Why is design still overlooked in Germany’s circular economy events?

Most circular economy events in Germany focus on engineering, technology and economic policy. But design, where 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined, rarely takes center stage.

In this episode, Bernd Müller, Director of Relations and Sustainability at the German Design Council, explains why they created the Circular Design Summit to change that. He shares how the summit brings together companies, designers and other departments to work on circularity from the start of the product lifecycle. Bernd reflects on the value of collaboration, and why both design and business need to evolve together. He also points to upcoming trends like repair, resale and the search for scalable materials.

This episode is part of Circular Design Summit in cooperation with the German Design Council.

People Bernd Müller, Director Relations & Sustainability at German Design Council https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernd-m-433a13163/

Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:17 Role at the German Design Council 03:15 Overview of the German Design Council 04:59 The Role of Design 06:33 Reasons Behind Organising a Circular Design Summit 07:38 Key Learnings from the Summit 09:17 Bernd's Sources Of Inspiration 09:47 Future Trends in Circular Design 11:41 Upcoming Events 13:19 Who Should Join the Germany Design Council 14:27 International Reach

About The German Design Council is Germany’s leading authority on design, established in 1953 as a non-profit foundation by the German Parliament with support from German industry. Its mission is to advance design as a powerful economic, cultural, and social force, connecting business and design to foster innovation, sustainability, and transformation across industries.

The Council serves as a hub for knowledge transfer, strategic consulting and networking, providing a platform for over 300 member companies. Its activities include organising high-profile international awards such as the German Design Award, hosting conferences including the Circular Design Summit, conducting studies and promoting best practices in branding and innovation.

Further Links https://www.german-design-council.de/aktivitaeten/circular-design-summit

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