This course will inspire innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders to develop new ways of creating value from the transition towards a circular economy. Individuals will be introduced to multiple models of circular innovation across various business sectors and supported to implement circularity in practise.

The circular economy has gained rapid traction with many thought leaders positioning it as the most dominating trend, biggest revolution and most significant opportunity for how we organise production and consumption in our global economy in 250 years.

Estimated to be worth $4.5 trillion globally, the circular economy has quickly taken hold amongst industry leaders and innovative start-ups worldwide. Examples include General Motors who, whilst increasing their gross profit by 50%, have reduced material use by 90% by recovering and remanufacturing reused components, unlocking $1 billion previously wasted value by transforming material management in manufacturing, and Airbnb who have disrupted the hotel industry by creating a $10 billion business based on the use of existing, unused assets (Lacy and Rutqvist, 2015).

This course will inspire innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders to develop new ways of creating value from the transition towards a circular economy. Individuals will be introduced to multiple models of circular innovation across various business functions and sectors and supported to develop their own value proposition to transform an existing business or to create a new circular venture.    

At a glance

  • Dates
    • Please enquire for course dates
  • DurationTwo days
  • LocationCranfield campus
  • Cost

    £2,920 (includes accommodation and meals).





    Concessions available

Course structure

This is a two day interactive course including inspirational key note presentations, case studies, group work, practical workshops, one to one feedback and mentoring. As well as hearing from experts who have implemented circular thinking, participants will have the opportunity to network with a cohort from a variety of backgrounds and industrial sectors about their own challenges of implementation.

What you will learn

This course introduces individuals to the circular economy and circular innovation practices highlighting the substantial economic, social and environmental benefits that have been gained in organisations of various sizes and across a variety of sectors. Participants will get the opportunity to use state of the art tools and techniques to analyse their own business or ideas for a business venture and assess opportunities for introducing circular principles across functions - including procurement and supply chains, design, manufacture, use and waste management. Participants will receive one to one guidance on the creation of an implementation strategy to support the immediate realisation of business value.

Upon completion of this course participants will:

  • Demonstrate a good understanding of circular economy principles and how they apply to business
  • Have access to a wider range of successful case studies of organisations (of differing sizes and sectors) who have used different approaches to create new value from circular innovation
  • Personally implement tools and methods to develop and evaluate ideas of circular innovation
  • Develop a bespoke strategy to implement within their own business and sector.

Core content

  • Introduction to the circular economy
  • Examples of success from existing organisations who have realised new economic, social and environmental value through applying circular innovation
  • Assessment of the ‘circular maturity’ of your own business 
  • Alternative models of sustainable and collaborative innovation
  • Tools and techniques for realising circular value to transform an existing business or to create a new circular venture
  • Development of a bespoke strategy to support the implementation of circular innovation within the work place 
 

Timetable

Day One
Session One:

  • Creating value from a circular economy: introduction
  • Circular innovation case studies

Session Two

  • Circular economy maturity matrix – business assessment – ‘where I want to be’ 
  • Circularity in practise – challenge 

Day Two
Session Three:   

  • Creating Value from a Circular Economy: Guest Speaker Case Study
  • Approaches to Sustainable and Collaborative Innovation
  • Circular Innovation Tools and Techniques 

Session Four

  • Development of Circular Strategy
  • Personal Mentoring and Action Plan
 

Who should attend

The course is suitable for all creative and motivated individuals, innovators, entrepreneurs and function and business leaders with an interest in developing new value propositions from opportunities presented by the transition towards a circular economy. No previous experience of Circular Innovation is necessary.

Partnerships

This is a bespoke short course developed by Cranfield University in collaboration with Edie



Speakers

Rosina Watson
Guest Speaker

Concessions

£2,520 each module, if all 5 modules* are booked at the same time.

£2,720 each module, if 2+ modules* are booked at the same time.

*within the Sustainability Leadership Programme.



Accommodation options and prices

Fees include tuition, course materials and full board accommodation.

Location and travel

Cranfield University is situated in Bedfordshire close to the border with Buckinghamshire. The University is located almost midway between the towns of Bedford and Milton Keynes and is conveniently situated between junctions 13 and 14 of the M1.

London Luton, Stansted and Heathrow airports are 30, 90 and 90 minutes respectively by car, offering superb connections to and from just about anywhere in the world. 

For further location and travel details

Location address

Cranfield University
College Road
Cranfield
Bedford
MK43 0AL

Read our Professional development (CPD) booking conditions.