Object Identification Technologies as Key Enabler for Circular Business Models

• Published in: Chemie ingenieur technik 2022-04, Vol.94 (4), p.479-492
• Main Authors: Treick, Amy, Woidasky, Jörg, Lang‐Koetz, Claus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Automatic identification; Auto‐ID technologies; Circular business models; Circular economy
• ISSN: 0009-286X; 1522-2640
• DOI: 10.1002/cite.202100107

The implementation of Circular Business Models (CBMs) represents a key step for a successful transformation of the global economy towards circularity. The establishment of CBMs is therefore actively promoted and demanded by the European Commission according to the EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2020. To support their implementation, one of the basic building blocks is the application of innovative technologies that enable the analysis and control of material flows deriving the necessity of object identification and corresponding automatic identification (Auto‐ID) technologies. The verification of this statement is the research object of the study presented. Based on the results of two systematic literature reviews, the overall relevance of object identification in CBMs is confirmed. Additionally, the application potentials of certain Auto‐ID technologies are proposed. This paper examines the role of object identification and corresponding technologies for implementing circular business models (CBMs). Based on two conducted systematic literature reviews the relevance of object identification in CBMs is confirmed and the application potentials of specific technologies for the automatic identification of objects are proposed.