A Meta-Model of Inter-Organisational Cooperation for the Transition to a Circular Economy

• Published in: Sustainability Vol. 8; no. 11; p. 1153
• Main Authors: Ruggieri, Alessandro, Braccini, Alessio, Poponi, Stefano, Mosconi, Enrico
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 10.11.2016
• Subjects: business enterprises; Business models; Case studies; Circular economy; Cooperation; Economic development; Environmental impact; industry; Innovations; Natural resources; Raw materials; Sustainable development; Italy
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su8111153

The transition to a circular economy bodes well for a future of environmentally sustainable growth and economic development. The implications and advantages of a shift to a circular economy have been extensively demonstrated by the literature on the subject. What has not been sufficiently investigated is how this paradigm can be enabled through the inter-organisational cooperation among different business enterprises. In order to illustrate this point, in this paper we aim to contribute to the circular economy debate by describing and discussing such a meta-model of inter-organisational cooperation. The present study is therefore based on the analysis of three cases from an equal number of industries, from which we identified factors of potential impact for the stimulation of cooperation in a circular economy perspective. Last, but not least, we discuss the relations between the case studies and try to formulate all possible implications for both managers and research.