Circular Design Summit 2025 Rethinking the Economy

Join us as we unleash the power of circular design! Let valuable insights inspire new ideas - for a sustainable economy of the future!

Meet leading minds from renowned companies such as Google, BMW Group, Hansgrohe, TÜV Rheinland Group, the BDI Circular Economy Initiative, LXSY Architects and our programme partner Indeed Innovation.


>> get the Ticket!

Circular Economy starts with Design.

The Circular Design Summit brings together leading minds from business, industry, and design, all united by a common vision: economic success in harmony with ecological sustainability. Discover how Circular Design – design for the circular economy – is driving the transformation of the economy and how you can be a part of this development.

In masterclasses, keynotes, and panels, thought leaders and industry giants focus on the key topics of the circular economy: circular business, circular design, closing the loop, the EU Ecodesign Directive, digital technologies, and design guidelines.

With our 330 member companies from the design-oriented economy, we are at the cutting edge across sectors, fostering targeted collaboration and knowledge transfer. Trust in the expertise of an institution that has established design as a strategic tool for business.

Event details

When: Tuesday, 11 March 2025, 9:30 – 18:00
Where: Hospitalhof, Stuttgart
Travelling by train with Deutsche Bahn: DB event ticket
Who: Experts from Google, BMW Group, Hansgrohe, TÜV Rheinland Group, BDI-Initiative Circular Economy, Indeed Innovation and many more

What’s in it for Me:

  1. Diving Deep
    Learn from industry leaders as they share their best practices. Leverage their practical knowledge and experience to drive transformation within your company.
     
  2. Taking the Lead  
    Circular design is a key factor in unlocking the future potential of your company.
     
  3. Connecting with Decision Makers
    Collaboration is essential for the circular transformation. Meet experienced decision-makers and expand your network.
     

Design Pushing the Circular Economy
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn from the best and realise the future potential of your company.

Circular Design Summit 2025 - GTC (PDF)

>> Note: The event will predominantly be held in German, with some presentations delivered in English.


Speakers

Katie Morgenroth

Google | Head of Sustainable Design (presentation in English)


KEYNOTE >> Katie Morgenroth shares her expertise on processes, projects, and products that drive environmental action.

She leads sustainable design for Google's hardware portfolio. She develops processes, projects and products that promote environmental awareness and works with diverse teams to integrate sustainability from conception to implementation. She sees design as a way of solving problems. Designers today must challenge traditional ways of doing things, consider the full impact of every decision, and rethink systems to turn problems into opportunities.

Prof. Daniela Bohlinger

BMW Group | Innovation Strategie Lead Sustainability


MASTERCLASS >> Prof. Daniela Bohlinger shares her experience of integrating sustainability into the design process. And her revolutionary approach that goes beyond incremental improvements.

She emphasises the importance of minimising the number of materials and components in vehicles and ensuring that they can be easily separated at the end of their life cycle. For the BMW i Vision Circular concept car, the design team worked to limit the number of materials to ten types in order to reduce the environmental footprint, increase the recycling rate and still maintain a luxurious aesthetic.

Bohlinger calls for a profound change in the design process, where sustainability is consistently integrated from concept to end-of-life to enable a truly circular economy.

Drishti Masand

adidas AG | Senior Manager, Sustainability Direction


>> PANEL DISCUSSION

Drishti is a curious engineer exploring promising technologies to drive innovation and faster growth. She is part of the adidas Global Sustainability team as a Senior Manager to create holistic strategies for sustainability topics on the topics of Materials Innovation and Circularity. Drishti is recognised as an Emerging Leader and industry expert on circular economy strategies and sustainable innovations. In addition, Drishti contributes to industry working groups in developing and executing rising sustainability standards for the industry.

Steffen Erath

Hansgrohe | Head of Innovation & Sustainability


MASTERCLASS >> Steffen Erath shows how companies can benefit from circular business models. He outlines methods, processes and opportunities.

Steffen Erath, Head of Innovation & Sustainability at Hansgrohe Group, is instrumental in advancing circular design within the sanitary industry. His work centers on embedding sustainability deeply into innovation, with a particular focus on rethinking resource use, especially water. This commitment is reflected in Hansgrohe's 'Green Vision,' which aims to reduce water, CO2, and energy consumption by 90% without compromising user comfort.

Guided by a 'planet-centered innovation' approach, Erath prioritizes sustainable practices throughout the product life cycle. He drives Hansgrohe's transition toward a circular economy by reducing environmental impact, extending product lifespans, and enhancing material efficiency. Through the 'Green Company' initiative, he accelerates Hansgrohe’s green transformation and supports investments in eco-friendly technologies via the Masco Venture Fund.

