Today during the WeMakeThe.City festival, Circle Economy launched the ‘City-as-a-Service’ publication, which offers a first glimpse into the ‘circular city of the future’. This publication is an initial and practical exploration of how service models will shape the way in which societal needs can be met in a future urban environment and how cities can take a leadership role in a transition towards a circular economy. The publication builds upon the concepts of the ‘City-as-a-service’ report, as initiated by ABN AMRO.[cta link="https://insights.abnamro.nl/en/2018/06/city-as-a-service-1-out-of-3-dutch-consumers-believes-city-as-a-service-to-become-a-reality/"]ABN AMRO - City-as-a-Service[/cta]Service Models Applied to four essential productsHousing, nutrition, mobility, and clothing are primary human needs and directly linked to material extraction. For each of these needs, Circle Economy has examined the potential impacts that service models can have. By subscribing to a car-sharing service, for example, consumers are able to choose smaller, cheaper and more efficient cars when driving solo. In the Netherlands alone, this would save 2,200 kton of CO2 annually and will reduce annual spending on motoring by 10%. For textiles, a service model could potentially help us avoid "bad buys" that are never worn, which would result in a 15% cost saving for consumers and 23 kton of CO2 in the Netherlands.
"Cities are more and more demonstrating their leadership role in the necessary transition towards human-centered, low-emission and prosperous living environments. They will help to close the global circularity gap which is now still higher than 90%. Circle Economy and its partners are providing the know-how and tools how to make this transition happen. - Harald Friedl, CEO Circle Economy The vital role of cities in achieving systemic change In an increasingly urban world, cities have to play a leading role to drive sustainable transitions and will lead the way on delivering the positive effects of a circular economy - and hence help to close the circularity gap. The circular economy offers a clear roadmap towards realizing the low-carbon, human-centered and prosperous circular city of the future. The ‘City-As-A-Service’ vision is a key next step into this promising future. Ultimately, service models could be a game changer for cities. In fact, city governments can influence this by providing the right boundary conditions and incentives in their policymaking. Circle Economy is committed to play a proactive role in driving the design of future cities and delivering the on-the-ground implementation of (pilot) projects.
Moving towards service models is a great way to ensure that high-quality products are rewarded and our resources are utilised more efficiently. Cities are the ideal hotbed for innovation and we provide them with the right tools to accelerate the implementation of service-based business models. - Annerieke Douma, Director Program and Business Development, Circle Economy
Creating a future vision for our cities Circle Economy empowers cities and regions by providing them with the tools, knowledge and on-the-ground support to create resilient and liveable cities. This way we guide cities on their way to circularity by understanding local resource metabolisms, identify the most impactful intervention points and provide practical roadmaps for implementation. Download the full publication below. [hr] [cta link="http://www.circle-economy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/City-as-a-Service-Circle-Economy-2018.pdf"]City-as-a-Service [/cta][hr]For questions and press inquiries please contact: melanie@circle-economy.com
Circle Economy is proud that the "Circular Activation Project" is one of the supported initiatives in which 6 pioneering brands will be guided through a circular innovation process toward new business model innovation in the area of recommerce and renting/leasing. C&A Foundation announced its decision yesterday about the awardees of the open global call about "Bridging the Gap’ in the implementation of the circular economy in the Apparel Sector"
"Circle Economy is delighted to be selected and we we are incredibly thankful to the C&A Foundation for their continued support. The"Circular Activation Project" aims to uncover and overcome the internal and external barriers that brands face towards the implementation of circular business models. Circle Economy will guide them through a Circular Innovation Process and work with brands to design and launch recommerce and renting/leasing pilots. I believe that disruptive circular business models are the next frontier for the fashion industry and we are extremely excited to kick off this next phase of important work. Gwen Cunningham, Lead Circle Textiles Team, Circle Economy
In total, five pilot initiatives have been selected by C&A Foundation as part of its open request for proposals to bridge the gap in the implementation of circular business models at all levels of the global apparel value chain. This will also give a major boost to the C&A Foundation’s commitment to make circular fashion a reality. The Bridging the Gap’s partners will complement existing industry initiatives working towards a circular fashion industry, including Fashion for Good, Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular and Global Fashion Agenda's 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment.Circular business models are essential to transforming the fashion industry and creating a system that provides safe and just working conditions regenerates ecosystems and strengthens economies and communities. However, while many brands and retailers are showing an interest in a circular economy, few are redesigning their business models to make it happen. The key question is how businesses will adopt them for their own company.
