University of Art and Design Basel and University of Applied Sciences and Arts; Promoting Circular Economy and Measuring Success

The outcome report of the Full Circle 2025 symposium shows that circular transformation is possible. The cantons of Northwestern Switzerland benefit innovation- and economic-wise, resulting in new jobs, successful entrepreneurship, and high quality of life.

“To steer the economy and society towards more circularity and thus sustainability, we need courage, cooperation, and structure,” says Ralf Michel, lecturer at University of Art and Design Basel FHNW (HGK Basel) and co-organizer of the event. “The report serves as a basis for advancing the circular economy. It is also a commitment to common goals and a tool for measuring success,” says Tina Haisch, co-organizer and professor at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW.

Barriers as a trigger for innovation to promote the circular economy

Currently, participants face legal, economic, and societal obstacles that prevent them from more strongly adopting circular economic principles in their services, products, and processes. To overcome these hurdles, they should be understood as challenges for innovation and used in the region as real-world laboratories to test new circular economic principles. The authors recommend concrete steps and measures to the politics and administration of the Northwestern Swiss cantons to promote the circular economy, including:

- Regulatory: Embedding appropriate requirements in public tenders.

- Economic: Promoting return infrastructure, e.g., through component exchanges.

- Societal: Integrating circular principles into vocational education.

- Digital: Test region for the digital product passport.

The report focuses on cross-sectoral synergies and differentiates specifically along selected industries and thematic fields: construction, energy, textiles, food, mobility, and pharmaceuticals.

Examples demonstrate what the circular economy can look like

Even today, successful examples of an economy oriented toward closed loops can be found in the Basel region.

- Circular and Real Estate Basel-Stadt have developed a catalogue for the reuse of building materials for several project competitions, such as the school building Walkeweg. They pursue circular principles in urban planning, focusing on dismantlability, secondary materials, and modular use.

- In the life sciences industry, digital return systems for lab consumables are being tested, for example, through eLabeling or regional donation platforms.

- The fair fashion factory conducted a feasibility study on how to strengthen a regional textile cycle. Together with local actors, old textiles are sorted, checked, and prepared for reuse, recycling, or upcycling.

Second edition planned following the great success of the first

The first symposium Full Circle was organized in March 2025 by the University of Art and Design Basel FHNW (HGK Basel) and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW at the HGK Basel premises. Participants discussed how to promote the circular economy in the Basel region and beyond. Over the past months, the results have been reviewed, compiled, and summarized in the newly published document. The next symposium Full Circle is planned for April 23 to 24, 2026.

Further information

University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
University of Applied Sciences
Tina Haisch
Lecturer and Head of Innovation and Space Focus
Institute for Nonprofit and Public Management
T +41 61 279 18 37
tina.haisch@fhnw.ch

University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
University of Art and Design Basel
Ralf Michel
Lecturer and Head of Continuing Education Office
Institute Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP)
T +41 61 228 41 47
ralf.michel@fhnw.ch

The University of Art and Design Basel FHNW

The University of Art and Design Basel FHNW offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the fields of Art, Design, and Media on the Campus of the Arts in Basel. As a practice-oriented learning, teaching, and research community, it addresses the challenges of the present from an artistic-design perspective, educating the next generation of artists, designers, and educators.

More information at www.fhnw.ch/hgk

University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
Dominik Lehmann
Head of Communications FHNW
Bahnhofstrasse 6
5210 Windisch
T +41 56 202 77 28
dominik.lehmann@fhnw.ch
www.fhnw.ch

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: FHNW