Closing loops, opening horizons: navigating the Circular Economy journey in Noord-Limburg's manufacturing industry
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2025-06-26
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en
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There is an urgent societal need to transition away from traditional ‘take-make-dispose’ economic models to circular ones that prioritise resource efficiency, reduced environmental impact and long-term sustainability. The manufacturing industry in the region of Noord-Limburg can play a crucial role in this transition regionally, since this particular industry is responsible for 33% of the Gross Regional Product. However, despite the increasing recognition and advocacy for circularity (particularly given the establishment of the Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive), moving towards it has demonstrated to be very complex and multifaceted. Manufacturing companies face persistent barriers to circular economy integration, while the impact of those external influences remains underexplored. By investigating how external barriers and drivers influence the internal integration of circular economy principles within the manufacturing industry in Noord-Limburg, this study aims to inform both academic understanding and practical strategies for accelerating the circular transition in this key economic sector. Through a qualitative case study, a thematic analysis of the data serves as a cornerstone for identifying, analysing and documenting significant patterns within it, consistently linking them back to the study’s theoretical framework and the broader literature on circular economy. Consequently, the findings open up several avenues for practice, policy and research.
Keywords: Circular Economy integration, barriers and drivers, CSRD, manufacturing industry Noord Limburg, case study, in-depth interviews, thematic analysis
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen