In this episode of Circular Hot Takes, we are joined by Paavo Ritala, Professor of Strategy and Innovation at LUT University, to explore the intersection between the circular and digital transitions. We discuss why circular systems depend so heavily on data, coordination and information flows, and how digital platforms can help connect buyers, sellers, materials and resources at scale. Paavo explains what makes platforms powerful, from network effects and economies of scale to their ability to create new markets for used products and excess materials, while also highlighting a familiar circular economy challenge: greater efficiency can sometimes lead to more consumption through rebound effects. We also explore the role of AI in industrial circularity, including material sorting, resource tracking, logistics and optimisation, and ask whether the biggest circular opportunities may lie less in consumer-facing apps and more in large-scale industrial systems, platforms and symbioses. The conversation ranges from second-hand iPhones and deposit-return systems to data centres, industrial symbiosis, short-termism and the economics of circular innovation, before returning to a cautiously optimistic conclusion: much of the technology we need already exists — the real challenge is learning how to use it well. Find out more at www.bdjpcircular.com — and feel free to send us questions, topics you think we should explore, or guests you’d like to hear on Circular Hot Takes.
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