Introduction
The Stakeholder Engagement Process in CE Ecosystems
Stakeholder Engagement as a Process for Achieving a CE
CE Ecosystems as a Setting for Stakeholder Engagement
Synthesis
Methodology
Research Design and Case Selection
CE ecosystem case | Data sources (number of data sources) |
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Case A Publicly organised endeavour to manage a local by-product in a circular way | Interviewed persons per organisation type: public organisations (4), companies (14), and research organisations (2) Observations and ethnographic follow-up: visiting the area and interviewee facilities (5), attending a workshop discussion on the case (9), free-form discussion with key stakeholders (10), attending regular stakeholder meetings for ecosystem updates (c. 15) Secondary data: news articles (3), research reports (3), and seminar presentations by key stakeholders (10) |
Case B Beverage packaging recycling | Interviewed persons per organisation type: companies (2), non-profit organisations (3), and industry associations (2) Secondary data: websites (6), presentations (2), news articles (4), and information booklets (3) |
Case C Sustainable fast-food business | Interviewed persons per organisation type: focal company (1) and stakeholder companies (4) Secondary data: case company websites, news releases, Finnish Broadcasting Company news archive, trade journal articles, and newspaper articles (c. 150) |
Case D Public–private collaboration for a shared good through industrial symbiosis | Interviewed persons per organisation type: public organisations (4), companies (2), and research organisations (1) Secondary data: websites and marketing videos (10), seminar presentations by key stakeholders (8), organisation reports (4), and theses and research reports (3) |
Case E Nutrient recycling | Interviewed persons per organisation type: Public organisations (10), companies and business actors (10), organisations and unions (3), and research institutes and universities (5) Observation and ethnographic follow-up: attending workshops (3) and seminars and webinars (8) Secondary data: seminar and webinar presentations (4), research reports and publications (67), media data (company documents and brochures) (74), and acts and directives (2) |
Case F Environmentally sustainable construction sector | Interviewed persons per organisation type: public organisations (4), companies (5), and research organisations (7) Observation and ethnographic follow-up: organising a national workshop for 40 experts (1), attending seminars (3), and attending workshops (3) Secondary data: seminar presentations (10), reports (4), and company and public organisation websites (10) |
Data Gathering and Analysis
Findings
Case Analysis
Case A: Centrally Coordinated CE Ecosystem—Publicly Organised Regional Endeavour to Manage a Local By-Product in a Circular Way
Case B: Centrally Coordinated CE Ecosystem—National Beverage Packaging Recycling
Case C: Centrally Coordinated CE Ecosystem—Global Sustainable Fast-Food Business
Case D: Self-Organised CE Ecosystem—Regional Public–Private Collaboration for Shared Good
Case E: Self-Organised CE Ecosystem—National Nutrient Recycling
Case F: Self-Organised CE Ecosystem—National Environmentally Sustainable Construction Sector
Steps of the Stakeholder Engagement Processes
Steps in the stakeholder engagement processes for a sustainable CE goal in CE ecosystems | ||||
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Step 1: Practices for identifying, prioritising, and selecting CE ecosystem stakeholders | Step 2: Practices for reaching out to stakeholders and securing their interests | Step 3: Practices for interacting and integrating through the development of relationships, communication, and learning | Step 4: Practices for evaluating stakeholder engagement outcomes and processes | |
Case A Centrally coordinated regional CE ecosystem: Publicly organised endeavour to manage a local by-product in a circular way | • The city identifies potential stakeholders by organising open seminars • The city educates potential stakeholders about achieving the CE goal • The city does not set any criteria limiting stakeholder selection | • The city and local research organisations organise open seminars and events to provide state-of-the-art knowledge about the CE goal and openly discuss and market the issue to attract companies • Research organisations approach and interview potential stakeholders • The city targets information sharing via local media and individuals attending related seminars and conferences | • The city encourages potential stakeholders to continue their pursuit of solutions by stating its commitment to finding common solutions • Companies pilot CE solutions together and create initial collaborations and partnerships to pilot and test their possible solutions • The city provides resources for pilots and orders studies by research organisations to develop and share information | • The city evaluates the feasibility of the developed CE solutions based on its public procurement criteria |
