Circular product design and development. The requirements of the circular economy and how they can be met

Increasing environmental demands and uncertainties in global supply chains have made the circular economy increasingly lucrative for manufacturing industries. However, the demands of circularity are not sufficiently considered in product design and development activities, and the circular economy processes utilised are often defined post hoc.

This dissertation studies the requirements that circular economy processes impose on product design and development and how products can be designed and developed to fit them proactively. It consists of four research articles that studied the requirements of circularity from the perspectives of the value networks of circular material use, stakeholder management of circular product development, product design implications of the circular economy and setting circularity goals for product development. Case study and systematic literature review methodologies were utilised to study the state of the art in the area and create frameworks that help in addressing the requirements that the circular economy sets for product design and development.

The results of this dissertation show that the design and development of circular products are inherently connected to the value network and stakeholders concerning the circular use of products. The needs and demands of actors and stakeholders affect the way businesses work in their business environments, as well as product specifications, which need to be considered in product design and development. This dissertation also shows the importance of setting goals and metrics for circularity in product design and development. It expands the scientific discussion concerning the requirements for designing and developing circular products and how these requirements should be addressed. The results can be utilised by companies aiming to move towards circular economy practices or to improve the way circularity is implemented in their operations.