Douwe Jan Joustra, Head of Circular Transformation, C&A Foundation, said: “We are delighted to have found these five partners. It is time to move the discourse on circular fashion from words to deeds, and each of these initiatives will develop and share unique insights into how we can do this.”
The initiatives include:London Waste and Recycling Board and QSA Partners: Creative Circular Economy Business ModelsThis London-based initiative will provide one-to-one support to four retailers and lead each company through a tried and tested process for developing circular business models. Three retailers will then pilot a circular business model by the end of 2020 and commit to permanently bringing these offers to market by May 2021.Circle Economy: The Circular Activation ProjectThis Europe-based initiative will uncover the operational barriers to circularity and build a circular innovation process to be piloted by six brands or retailers by October 2020. A multidisciplinary team will guide brands through the process, increasing their capacity to overcome barriers towards implementation of re-commerce and renting/leasing circular business models. The lessons learned throughout the process will be used to develop a suite of commercially viable offline activation tools for widespread use by brands and retailers. Forum for the Future: Circular Leap Asia ProgrammeThis initiative will support the uptake of circular business models in Asia by developing six new types of partnerships between upstream and downstream companies in apparel. A large proportion of apparel manufacturing typically operate on thin margins and face significant barriers to the uptake of circular approaches in their businesses. The proposed new partnerships will enable joint innovation and the collective sharing of lessons learned through a summit for practitioners of circular fashion. It will also result in a series of recommendations for industry-led advocacy focused on the policy shifts that promote circular fashion in Asia.World Resources Institute and WRAP: Market MakersThis initiative will challenge the status quo by demonstrating the market demand for clothing reuse models in over 20 major apparel brands in the USA, UK, and India. It will assess consumer demand, pilot innovative business models, provide a common approach to impact assessment, and identify policies, regulations, and incentives that increase clothing re-utilisation in each geographic location.MADE-BY and Global Action Plan: Love Every Fibre of Your BeingIn this initiative, brand executives from British based retailers and young women will come together through workshops and panels to co-create prototype business offerings and brand messaging for circular business models that aim to improve the mental well-being of young women. The best ideas will be packaged into installations and shared with the public around a popular fashion event such as London Fashion Week.[hr]
Interested to learn more about Circle Economy's work in the textiles industry or want to become a participating brand in the project? [cta link="mailto:Gwen@circle-economy.com" ]Contact Us[/cta]
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Today Circle Economy, PGGM, KPMG, WBCSD, and EBRD co-launch the 'Linear Risks' essay that demonstrates the real business threats linear economic business practices are creating. These include risks associated with the use of scarce and non-renewable resources; prioritization and sales of products produced with virgin resources; the failure to collaborate; and failing to innovate or adapt. These are all factors that will negatively impact the ability of organizations to continue business as usual.
"Linear risks are real. A shift to a circular economy will change corporate risks, cash flows and customer relations for businesses. The financial sector will need to adapt to these changes to be able to offer the products and services businesses will need."-Frido Kraanen, Principal director Societal Impact PGGM and Project Lead FinanCE working group
More and more companies are confronted with ‘Linear Risks’ like price volatility, supply chain failures as well as fines or lawsuits due to changing legislation. This linear approach does not only cause serious business threats, it also hinders our ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, or close the global circularity gap of 91%. As these risks are grounded in the linear setup of our economy, there is an urgent need to start a dialogue with the financial and business community on the potential implications with a view to exploring solutions.
"The ‘Linear Risks’ essay is a trailblazing piece that is redefining the circular economy debate on the way forward. It is a must read for businesses and entrepreneurs as linear risks are real. - Harald Friedl, CEO Circle Economy
This essay, co-authored by Circle Economy, PGGM, KPMG, WBCSD, and EBRD, aims to raise awareness and create a constructive dialogue with the financial and business community to better understand and model ‘Linear Risks’ - the exposure to the effects of linear business practices which will negatively impact an organisation’s ability to continue as a going concern. Businesses face these risks if they utilize scarce and non-renewable resources, prioritize sales of new products, fail to collaborate, and fail to innovate or adapt. If unresolved, these could have serious effects on the financial industry and our global economy.
