Innovations Practitioners Need for Circularity in the Swiss Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Sector

Abstract

Although widely recognized as imperative for reducing global emissions and the amount of waste generated by the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector, a large-scale shift from a linear to a circular economy has not yet happened in practice. This paper highlights practitioners’ needs for implementing circularity in the AEC sector in Switzerland, and how digital platforms could support it. We hosted two workshops with industry practitioners in the Swiss AEC sector to find out their needs from academia, government, and industry to implement such a shift. The first workshop revealed a need for digital reuse platforms, so we focused a second workshop specifically on digital platforms. Results from the second workshop made clear the need for better practices of gathering data and integrating platforms. Financial incentives, social innovation, policy measures, and digital tools were also identified as necessary to increasing circularity in the sector. Our findings reveal the promising potential of digital technologies and stakeholders’ networks to better capture data on building products and methods for extending their life cycle.