Case B Centrally coordinated national CE ecosystem: Beverage packaging recycling | • Stakeholders identify their potential CE ecosystem benefits and approach the hub to apply for ecosystem membership • The hub selects all stakeholders meeting the ecosystem's requirements | • The hub shares information about the ecosystem's benefits through versatile marketing and learning materials via its website and the media • The CE ecosystem is embedded in national institutions and culture, making it visible and self-evident to potential stakeholders | • The hub balances differing stakeholder interests in regular meetings between key stakeholders, some of whom own the hub • The hub mobilises all stakeholders in the co-development of the CE ecosystem • The hub builds trust among stakeholders by providing common guidelines • Stakeholders share confidential information (trade secrets and legal aspects) with the mutually trusted hub | • The hub collects operative information and shares it with, for example, the regional authority • The regional authority (based on the hub's reports) approves and enables fulfilling part of the stakeholders’ interests (e.g., economic and tax exemptions) |
Case C Centrally coordinated global CE ecosystem: Sustainable fast-food business | • The fast-food company (hub) identifies stakeholders that fit its operations and are needed for its value chains • The hub prioritises and selects potential stakeholders based on their sustainability requirements, long-term relationship potential, aligned values, and economic impacts | • The hub reaches prioritised stakeholders through joint research projects, industry associations, and broad marketing of solutions and values • The hub promotes the CE goal by stimulating general discussion and awareness of food sustainability in society | • The hub builds long-term relationships through mutual learning and initiation of circular stakeholder projects • The hub actively encourages individual stakeholder group representatives to share their CE ideas via a digital platform • The hub commits stakeholders with non-aligned interests by educating and disseminating information about CE practices | • The hub evaluates the outcomes based on its sustainability and economic criteria |
Case D Self-organised regional CE ecosystem: Public-private collaboration for a shared good | • Engaged companies utilise their contacts and knowledge to identify stakeholders with compatible resource flows • Public organisations identify potential stakeholders based on the known needs of the CE ecosystem | • Public organisations market the CE ecosystem’s brand to the identified potential regional and national stakeholders • Engaged companies spread knowledge to potential stakeholders by word-of-mouth | • Stakeholders rely on their personal contacts, history, and mutual trust, organically deepening their circular collaboration • Public organisations regularly discuss with companies their issues, seeking solutions and resources to solve them (e.g., legal support and funding) | • Stakeholders evaluate the engagement process outcomes against their individual interests |
Case E Self-organised national CE ecosystem: Nutrient recycling | • Interested individuals in stakeholder organisations: • Identify potential and known stakeholders • Prioritise and select stakeholders with CE goal-related operations (e.g., material processing) | • Forerunner organisations actively communicate the CE goal to their closest stakeholders; the communication proceeds in a snowball manner • Expert and authority organisations promote and justify the CE goal to all the potential stakeholders • Regional and national public experts and educational organisations share the latest development steps towards the CE goal to attract potential stakeholders (e.g., by organising various events) | • Facilitator organisations (e.g., interest groups, research organisations, ministries, and regional
development organisations) initiate networking opportunities (e.g., seminars and workshops) • Facilitator organisations manifest the CE goal to companies, entrepreneurs, consumer-citizens, and each other through the promotion of CE goal agendas, roadmaps, and informative campaigns • Stakeholders involve each other in inclusive, direct, proactive two-way cross-sector dialogues, disseminating successful practices, user experience, and expert knowledge | • Research organisations, ministries, and interest groups review the development towards the CE goal • Other stakeholders evaluate the engagement process outcomes against their individual interests |
Case F Self-organised national CE ecosystem: Environmentally sustainable construction sector | • Facilitator organisations acquire knowledge about the stakeholders’ needs • Engaged stakeholders identify potential stakeholders by organising seminars, meetings, projects, programmes, and other events | • Facilitator organisations inform and invite potential stakeholders to seminars and workshops promoting the CE goal • Facilitator organisations create platforms for potential stakeholders to come together and develop the ecosystem and its offerings • Legislative developments push stakeholders to collaboratively seek sustainable solutions (i.e., the CE goal) | • Stakeholders interact continuously through, for example, digital tools, platforms, seminars, joint projects, and co-development of CE solutions • Public organisations’ procurement engages stakeholders in introducing CE solutions • Research and education organisations support stakeholders’ ability to pursue CE goals by providing and disseminating CE knowledge • Stakeholders within the same value chains and/or projects learn from one another through co-development projects | • Project owners and stakeholders not involved in the projects evaluate each project according to their individual interests • Stakeholders compile strategies, reports, and publications, indicating CE development and engagement |