Luisa Balaban

TÜV Rheinland Group | Western Europe Sustainability Business Development Manager (presentation in English)


MASTERCLASS >> Luisa Balaban highlights innovative approaches such as the repairability index for electrical products, physical durability testing and standards and certification activities.

Luisa Balaban has experience in corporate sustainability in the consumer goods, textiles and packaging sectors. In her role as Western Europe Sustainability Lead for TÜV Rheinland Business Stream Products, she has been supporting brands and retailers in their projects since 2023. Previously, she worked as a supply chain and raw materials consultant, focusing on packaging, recycling strategies and recyclability audits.

Freitag, Covestro, Heytex

MASTERCLASS >> Freitag, Covestro and Heytex Group are working together on an exemplary project: Circular Truck Tarp Project - lorry tarpaulins for eternity. The speakers from the companies involved in this project will show how cooperation can succeed and why it is absolutely essential.


Mark Scheller

Covestro | Segment Manager & Business Development

Anna Blattert

FREITAG | Circular Technologist

Henning Eichhorn

Heytex Group | Business Development & Key Account Manager

Karel J. Golta

Indeed Innovation, CEO


MASTERCLASS >> Karel Golta shows how design solutions can help conserve resources.

Karel Golta is the CEO and founder of Indeed Innovation, an internationally operating innovation consultancy based in Hamburg, New York, and Shanghai. With over 25 years of experience in design, innovation, and strategic consulting, he helps companies develop sustainable and future-focused products and solutions. As a visionary and expert in circular design, he is passionately committed to driving sustainable transformation in the economy, inspiring others to fuse innovation with social and environmental responsibility.

Harald Friedl

Circular economist


Harald Friedl is an internationally renowned circular economist. He is advising the United Nations in several countries and and is working with top companies on their road towards circularity. Mr. Friedl has co-iniatied the global yearly “Circularity Gap Report”, one of the most referenced publications in the field of circular economy. Harald has extensive consulting experience as  CEO of the the do-tank Circle Economy in Amsterdam. And he spearheaded the circular transition in his home country Austria when he served as Circular Economy Accelerator for the Austrian Government in 2022.

"As a circular economist, I firmly believe that circular design is the most undervalued ingredient in our transition to a sustainable economy. By integrating principles of reuse, repair, and recyclability from the outset, circular design revolutionizes how we create products and systems. It's not just about recycling; it's about reimagining the entire lifecycle of goods. This approach minimizes waste, conserves resources, and creates economic opportunities. Yet, despite its potential, circular design remains underutilized. Businesses and policymakers often overlook its transformative power, focusing instead on end-of-life solutions. To truly achieve a circular economy, we must prioritize design thinking that considers the full lifecycle impact from the very beginning."

Dr Claas Oehlmann

BDI-Initiative Circular Economy | CEO
 

MASTERCLASS >> Dr Claas Oehlmann looks at the EU Ecodesign Directive as a business opportunity. Product-specific regulations not only implement new standards, but also create circular business models.

Dr Claas Oehlmann is Managing Director of the BDI Circular Economy Initiative, a platform of more than 60 companies, associations and scientific institutions. Together, they are driving the transition to an innovative circular economy. He began his career as a resource policy officer at the Federal Association of the German Waste Management Industry (BDE) in Brussels and has held senior positions at the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the BDI.

Peter Post

Circular-Experience.org | Founder, Designer
 

MASTERCLASS >> In his masterclass, Peter Post focuses on consumers and talks about the need to involve them in design processes at an early stage. He shares his expertise on circular design services.

Peter Post is a UX and service designer with 25 years of experience in leading design agencies and was most recently part of the management team at Scholz & Volkmer. Through his agency Circular-Experience.org, he develops user-friendly services for the circular economy and contributes to designing the EU-wide planned Digital Product Passport. He has been awarded the Federal Ecodesign Award, serves as a board member of the International Design Centre Berlin, is a keynote speaker, an ambassador for the UX Design Awards, and a curator of the see-Conference.

Alexander Strub

Drees & Sommer | Creative Director Brand Experience
 

MASTERCLASS >> The lecture by Alexander Strub, Creative Director at Drees & Sommer, will focus on how circular design is changing our perception of aesthetics. He will show that circularity does not mean restriction, but inspiration and infinite variety.