"We hope that this essay emphasises the urgency and the importance of taking the real risk of our linear economy into account. We look forward to building on this essay together with our partners and the wider business community to eventually ensure that 'Linear Risks' become an integral part of financial decision making process" - Shyaam Ramkumar, Knowledge and Innovations Manager Circle economy
The circular economy can provide a solution to mitigate these ‘Linear Risks’. The circular economy is an emerging economic concept that provides new business models and strategies to continuously reuse materials and resources to their fullest potential and is aimed at achieving social well-being while operating within the boundaries of our planet. We call upon all relevant stakeholders to effectively address ‘Linear Risks’. We suggest four distinct follow-up measures:
Building on this essay, we intend to spark further research to develop specific ‘Linear Risks’ metrics and tools that make it easier for investors to account for them in their analysis. And eventually, we hope that ‘Linear Risks’ will become an integral part of decision-making in the financial and business community.
Read the 'Linear Risk' Essay
On June 28, PGGM, KPMG, World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Circle Economy have hosted the ‘Linear Risks’ Webinar. Watch the full session below.
After a successful launch in March 2018, Circle Lab introduces a new product feature today: the world's biggest circular economy database, openly accessible and searchable for everyone. This is the result of a joint effort with many partners, geared towards making the best knowledge on the circular economy available to the public globally. The goal? To encourage anyone who wants to support the transition towards a circular economy to contribute their know-how to an ever-growing knowledge base. This is happening within a thriving community of users who are aggregating, connecting and sharing their expertise on the circular economy in order to make it available to everyone. In short, a "wikipedia for circularity".
Thousands of cities and businesses worldwide are striving to adopt the circular economy. However, they often face the same problem: limited access to expertise, structured information, and knowledge about the circular economy, as well as how to measure and implement circular strategies.
“Information on the circular economy is currently spread across many organisations and industries or gated behind members-only communities. This defeats the very basis of a circular approach and makes it very hard to disseminate, and even harder to implement such strategies. By bringing all circular economy insights, best practices, and research for the first time into one place in Circle Lab for everyone to openly explore and learn from, we want to break down these information silos and accelerate knowledge transfers across sectors and borders.”Shyaam Ramkumar, Knowledge & Innovation Manager at Circle Economy
Today, Circle Lab is introducing over 1,000 case studies and examples of the circular economy. This number is set to grow quickly: the platform will soon also host another 500 case studies specific to the textiles sector, as well as all 3,000 initiatives identified throughout the Circular Economy Mapping Week, hosted by Circular Economy Club and supported by Circle Economy.
“The Circle Lab community is growing rapidly with soon 3.000 case studies available. Add we expect more to come. It is a solution and action oriented community that is dedicated to solve linear issues with circular solutions as the circular economy will be the new normal. In the future everyone will be able to upload case studies and initiatives. In order to make the best information available, we will also put in place a review and quality assurance process with topic experts. It is all about a good balance between quality and quantity" Harald Friedl, CEO at Circle Economy
Circle Economy first opened access to a beta version of the platform in August 2017. The testing yielded interesting insights and has already brought together over 4,500 users who have used and contributed to the online space. The early initiative also spurred collaborations with many other like-minded organisations willing to collaborate and scale positive impact. Among these partners are: fetch, Renewable Matter, the Circular Economy Club, Amsterdam Smart City, and Circul’R:
"Partnerships are key to our mission to scale circular impact. It is all about community and problem solving. We invite all change-makers that share our vision for an open and inclusive circular economy to join us on this journey."Katie Hans, Project Manager Circle Lab
Comments from some of our partners:
“The circular economy is a key lever in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and we strongly believe in opening up communication channels and access to knowledge in order to accelerate change. We’re excited to be sharing the innovations we’ve curated on our own platform, fetch, on the Knowledge Hub and hope this will inspire other organisations to join us in building an open and sustainable economy.” Alison Azaria, Founder at fetch
“We are proud to be supporting the development of a digital infrastructure for the broader circular economy community to benefit from and engage with. Online tools are a unique opportunity to foster collaboration and scale impact on a global level, and we’re excited to see openness and transparency drive Circle Lab’s growth.”Margriet Schreuders, Head of Charities, Nationale Postcode Loterij
Circle Lab adds to a more transparent and fact-based approach to the circular economy transition. After a test phase that kept the team busy over the last 6 months, the product was further refined, and insights from usage data that emerged clearly show:
“Through user insights we aimed to improve the usability and refine the framework that we use to explain and make sense of the circular economy. It has made the product much more accessible and we will therefore hopefully see more impact in practice.”Shyaam Ramkumar, Knowledge & Innovation Manager at Circle Economy
Circle Lab will continue to expand and introduce new services. Next month, Circle Assessment, a digital tool for businesses to assess their current state and explore circular strategies, will also be available on Circle Lab. Circle Assessment was developed and tested by Circle Economy over the last 2 years and has already helped over 100 organisations worldwide get started on and accelerate their circular journeys.
