Designing and maintaining a product in such a way that it can be used for generations. The WILD Group sees circular economy as a clear mission and has devised lines of action for all its business units.

Make, use, dispose: This is how our linear economic system has functioned for around one and a half centuries. With all the negative side effects we are now increasingly beginning to feel. According to a study carried out by the European Commission, if we continue like this, in less than 30 years we will need three earths to cover our demand for resources.

But there is another way: Those who opt for a circular economy protect the environment and are less dependent on raw material supplies. Yet a circular economy can only function when perceived holistically and goes far beyond correct recycling. The underlying model incorporates the cycle of raw materials from the very beginning and involves the development and design of products with the longest possible service life, which are also easy to repair or upgrade. ”In essence, it‘s about achieving a product life cycle which is planned on the basis of these considerations. Those products must be developed and produced in such a manner that the user can work well with them for as long as possible“, stresses Stephan Payer, Head of Business Unit WILD Electronics.

Even if we are currently facing major global challenges, the WILD Group has decided to systematically address the issue of circular economy. It is a topic that is now really gathering pace and is also increasingly becoming the focus of the company‘s customers. WILD initially looked at the concept of circular economy based on the model of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, one of the leading think tanks in this area. It then derived specific lines of actions from the model, which can be summarised in a 4-stage plan.

STAGE 1 incorporates the sustainability strategy into the corporate culture of the WILD Group. Based on a common understanding of values, the notion of sustainability must be implemented in all levels of the company‘s sphere of activity. This has an impact on business models, product design and all processes along the supply chain. ”We take this responsibility seriously, we are putting circular economy on the same level as our very own corporate economics“, CEO Dr. Josef Hackl emphasises. ”Sustainable thinking must become self-evident in all departments. From development to packaging, all of our employees must keep the following question in the back of their minds: How can we succeed in maintaining a product in the innermost loop of the technical cycle for as long as possible, based on the Ellen MacArthur model?“, says Hackl. The implementation of this approach
takes place in a three-stage model:

STAGE 2 relates to the business model of the customer. ”When we are involved in a very early phase as contract developers, we can draw the customer‘s attention to the issue in many different ways. The product itself is not yet at the centre of our considerations. Instead, the focus is on the following questions: ”Would the ‚product as a service‘ model make sense for this customer? How could this cycle work? What is the situation regarding the service providers and the structure behind them? How is the consumables supply planned?“, says Stephan Payer.

In STAGE 3, WILD looks at product design. The primary objective is to reduce a product‘s CO2 footprint throughout its entire lifecycle. ”We already support our customers in the development phase, making sure that products can stay operational for as long as possible.“ For instance, components in a device are all designed to have the same life expectancy. A modular design is also important to ensure that any unavoidable wear parts can be replaced as quickly and easily as possible. As part of predictive maintenance, sensors can proactively support a proactive maintenance process.

When it comes to materials, developers also have a range of options at their disposal to design more sustainable products. New technologies such as 3D printing of grid structures support them in using less material. Another approach is to avoid mixing too many materials, so as to facilitate recycling at a later stage. In the design process, preventing dirt accumulation is just as important as providing for a simple product care. Avoiding sharp edges and using surfaces that are resistant to detergents is indispensable for a long product lifecycle. Products can also be made to last longer through additional features that can be provided via software upgrades or through easily replaceable hardware components. ”In those cases, in which we are also the product  manufacturer, we try to offer repairs and refurbishments as a service ”, adds Payer.

Last but not least, in STAGE 4 WILD uses a series of levers within its own supply chain to guarantee CO2-optimised production. ”This specifically concerns those areas which are 100 percent in our control“, stresses Josef Hackl. This ranges from seemingly trivial things, like optimised recycling of shavings and reusable packaging, to major investments, such as, e.g., a new photovoltaic facility. The latter will go into operation at the Völkermarkt site this summer and is expected to reach an output of more than 666 kWp.

”We are currently developing a comprehensive monitoring system that will provide us with reliable figures. As a result, sustainability will become a corporate objective with measurable requirements. In addition, the data will show that by focusing on environmental protection, we do not only live up to our social responsibility, but that many of these measures also make economic sense“, Hackl stresses. Because of all these measures, WILD is already prepared for tomorrow‘s customer needs and statutory and social requirements for environmental protection and sustainability. Furthermore, the technology partner is confident that sustainable management also generates competitive advantages, such as innovative development, quality and cost optimisation, company reputation, first-mover advantages and risk minimisation.