For more than 10 years, he has been working on the question of how brands can be experienced in space. As a speaker, he wants to put his approaches and philosophy up for discussion and share his conviction: "In the end, it's all about responsibility, quality of stay and emotions.

 

Margit Sichrovsky

LXSY Architekten


KEYNOTE >> Margit Sichrovsky present innovative architectural solutions for circular building projects.

LXSY Architects repurpose materials from the past, consider the entire lifecycle of a building project, and integrate the reparability and reuse of tomorrow into today’s planning. To create buildings that serve as material repositories for the future, they rely on pure, separable materials and demountable construction. For LXSY, circular construction also means continuing the stories of materials and crafting positive narratives for the future.

The Berlin-based practice was founded in 2015 by Kim Le Roux and Margit Sichrovsky, with Wiebke Ahues joining as a partner in 2024. LXSY champion circular construction, actively promote the climate-conscious transformation of the industry, and challenge established processes as ambassadors of the construction transition.

Christian Adler

LoopID | Managing Director


MASTERCLASS >> Christian Adler clearly demonstrates how Digital Product Passports will help to make products more circular and circular business models profitable in the future. He also discusses the impact DPPs can have on product design, interaction and marketing.

Christian is a leading expert in Circular Economy, Digital Transformation, and AI. As Co-Founder of LoopID, he drives the transition to a Circular Economy by building its digital infrastructure. LoopID’s AI-powered solutions include digital product passports, recommerce platforms, take-back systems, and the development of profitable circular business models. Prior to founding LoopID, Christian worked over a decade at the Boston Consulting Group, where he build and led BCG’s digital transformation offering including AI.

Christian holds degrees in Computer Science and Technology Management from LMU Munich, the Center for Digital Technology & Management (CDTM), and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as in Circular Economy from Leuphana University.

Marco Schoneveld

Vepa | Managing Director Germany


>> PANEL DISCUSSION

Marco Schoneveld is Managing Director Germany of office furniture manufacturer Vepa the furniture factory. The Dutchman worked for a major international bank for many years. There he helped shape the strategic direction of sustainability. It was in this role that he came into contact with Vepa. He has been in charge of Vepa's German business since 2021. The sustainability practised at Vepa and the circular philosophy are important factors for Marco in his commitment to Vepa.

Pina Schlombs

Siemens Digital Industries Softwares | Sustainability Lead


>> PANEL DISCUSSION

With more than 8 years of industry experience at Siemens and Volkswagen, Pina applies her technical skills in sustainable engineering and digital transformation to engagements in the industry. Supporting her customers to realize their sustainability ambitions through digitalization. She sees a data-driven approach to sustainability as key for effective & efficient action to win the race to net-zero. As an active speaker at conferences & events she shares her passion for sustainable business impact.


Pecha Kucha

Valena Ammon

Freelance Artist, Designer and Educator


>> Traces of Cobalt: Design positions in the context of a broader view of materials

Valena Ammon is a freelance artist, designer and educator dwelling in the fields of ceramics, practice-based research, digital manufacture and material culture. Her works explore the interconnectedness between materials, entities and landscapes. As part of Fabmobil e.V she was involved in bringing digital creative tools to young people in rural Saxony and with the collective druckwerk.xyz she investigates and teaches additive manufacture in the area of ceramics with a special focus on vessels.

Lara Aue

Industrial & Strategic Designer


>> Steps to Stay: A digital tool for sustainable transformation in the hotel industry

After completing her Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Lara completed her Master's degree in Strategic Product and Innovation Development at the University of Wuppertal by March 2023. After two longer internships at design agencies - including one in Denmark - she joined Squareone in Düsseldorf in summer 2022. Initially as a working student and since May full-time, she has been working on a wide range of projects, from industrial design and UX/UI to strategic tasks.

 

Vivian Tamm

Product Designer, Interdisciplinary Researcher


>> 90° – Realigning urban energy dynamics

As an interdisciplinary researcher with a product design background from the Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin, experience in the Priedemann Facade Lab, in the LignoLight research project and as an EXIST Women scholarship holder, Vivian Tamm is dedicated to solving complex urban problems. Her climate-adaptive façade concepts combine functional with aesthetic, ecological and economic aspects and have been honoured several times with awards such as the European Green Award, the IF Design Award and the one&twenty Award.


