Susanne Kadner's journey from climate science to circular economy pioneer reveals a profound shift in how we approach environmental challenges. Rather than focusing on restrictions, circular economy offers a positive vision of innovation and redesign that gets people excited about change.

"Coming from climate mitigation, it was always about what we shouldn't do," Kadner explains. "The positive vision of circular economy—how to do things differently while being innovative—is a much better way to get people into action." This refreshing perspective helped her build the Circular Economy Initiative Germany at Acatech, bringing together over 120 experts to create Germany's first circularity roadmap.

Despite this policy success, Kadner grew frustrated with the slow pace of top-down change. Her transition to Unternehmertum, Europe's largest entrepreneurship center, marked a strategic shift toward implementation. As co-founder of Circular Republic, she now focuses on creating lighthouse projects that demonstrate circularity in practice through three pillars: Enable (capacity building), Act (implementation projects), and Inspire (communication).

The conversation explores the tensions between pilot projects and scaling, between theory and practice, and between sustainability and geopolitical arguments for circularity. Munich emerges as a uniquely positioned ecosystem for circular innovation, combining manufacturing heritage with startup culture and global corporate presence.

What distinguishes Circular Republic is its role as a neutral platform where companies, startups, academics, and policymakers collaborate without prioritizing any single stakeholder's interests. This ecosystem approach addresses the complex, interconnected challenges that no organization can solve alone.

Ready to move beyond theory and implement circular solutions in your organization? Connect with Circular Republic to explore how our ecosystem can accelerate your journey toward circularity and resilience.

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