Circular Economy Trends – Potential Role of Emerging Technologies

Abstract

The circular economy and digital transformation are two of the major trends over the last decade. Integrative methodological advances such as life cycle assessments, material flow analysis, and input-output tables are some of the current trends in circular economy case studies and scenarios. However, more efficient processes are required, and methods need to be adapted to the unique attributes of circular economy systems. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of current technological trends and topics in the circular economy. A scoping review and an automated content analysis were conducted in over 6000 abstracts available in Springer journals. Strategies such as applying data-driven design in the field of circular economy and using innovative information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer new possibilities for optimizing existing integration methods. New circular economy approaches, and systems could emerge based on taking advantage of technologies such as: artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Advanced Data Analytics, etc. Also, emerging topics in circular economy technologies focus on energy, policy, models, and global systems. The paper concludes with an outline of emerging technologies and identifies several future research directions.