Our Ambassadors

Meet our Thought Leader in Circular Design

Serena Bonomi

Design Strategy & Innovation Consultant for the Circular Economy

Efrat Friedland

Founder at Materialscout & Co-Founder at Positive Plastics

Gianluca Managò

Product Sustainability & LCA consultant, Freelance


Host: Dr Ines Marbach

PhD in Environmental Science and Specialist Moderator in Sustainability
 

Dr Ines Marbach is a distinguished moderator of conferences, events, trade fairs, award ceremonies, and galas focused on climate protection and sustainability. As a television presenter and host of the YouTube series “Grüner wird’s nicht” (“It Doesn’t Get Greener Than This”), she brings together individuals and organisations that drive innovative solutions in climate protection. Her academic career began at the University of Hildesheim, where she spent many years in research and teaching. In her doctoral thesis, titled “Cultures and Climate Change: An Empirical Study of Climate Awareness Among German and Spanish Students”, she explored the differences in climate awareness between these two groups.

Partners


Review of 2023 Summit

recreate. transform. be resilient.

The motto of the GDC Summit 2023 was ‘connect. collaborate. continue.’ and was dedicated to the question of whether cross-industry collaboration and collaborative approaches are the key factors for successful innovation processes in companies and whether these approaches could shape the working culture of the future.

It was emphasised that companies need to be solution-oriented and flexible in order to ensure long-term value creation. A successful brand today is characterised by the balance between adaptation and consistency. Exchange and collaboration with experts is becoming increasingly important in order to promote knowledge and technology transfer and drive innovation. Design in particular plays a central role in the development of new solutions.

The congress brought together industry experts, brand specialists and designers to discuss the potential of knowledge-networked and collaborative approaches for successful transformation processes.

The speakers 2023:

Julian Aisslinger, Head of Sustainability, Innovation and Responsible Communication, Marc O'Polo
Ann-Louise Collin, Brand Manager Trend Editions, Cosnova
Lena Hansen, Senior Brand Manager, Katjes
Jörg Heidrich, Manager Digital Brand and User Experience, Corporate Design, by Robert Bosch GmbH
Dr Florian Imgrund, Global Category Director - Road, Canyon
Philipp Thesen, Designer, Strategy Consultant and Professor for Human-System Interaction, Head of the HUMAN FACTORS LAB, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt
Gerhardt Kellermann, designer and co-founder of Relvãokellermann and part of the collective J*GAST
Andreas Kurbos, designer and founder, studiokurbos
Marco Limm, designer, founder and managing director of cre[ai]tion
Marcel Moritz, Global Head of Design & Innovation at BLANCO GmbH + Co KG
Wilhelm Seibel, Owner, Managing Partner, Mono and Johannes Seibel, Owner, Managing Partner and Creative Director, Mono
Nicola Stattmann, product designer and owner of Büro Nicola Stattmann, co-founder of OMC°C
David Wojcik, product designer and co-founder of Boxbote, Innoit and kroot, GDA Newcomer
Moderator: Ines Marbach, PhD in environmental science and expert moderator for sustainability.


Review of 2022 Summit

recreate. transform. be resilient.

Under the key note "recreate. transform. be resilient", the GDC Summit 2022 posed the question "Can good design increase the crisis resilience of companies and entire sectors of the economy? Are strong brands and companies with high design standards and adaptable products more resilient?"

Speakers from different disciplines talked about the influence good design can have on long-term success and what the most important factors for resilience are. At the congress, experts from research and science discussed with successful brand managers, creative people from agencies - and of course with the congress participants from the most diverse sectors and professional fields.

The speakers from 2022:

Eberhard Becker, Managing Partner at asp Architekten
Astrid Fontaine, Head of Human Resources at VW Commercial Vehicles
Marc Hadorn, Head of Brand & Identity at Swiss Post
Marc Haines, architect, project manager for Gassmann & Grossmann and Drees & Sommer, among others
Julius Jäger, Executive Strategy Director at Jung von Matt BRAND IDENTITY
Antje Kruse-Schomaker, Design Principal and Executive Design Director at IBM iX
Michael Lessman, Managing Director DACH+Nordics at Ritter Sport
Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Professor of Internet Governance at Oxford University
Stefan Ponikva, Vice President BMW Brand Communication and Experience
Room Zero
Dr. Christopher Stillings, Head of Colour & Design for the Engineering Plastics Business Unit at Covestro
Marko Thorhauer, Executive Creative Director and Design Principal at IBM iX
Maren Urner, Neuroscientist, Professor of Media Psychology HMKW University of Media, Communication and Business in Cologne
Christina Widmann, Communication Designer, Design Director at Jung von Matt BRAND IDENTITY