"The approach of Circle Lab is inspired by inclusiveness, transparency and openness. We hope to be able to offer more tools to the Circle Lab community - developed by any partner or contributor who wants to make them available on the platform in order to make the circular economy a reality in the near future"Katie Hans, Project Manager Circle Lab
Join the Circle Lab community and explore over 1,000 case studies, articles, and reports on the circular economy here: www.circle-lab.com/knowledge-hub. To learn more about partnership opportunities for your organisation, visit www.circle-lab.com/about or get in touch with us at hello@circle-lab.com[cta link="https://circle-lab.com/knowledge-hub"]Start exploring[/cta]
Katie HansCircle Lab Project Managerkatie@circle-economy.comCircle Lab has been made possible in part by a grant from the eBay Foundation; a corporate advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Circle Lab is an open access innovation platform where the circular economy is being explored and implemented. It is initiated by Circle Economy and is growing into a multi stakeholder, integrated suite of online solutions that streamlines the circular innovation process for businesses and cities around the world. By breaking down information silos and fostering open source collaboration, Circle Lab aims to boil down the complexity of the circular economy and fuel cross-industry and cross-border collaboration.Directly driven and informed by the online community’s needs, Circle Lab is a place that inspires global and local communities to:
At Circle Economy, we believe in a visionary future for our planet — one in which we do not have to compromise in order to achieve economic, social, and environmental prosperity. As an impact organisation, we connect and empower a global community to create the conditions for systemic transformation towards a circular economy. Our mission is to empower a global community of businesses, cities and governments to accelerate the transition to the circular economy through practical and scalable insights and solutions that address humanity's greatest challenges.
Circularity is an emerging concept that provides new business strategies and economic policies to create value again and again. In a circular economy, materials and products are used to their fullest potential and are continuously reused in a system that is waste-free. By making efficient use of our resources, the circular economy aims to achieve inclusive economic, social and environmental prosperity, all within the boundaries of our planet.
Three circular solutions – developed by over 60 people from 13 countries across the world – are set to help transform Glasgow’s thriving events industry.Circular Glasgow, a joint initiative from Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Zero Waste Scotland has announced the winning solutions to the first challenge hosted on Circle Lab. Also partnered by Scottish Event Campus and the Glasgow Convention Bureau and Major Events team at Glasgow Life, the challenge asked citizens and companies from cities across the world how local businesses can improve the economic, environmental and social legacy of major city events and conferences.The three winning ideas include a deposit-based reuse system for food and drink containers, circular designs for event marketing and branding, and a scheme that will repurpose organic waste into energy and fertilisers. Circular Glasgow is delighted that the SEC has pledged to continue its support, acting as lead incubation partner in piloting the implementation of the winning solutions.[caption id="attachment_14547" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
The SECC complex, SSE Hydro and Clyde Auditorium
Admiral Fallow, local talent[/caption]An open invitation is now being made to city venues, SMEs, entrepreneurs, consultants and investors that interested in collaborating and sharing relevant expertise to ensure these solutions are successfully implemented.The winning solutions evolved from a month long online crowdsourcing effort, culminating in ten solutions that helped to envision what a truly circular events space could look like.Circle Lab, an online platform supported by eBay Foundation and powered by Circle Economy, is designed to engage and educated a global community to solve universal challenges with circular solutions.The next phase of the challenge now aims to translate the open source concepts that emerged from Circle Lab into actionable and measurable pilot projects.Alison McRae, Senior Director of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘Glasgow is world renowned for its major events and this Circle Lab challenge has generated a number of solutions on a global platform which can benefit our business community. They are about introducing new ways of doing business – with potential to give a real competitive advantage - and are also better for our city. Alongside the SEC, we are inviting businesses who are involved in, or benefit from events and conferences in the city to come forward and take advantage of these open source ideas. The pace of change is daily and there is a real opportunity for Glasgow to lead the way on this.’
