CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTIONS GMBH

Their core work

Circular Economy Solutions (C-ECO) is a German private company specializing in circular economy business models, with particular expertise in product-service systems and reuse strategies for manufactured goods. They work on designing and implementing circular approaches for sectors like white goods (washing machines), automotive parts, and electric mobility components. Their contribution to EU projects centers on translating circular economy principles into practical, cross-sectorial value chains supported by digital platforms.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

C-ECO's H2020 participation spans only 2018–2020, making long-term trend analysis limited. Their earliest projects (CarE-Service and ReCiPSS, both 2018) focused on physical product reuse and circular service models for specific product categories like washing machines and automotive parts. By 2020, their work shifted toward digital infrastructure for circularity with DigiPrime, suggesting a move from sector-specific circular models toward platform-based, cross-sectorial approaches.

C-ECO is moving from product-specific circular reuse toward digital platform approaches that enable circularity across multiple industries simultaneously.

How they like to work

C-ECO always participates as a partner, never as coordinator, suggesting they contribute specialized circular economy expertise rather than leading large consortia. With 70 unique partners across 18 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large Innovation Action consortia (averaging ~23 partners per project). This broad network indicates they are comfortable working in complex, multi-partner environments and bring a specific competency rather than driving overall project direction.

Despite only 3 projects, C-ECO has built a network of 70 partners across 18 countries, reflecting the large-scale Innovation Action consortia typical of circular economy demonstrations. Their reach is strongly pan-European with no obvious geographic concentration beyond their German base.

What sets them apart

C-ECO sits at the intersection of circular economy theory and industrial application — specifically for durable consumer goods and automotive components. Their combination of physical product-service system expertise with emerging digital platform capabilities makes them a practical partner for projects that need to demonstrate circular economy models beyond the lab. For consortium builders, they offer focused circular economy business model expertise applicable across multiple manufacturing sectors.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ReCiPSS
  Largest funding share (EUR 1M+) and most specific scope — circular product-service systems for white goods and automotive parts with clear industrial application.
• DigiPrime
  Represents C-ECO's evolution toward digital tools, building a cross-sectorial platform for circular economy value networks.