chain is developed.  The redesign can focus on a specific material flow relevant to the chain because of its size, impact, and innovation opportunities or because the chain partners are interested in this. Before presenting this plan to the relevant chain stakeholders, students collect feedback from the knowledge partners of the research group. 

In the following 13 weeks, students work together with the supply chain partners to further develop the intended solution for the supply chain. This is an iterative and critical research process in which the students, together with the supply chain partners, test assumptions, gain new insights and adjust the design where necessary. 

Type of assessment: Summatives (Report and Presentations for the report) + Written and Oral summative for the PDP.  

If you have successfully completed this exchange programme then you are able to: 

1. Develop your knowledge and skills about the role of circular concepts in the context of slowing down, narrowing and closing material cycles and can connect these to your own discipline.
2. You can apply these concepts to the redesign of a goods or material supply chain and can professionally argue the choices in this regard in a trans-disciplinary context.
3. You will be able to assess the effect of the implementation of the redesign of the supply chain for the partners involved, as well as the ecological and social impacts. 
4. You learn to work together in a multidisciplinary context to realize meaningful change and have an eye for the different (communication) needs of the cooperation partners. 
5. From the theme of circular transition, you reflect on your own discipline and your own behaviour in the process and can convert this meaning into new professional action.

Course Program

In the first 10 weeks, students are offered a wide range of workshops and master classes that allow them to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. They choose from a range of at least 8 workshops of which 5 are mandatory and appropriate to the project and their own interest. This workshop offer is offered jointly by the minors Circular Economy and Business Innovation, Leadership for Circular Transition(s), Circular Maker and Circular Built Environment, in which minors each organize their workshops based on their own competencies and coordinate this with each other. In addition, they play The Triple Connection, a game in which students assess the impact of circular decisions in a multidisciplinary context. 

In the context of circular supply chains, the following topics are discussed:

1. Raw materials and critical raw materials
2. Identifying, allocating, and analysing materials, material characteristics, and material flows in the chain.
3. Characteristics of circular products and services. Developing and assessing End-of-Life solutions for material flows. 
4. Circular procurement and circular purchasing criteria and standards. 
5. Impact assessment: Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing and Social Life Cycle Assessment
6. Chemical and technical recycling of materials
7. Remanufacturing and repurposing strategies. 
8. Design thinking and prototyping
9. Identify systems thinking and circular rebound effects 
10. Transition Management and change management
11. Digitisation (e.g. blockchain, platforms, digital material passports, traceability, data management) 

In addition, guest lectures and field trips (organized by the students themselves) are on the program. 

In the last week of the minor, students participate in the Circular Harvest, which is traditionally planned in the week of the circular economy. Here, students (lecturers and lecturers) show the outside world how Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences works on the circular economy theme.

After completing your exchange programme at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, you will receive a:

• Transcript of records