Twenty-fourth International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations

Abstract

Ecosystems have become a central focus in sustainability transition research and policy making. Circular ecosystems focus on co-producing and shared value creation as a set of actors, where the number, nature, and relationships of actors play a decisive role. This research aims to increase understanding about relational dynamics and value creation flows and practices in circular ecosystems. To increase knowledge about circular industrial ecosystems requires a close examination of regional ecosystems that seek to achieve system-level outcomes. With this qualitative research we explore the circular industrial ecosystems of electric vehicle battery metals as they are emerging and developing, and the actors and the intertwinement of resource flows in a regional circular industrial ecosystem. The empirical study is conducted in Kokkola, Finland. The empirical data comprises interviews, online research, and participant observation during workshops. This research brings new knowledge firstly about the contextual factors that shape the flows and the management of a regional circular industrial ecosystem and secondly of how value is created in the circular industrial ecosystems of electric vehicle battery metals.