Make it circular! A gamified introduction to circular business models in a corporate setting
- A strategy game to playfully align business models with circularity in your own company -
Project: Circular Economy Card Deck for Business Model Workshops (CE-CA-WO)
Published: 13 June 2023
Author / Publisher: acatech, WWF Deutschland
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1_PDF (content: Facilitation Guide): Print on normal paper DIN A4, single-sided, black/white or colored
2_PPT (content: Presentation “Introduction to the Circular Economy“): no printing necessary, online presentation
3_Package 1 (content: Game instructions and documents): Print on normal paper DIN A4, one-sided, black/white or colored
4_Package 2 (content: Game Board and Canvas): Print on normal paper DIN A3, one-sided, black/white
5_Package 3 (content: Card Deck): Print on cardboard paper DIN A4 (e.g. 200g), double-sided, colored
The concept of the Circular Economy has the potential to guide systemic change that enables us as a society to operate within our planetary boundaries - with positive consequences for climate, environmental and species protection. For this to succeed, actors need to think and set up their products and business processes in a meaningful circular way. Sustainable and future-oriented business models enable companies to combine circular strategies with entrepreneurial opportunities. It is of central importance that circular business models are not only taken up by a few pioneers, but are also broadly diffused through comprehensive market penetration.
With the strategy game "Make it circular! A playful introduction to circular business models in a corporate setting“ the potential of the Circular Economy can be tapped for your own entrepreneurial practice in a playful way. Understandable and inspiring information about circular business models and their implementation provides orientation for medium-sized companies and enables them to conduct their own workshops on circular economy business models.
The strategy game is designed for medium-sized companies of all possible sectors. All other interested parties are cordially invited to take a closer look at the strategy game - as an individual, in an advisory capacity or as an institution.
Questions and answers on the strategy game
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The strategy game offers an effective approach to introduce involved actors to the implementation of a Circular Economy in their own company with a manageable effort. With the help of an attractively designed card deck and an accompanying moderation guideline, medium-sized companies can develop and implement their own approaches to business models for a comprehensive Circular Economy as part of a workshop.
The card deck is based on a typology of 22 patterns on circular business models, which were developed in the working group "Circular Business Models" of the Circular Economy Initiative Deutschland (CEID) and published in the report Circular Business Models: Overcoming Barriers, Unlocking Potentials.
The innovative approach of the strategy game emerged from a joint project of acatech - National Academy of Science and Engineering, WWF Germany and Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU).With the strategy game, companies should be able to
inform themselves about circular business models
put their current business model to the test based on the new know-how, and
find the most circular solutions for their company.
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Duration:
The workshop consists of five modules. These can be combined flexibly, depending on the company's level of knowledge and time available:Total duration: about 7 hours, of which active playing time:
Getting to know the strategy game on a quick run through (module 2): 1 h 50 min
Playing the strategy game (modules 3+4): approx. 3 hours
Participants:
Maximum 5-8 participants
No expertise in the field of Circular Economy required
Team composition: Participants from as many different company divisions and levels as possible, ideal complement: important partners in the value chain
Moderation:
Requirements:
Presentation experiences
Preparation:
The facilitation guide leads through the workshop
Approx. 0.5-1 day preparation time, if no specific prior knowledge in the area of the Circular Economy is available (familiarization with the topic and the presentation "Introduction to the Circular Economy")
Game preparation:
Print and cut printed files (takes about 3 hours)
Prepare all components according to the game instructions in the facilitation guide
Additional materials needed:
Sticky notes (yellow, green, pink)
Pens with high line width
DIN A4 envelope for additional material
Note-pad
Timer
Flipchart
Projector and screen
The contents of the strategy game in detail:
All contents are designed for self-printing.
Facilitation guide
The guide contains background information on the workshop, clarifies goals and requirements, and is intended to help the moderator lead the workshop and guide through the game.
Presentation „Introduction to the Circular Economy“
Joint knowledge building and common understanding on the topic of Circular Economy and especially on circular business models.
Game board
The game board (DIN A1) incl. cutting pattern is designed for self-printing.
Cutting pattern: The game board can be printed and assembled with four DIN A3 papers.
Card Deck
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Inspiration: Barrier list
The list contains a total of 68 barriers (financial, organizational, consumption-related and technical barriers, barriers in the value chain) with regard to Circular Economy and can be used as inspiration for task solving.
Inspiration: Key digital technologies for the Circular Economy
As inspiration, a selection of digital key technologies is presented that have the potential to contribute to the Circular Economy as enablers.
Experimental canvas:
This implementation template offers companies the opportunity to formulate initial ideas, develop hypotheses and test them experimentally for the first time.
Partner canvas:
This template captures the necessary adjustments in terms of designing partnerships that are required to effectively implement one's chosen business model.
Project chart:
The chart contains key data for the start, planning and implementation of a measure and serves as a brief and initial guide for project management.
Transfer into everyday business:
The document aims to identify three concrete steps that should be addressed first in the company to pave the way for implementing a circular business model.
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Is it allowed to use the game commercially?
The game is available free of charge and for non-commercial use. You are welcome to use it for your organization in the context of workshops (also in a consulting environment). The author must be clearly identified at all times.Is it allowed to translate the materials into other languages by oneself?
"Make it circular!" is available in German and in English. If you are interested in translating the materials into other languages yourself, please contact us directly.
Please note that in the case of further translations, copyright must be respected (identification of the originators) and that specific approval must be given on our part (type of use of the content and approval of the final translated documents prior to use).
Impressions of a workshop
