Hybrid Space Lab @ circUElar

CircEUlar is a four year European Research and Innovation Action that will develop new modelling approaches for analysing circularity from a systems perspective accounting for dematerialisation and the transition to a service-based economy to limit material stock growth, lifetime extension of material stocks through repair, maintenance, reuse, waste treatment and material recycling.

Hybrid Space Lab @ CircEUlar, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Berlin, 23 September 2025

CircEUlar’s approach is comprehensive, combining new data and modelling of economy-wide material stocks and flows, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and industrial value chains across interlinked sectors, with deep-dive analysis of mobility and buildings as material-intensive demand sectors.
These two focus areas have large material stocks, potential for circular transformation, and strong dependence on both circular consumption and production practices.
CircEUlar will also focus on digitalisation as a potential enabler of dematerialisation and supply chain circularity.

Funded by the European Union, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), and the UK Research and Innovation UKRI.

Workshop
Towards Net-Zero through a Circular Economy

13:30 – 14:10
Presentations

Setting the scene
Introducing CircEUlar: project aims, conceptual framework, data and pathways by Volker Krey, IIASA (Austria)
A more circular built environment future: practices in mobility and housing by Henrike Rau & Eoin Grealis, LMU Munich (Germany)

14:45 – 15:00
A circular housing future – how do we get there? Discussion leads LMU & T6 Ecosystems
Stakeholders’ assessment of the scenarios (commoning, modular housing and relocation) focusing on desirability.
A circular mobility future – how do we get there?
Discussion leads LMU & T6 Ecosystems

15:00 – 16:00
Stakeholders’ assessment of the scenarios (car sharing, reducing car ownership and multimodal mobility) focusing on desirability.
The backcasting exercise: How do we get there? A guided discussion around participants views on how to get from today to the chosen scenario.
Discussion leads LMU & T6 Ecosystems

Participants

Alexander Kaas Elias, Spokesperson for Rail, Public Transport and Multimodality, CD – Mobilität für Menschen
Alicia Feig, Director of Coworking, Berlin Impact Hub
Anna Erbacher, Consultant, adelphi
Arthur Haus, Housing Officer, Grüne Liga
Aurelija Matulevičiūtė, Senior Urban Practitioner TSPA – international urban planning and design firm
Burkhard Horn, Freelance consultant on urban transport policy and planning Mobility & Transport – Strategy & Planning
Claudia Kiso, Scientific advisor on sustainable mobility, German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA)
Daniel Escobar Castilla, Transportation Planner, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)
Elizabeth Sikiaridi, Professor and Co-founder/Partner, Hybrid Space Lab
Erika von Schneidemesser, Research Group Leader, RIFS Potsdam – Science for Sustainability
Jamie-Scott Baxter, Chair for Urban Design and Urbanization/ Designer and Research Associate, TU Berlin
Johanna Kliegel, Area Coordinator for Optimized Living, Wohnraumagentur Göttingen
Kathrin Sczepan, Group management of housing projects Blankenburg South and Karow, Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing, City of Berlin
Larissa Kleiner, Scientific Officer, German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA)
Lars Andersen, Manager for green steel in the automotive industry Transport & Environment
Laura Martens-Neumann, Urban Practitioner, TSPA – international urban planning and design firm
Leon Reiner, Impact Hub Founder, Berlin Impact Hub
Lukas Schuck, Project Manager Bauwende Allianz, Project Together
Martin Ammon, Head of Division Housing and Climate Protection, Construction Industry, Department WB “Housing and Building, Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR)
Michaela Feiglova, Expert Circular Economy Professional ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
Philipp George, Political Advisor, Klimaschutz, Bundestag
Pia Runge, Research Assistant, German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA)
Thomas Schönberger, Scientific Project Manager, Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR)
Valeska Liedloff, Scientific Associate, Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik (DIFU)

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