New publication ‘Manufacturing: the future is circular’ launched

April 14, 2021

On April 8, Holland Circular Hotspot and the Dutch Circular Manufacturing Implementation Program (UPCM) launched the publication “Manufacturing: the future is circular” during the Innovation Expo. With this publication, they share insights and showcases from the Netherlands to inspire the manufacturing industry all over the world to start with circular entrepreneurship. Freek van Eijk (CEO Holland Circular Hotspot) handed the publication to Harald Tepper (Senior Director Sustainable Development at Philips) and Rick Veenendaal (Circular Economy manager at Ahrend) as representatives of the Dutch circular manufacturing industry with international ambitions.

Download the publication Manufacturing: the future is circular.

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Circular manufacturing requires an international approach

Ethical smartphones, multifunctional strollers, modular office furniture, remanufactured milking robots and MRI scanners, circular windmills and bicycle subscriptions: the Dutch manufacturing industry offers plenty of inspiring and groundbreaking innovations for a circular economy. International cooperation is nonetheless crucial to realise and accelerate the circular transition as the value chains of the manufacturing industry cover the whole world.

Circular entrepreneurship requires an international approach because there are still major barriers that cannot be solved on a national scale. Refurbished office furniture from Ahrend has proven its value as a resilient business model during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a Dutch company such as Ahrend, it is a challenge to scale up circular services internationally, as Rick Veenendaal gave as an example during the launch. Harald Tepper talked about Philips’ ambitious goals to become circular. This requires customers worldwide to adjust their procurement criteria and regulations that don’t hamper take-back and reuse.
The Netherlands may not be known as a major player in the manufacturing industry, but it does have a leading position in the circular manufacturing industry, concluded Freek van Eijk (Holland Circular Hotspot). The publication gives concrete Dutch examples and is therefore an appeal to other countries to join in.

The publication, with a foreword by Philips’ CEO Frans van Houten, starts with the main ecological threats and challenges that spur the manufacturing industry to become circular. Twenty showcases – from start-up to multinational – illustrate the most important circular strategies and solutions developed by the industry. Six key projects will be presented on which the Netherlands will work on in the coming years, together with the corresponding international actions. The publication concludes with an action perspective on how the transition can be organized, with an overview of policies and plans that have been developed at the Dutch, European and international level.

Industry, governments, knowledge institutes and other stakeholders are invited to get in touch if they want to know more or share their experiences about circular manufacturing.

The publication was developed together with NL Platform. With this publication Holland Circular Hotspot and the Dutch Circular Manufacturing Implementation Program (UPCM) want to bring insights and showcases from the Netherlands to an international level, to inspire everyone around the world to act and kickstart circular development. The publication is supported by NL Branding.

Download the publication Manufacturing: the future is circular.