topic:
Dr. Christoph Soukup, representing the Steinbeis Institute for Circular Economy and To Be Different—a company focused on sustainable events—delivers a compelling talk on the critical role of the circular economy in today’s world.
He explains that we currently operate in a linear economy, where resources are extracted, used, and discarded. Globally, 100 gigatons of materials are consumed each year, but less than 10% are recycled. Meanwhile, 900 gigatons of material are already in use—an enormous reservoir that, if managed wisely, offers massive circular potential.
Soukup emphasizes the need to design products with reuse in mind from the very beginning. He illustrates this shift in mindset with a powerful analogy: instead of treating materials like consumables, we should treat them like library books—borrowed, used responsibly, and returned.
This shift requires a cultural transformation in how companies collaborate—building ecosystems of synergistic relationships. To bring the concept to life, he shares three impactful examples of circular success:
-
Pallets – A standardized product that supports a network of over 1,500 repair businesses.
-
Industrial symbiosis – Where one company’s waste becomes another’s raw material.
-
Construction projects – Networks of firms that focus on using secondary materials for more sustainable building practices.
He concludes by reminding us that rapid transformation is possible—as seen in the quick shift from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles in early 20th-century New York. The key, he asserts, lies in visionary individuals and committed organizations willing to lead the change.
About the speaker
Austrian-born, trained economist and passionate expert in change management. In the course of his career, he has developed an inner conviction that the business world needs offerings that can be sustained in the long term.
He can draw on over two decades of experience in the automotive sector, many years of which he spent in management positions. As a consultant, he now devotes himself entirely to the topic of the circular economy and, as head of the Steinbeis Circular Economy Consulting Centre, primarily accompanies medium-sized companies on their individual journey to circular business models. Since 2022, he has also been a partner of 2bdifferent, the sustainability strategy consultancy for the event industry.
His expertise ranges from organisational development and change management to purchasing, collaboration with system partners and supplier management, through to the sustainable design of the value creation network with a good pinch of design thinking.
Video of the previous Talk
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information