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said:“I am delighted by the winning solutions of this unique challenge, uncovering truly circular ideas to transform the thriving events industry in Glasgow. Already a leading city in hosting events, these innovative solutions will help to maximise the potential of resources and could see Glasgow leading the way in developing new business models to deliver sustainable events.“I’m delighted that our partnership with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce continues to provide a hotbed for this kind of thinking. This initiative shows that the circular economy can benefit a broad range of sectors and provide the new businesses opportunities we need as the world changes.”Harald Friedl, CEO at Circle Economy, said: “In four short weeks, Circle Lab brought together over 200 contributions from 60+ people hailing from 13 different countries, and another 1,000 were following the challenge online, contributing on social media, and reaching out to us personally throughout the challenge. But simply dreaming up a circular world isn’t enough, which is why we’re so excited about the incubation phase, where we’ll be working together with both the Circle Lab and the local Glasgow communities on moving beyond intent and bringing our collective vision to life.”The next phase of the challenge is a unique opportunity for other venues and SMES with expertise in this field to come forward and position themselves as front-runners, on a global stage, in the field of the circular economy by contributing to the incubation process. Depending on the outcome, teams working on solution based pilot projects will have the opportunity to showcase their work at the Circular Economy Scotland Hotspot 2018 - which over 300 of the world’s leading decision-makers, trade representatives, investors and circular economy entrepreneurs are expected to attend.The interaction between local and global communities that the Circle Lab platform affords will continue throughout the incubation phase and will enable all participants, both in-person and online, to benefit from global insights and to engage with and support local stakeholders in the process.To get involved, contact the Circular Glasgow team at circularglasgow@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com or visit www.circularglasgow.com[hr] Circular Glasgow complements Zero Waste Scotland’s and the Scottish Government's nationwide support for SMEs to develop circular economy business ideas, including its £18million Circular Economy Investment Fund and Circular Economy Business Support Service. Both are supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the £73million Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Accelerator Programme.Circle Lab has been made possible in part by a grant from the eBay Foundation, a corporate advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
by Harald FriedlWith over 90% of the raw materials used globally not cycled back into the economy, our planet is left with a massive strain on its natural resources and climate that needs to be urgently relieved. What has got us where we are today, in every sense, is the linear economy.Over decades, even centuries, since the boom of the Industrial Revolution, it has delivered tremendous living standards, wealth and comfortable lives to some people, in some parts of the world, at certain times. It has done so, though, at a high cost. That cost continues to be extracted from the planet and many of the people on it, with neither the gain nor pain distributed equally. Embedded deep within the “Take-Make-Waste,” tradition of the linear economy lies a toxic cocktail of negative consequences, ranging from social inequality to depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution and worsening of the risks and effects of climate change.Our world economy is only 9.1% circular, leaving a massive “Circularity Gap”This alarming statistic was the main output of the first Circularity Gap Report, in which we, at Circle Economy, launch a metric for the circular state of the planet. The Circularity Gap Report provides a fact-based framework to measure and monitor progress in bridging the gap, year after year.Being able to track and target performance via the Global Circularity Metric will help us engage in uniform goal-setting and guide future action in the most impactful way. The report presents a detailed metabolism visual showing how main resource groups satisfy key societal needs, such as housing, mobility and nutrition. It also presents the leaks in the system with an overview of what happens to resources after use in the economy.In truth, momentum is already building towards the adoption of circular economic models. We are witnessing circular economy strategies being embedded within businesses and adopted into government policies. On the global level, two recent examples of international collaboration, in particular, have accelerated the mainstream political and business agenda: The Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To measure economic sustainability only from an environmental perspective is to miss the point and misunderstand the purpose. By definition, managing an economy is the art and science of “how we run our global household.” An economy should be designed and run to the needs of the participants of the household, provide stability, keep societies together and the household going for future generations. In short, any successful economic model must meet the needs of the society it serves, not merely manage responsibly the natural resources it uses – it is a matter of people and planet, together. The circular economy is, therefore, an action agenda with measurable impact framework that extends beyond the remit of mere resource efficiency. As a multi-stakeholder model, its systemic approach boosts capacity and capability to serve societal needs, by embracing and endorsing the best humankind has to offer: the power of entrepreneurship, innovation and collaboration.Today’s Take-Make-Waste economic model is not fit for purpose. Embedded in this tradition of the linear economy lies a toxic cocktail of negative consequences. We now call upon businesses and governments to take leadership to develop an action agenda and contribute to the global targets set in the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. We have identified 4 steps to take action in bridging the circularity gap through leadership and action: 1) Build a global coalition for action; 2) Develop a global target and action agenda; 3) Translate global targets into local pathways for circular change; 4) Improve our understanding of how different levers for circular change affect aspects such as material saving, value retention and climate mitigation.Closing the circularity gap will reduce income inequality and improve access to basic needs and opportunities. In other words, the pursuit of the circular economy is a way to create an economy that works for everybody. The circular economy is a positive, dynamic and interconnected solutions-based framework: it builds on key human qualities, such as creativity, collaboration and entrepreneurship; and is a roadmap towards achieving the SDGs and a powerful tool in the fight against human-made climate change.This article was originally published in Renewable Matter Feb-March 2018
March 30, 2018, Amsterdam
Building on the successes of research that measured circular employment in cities in the Netherlands, Circle Economy and EHERO continue their partnership to investigate the impact of circular economy strategies on cities and their job creation potential. The project is supported by the Goldschmeding Foundation, a philanthropic foundation, with a key focus on people, work and economy.The 1-year project aims to enable city officials to better integrate circular economy strategies into their policy agendas. To carry out the systemic changes that the circular economy calls for and to ensure that policymakers and governments know how and where to implement the circular economy, EHERO and Circle Economy aim to uncover: The effects of circular economy strategies on employment in cities and what this means for labour market needs.
