Circular economy strategies on business modelling: Identifying the greatest influences

The aim of this article is to identify both the circular economy strategies with the most influence for managing each business model building block in circular businesses; and the business model building blocks that are most affected by circular economy strategies. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify potential circular economy strategies, resulting in sixteen such strategies. Thereafter, a survey was conducted with experts to indicate how important the strategies were for managing each building block (business model Canvas) using a Fuzzy Logic approach. The survey, using fuzzy linguistic variables, was sent to specialists in circular business models worldwide. The circular economy strategies that influence business modelling to a greater extent are developing strategic partnerships for circularity and engaging stakeholders along the value chain, and digital technologies (e.g. Industry 4.0) to enable circularity. The building blocks most influenced by circular economy strategies are customer segments, customer relationships, and key partnerships. The analysis made in this research indicates where companies should focus their efforts towards managing their businesses when implementing/managing different CE strategies. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This article aims to identify the most influential circular economy strategies for managing each business model building block, as well as the building blocks most affected by these strategies. The research found that developing strategic partnerships, engaging stakeholders along the value chain, and using digital technologies are the most influential strategies for business modelling in the context of circular economy.