Activating Circular Networks

Problematization

Transforming linear economies into resource, energy, and more-than-human-friendly processes means bridging different areas of expertise. Ongoing discussions in different Cluster research groups such as MFF, Filtering, Weaving, etc. have shown the importance of involving the perspectives of various actors, practitioners, and experts in further research processes. Promising solutions and insights for a new material economy and culture are facing similar problems when it comes to transferring them from the laboratory to the market. (Material) engineers, designers, and activists face numerous challenges in expanding their activities, be they technological, political, economic, or social.

Concept

• to develop an umbrella structure underneath which a diverse range of event formats, locations, and audiences can start to build on conversations around material sustainability, circular systems, and shaping common futures
• to host a series of events that will connect members of the Cluster interested in critically exploring material sustainability concepts with different practitioners and stakeholders from outside the Academy, and foster knowledge exchange in both directions.

Within the framework of the Cluster, various actors/experts will be invited to exchange perspectives, from Berlin-based designers, entrepreneurs, and urban activists, to key Circular Economy (CE) thinkers, industry representatives, government and regulatory agencies, and civil society. We will come together to engage in various forms of exchange formats and on changing topics in order to pursue questions such as: what are the current opportunities and challenges in your area of work? How can we learn from each other to find new ways of engaging with these? What changes are necessary in order to speed up transformation processes towards a new economy?

Objectives

• cross academic/design/community boundaries for a fruitful exchange of state-of-the-art knowledge around the theme
• join forces with local actors for a bigger impact (on policymakers/industrial stakeholders/ public)
• inclusive: an opportunity for external (non-academic) actors to get involved in Cluster research
• Knowledge exchange: to circulate practice-based knowledge in very different stakeholder communities (of making/of designing/of decision making/of consuming)

Organizers

Lucy Norris
Khashayar Razghandi
Hanna Wiesener

Activities