"Living in the era of urbanisation, cities across the globe have put employment and related skills high on their agendas. We see cities as central drivers in bridging the gap to a circular economy with enough jobs for its citizens. Therefore, insights on the future employment effects of circular policies are key drivers in defining strategies of a city"Annerieke Douma, Director of Program and Business Development at Circle Economy
The Circle Cities Dashboard ultimately will provide policymakers with insights into available circular strategies so that they will be better equipped to adopt them. Provide a methodology to model employment effects of circular economy strategies; and increase the understanding of skills gaps that might emerge in the transition to the circular economy. The first results of the project will be expected later this year.
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The Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI), Circle Economy and Fashion for Good have announced that they will form a partnership to evolve the current AMFI MA Fashion Enterprise Creation (MA FEC), launched in 2016, into the world's first master's degree focused on circular fashion entrepreneurship.
The MA FEC programme aims to inspire and equip fashion entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs with the skills to build purpose-driven fashion businesses with a societal, cultural or environmental mission at their core. This master shall build on the core belief that profound change is needed in fashion education in order to safeguard the long-term future of the fashion industry. Leslie Holden, Head of design and of the Master of Fashion Enterprise explains:“Fashion is one of the most polluting industries on earth and this is neither sustainable nor acceptable. At the same time, it’s also one of the most creative, lucrative and engaging industries. Therein lies fashion’s unique responsibility and opportunity. We need to rethink how we create, design, produce, sell and use clothing, so that the industry can be a force for good and act respectfully to the world.”The Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) is the largest fashion institute in the Netherlands and has an international reputation for sustainability. The AMFI 'Reality School' concept drives innovation within all their programmes to accommodate and respond rapidly to industry challenges and collaborate to bring change. It is for this reason, that AMFI has begun to integrate the circular economy strategy in the foundations of its Reality School. To emphasize this commitment, the Master in Fashion Enterprise Creation has been chosen by AMFI as the ideal platform to challenge the industry norms. Partnering and collaborating with industry specialists, Fashion for Good and Circle Economy, is at the heart of the success and together they can build for a better future.
"Education can no longer shy away from the vast and damaging impact that the fashion industry has and must equip the next generation of fashion professionals with the values, perspectives, knowledge (and audacity!) needed to mend this ship we have set sail on, or to build a smarter, vehicle for change. The AMFI Masters aims to do just that - and Circle Economy are honoured and excited to be part of this crucial development”
Gwen Cunningham, lead of the Circle Economy textiles team
Together, the partners aim to bring together a multi-disciplinary and international class of students, who all share in the pursuit of re-designing the fashion industry and becoming a global force for good. The programme will provide students with a strong foundation in business research, practical entrepreneurial skills, and training in all the essential components needed to develop innovative fashion concepts. This multidisciplinary focus will enable students to turn their dream - of playing a positive role in changing the fashion industry - into a reality.
About the Amsterdam Fashion InstituteThe Amsterdam Fashion Institute is the largest fashion institute in the Netherlands, teaching on all aspects of the fashion chain. Students can choose from 3 Bachelor programmes: Fashion & Design, Fashion & Management or Fashion & Branding. In addition, AMFI provides a two-year Master in Fashion Enterprise Creation. In this fast-moving industry, where fashion is in perpetual change, AMFI provides guidance and expertise in establishing more sustainable fashion brands using a ‘Reality School’ concept. Together, a group of highly skilled educators and industry professionals, guide these aspiring fashion professionals in developing skills and aptitudes that can be a force for good in the fashion world. For further information contact: Leslie Holden at l.t.holden@hva.nl
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