Circular and resilient urban production

BISCI sees a strong opportunity to connect circular urban economies with supply-chain innovation. Cities are not only consumers of resources; they are also places where production, consumption, logistics and waste-management systems interact. We are interested in projects that rethink these systems as interconnected circular networks.

A particularly relevant example is the BISCI-led research project Past Flows, Future Cycles: Landscape and Logistics Lessons from Limburg, which examines historical material flows, logistics networks and industrial landscapes in the Limburg ceramic industry to understand lessons for future circular economies. The project specifically investigates how materials, energy, labour, transport and residual flows were organised and how these systems shaped regional development.

BISCI can contribute expertise in supply-chain design, sustainable sourcing, circular procurement, reverse logistics, resilience and business-model innovation. Research by BISCI colleagues has also addressed circular purchasing and the organisational conditions that support environmentally responsible purchasing.

Potential cooperation could focus on circular construction materials, food systems, packaging, industrial symbiosis, reuse and repair networks, urban production hubs, reverse logistics or digital systems for tracing and managing material flows.

We are particularly interested in projects that move beyond conceptual circularity towards implementation. This could involve mapping existing urban material flows, identifying opportunities for closing loops, developing new organisational and business models, and testing solutions with companies, cities and communities.

Our approach combines scientific research with stakeholder co-creation and real-world experimentation. We are therefore looking for municipalities, regions, companies, circular entrepreneurs, logistics providers, producers, infrastructure operators and research partners who want to develop practical pathways towards more circular and resilient urban economies.