The CoDe research project develops transdisciplinary and co-creative approaches for a circular bioeconomy. Within the regional innovation network BioBall (Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitan region), academia and industry collaborate in dedicated co-design labs to integrate circular principles into bio-based value chains. A comprehensive starter kit aims to make the results accessible to other regions and networks.
Research Approach
The CoDe research project combines two distinct research perspectives: research for transformations (development of concrete circular solutions) and research on transformations (analysis and reflection of transdisciplinary processes). Methodologically, the project relies on qualitative social research, participatory mapping methods, co-design sprints, and elements of real-world laboratory research. Bio-based plastic value chains serve as central case studies. The sustainability of the developed solutions is quantified through life-cycle-based sustainability assessment (LCSA) and technical-economic analysis (TEA).
Background
Transition processes toward a sustainable bioeconomy are the stated goal of the National Bioeconomy Strategy – yet the link between the bioeconomy and the circular economy often remains incomplete in practice: Circular product design, end-of-life options, and societal framework conditions have so far been insufficiently considered in bioeconomic value chains to date. This is because successful transformation processes require not only technological innovations but also a profound understanding of social, economic, and institutional conditions, as well as tailored solutions. The CoDe research project addresses this need and, in close collaboration with stakeholders from the regional innovation network BioBall, is developing transdisciplinary approaches for a truly circular bioeconomy.
Research and Project Partners
- Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE) (Lead)
- University of Kassel School of Art / Kassel Institute for Sustainability (KHK)
- Institute for Plastics and Recycling Technology, Leibniz University Hannover (IKK)
- Provadis University of Applied Sciences, Frankfurt am Main (PHS)
Practice partners
- BioBall – Bioeconomy in the Metropolitan Area e.V.
- BIOVOX GmbH
- Cradle to Cradle NGO
- FES Frankfurter Entsorgungs- und Service GmbH
Funding
The project “CoDe – Co-Design for a Circular Bioeconomy: Transformative Action Pathways for Circular Innovation in the Bioeconomy” is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) as part of the funding call “Challenges and Success Factors of the Transformation to a Circular Bioeconomy,” Module II (thematic funding) of the “Bioeconomy as Social Change” initiative.
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