Product development based on circular economy principles can lead to environmental and economic benefits by addressing resource use in production–consumption systems. This inter-organisational process affects a business network's resources and can therefore entail challenges in the required collaboration and coordination. Based on the need to better understand how inter-organisational interaction enables business networks to address sustainability challenges, the aim of this paper is to investigate inter-organisational interaction in circular product development. The theoretical framework includes the Industrial Network Approach with a focus on resource interaction and adaptations. Moreover, the multi-level perspective for circular product development is explored, discerning micro, meso and macro levels applied in circular economy literature. The paper relies on a case study of circular product development with a focus on products' longevity and recyclability. Applying a multi-level framework of resource interaction highlighted adaptations in the business network and broader perspectives reflecting the systemic, complex nature of the business environment. The paper contributes to literature on industrial networks and circular economy by illustrating circular product development in business networks from a multi-level perspective. The findings demonstrate both minor and complex adaptations in the business network, and an understanding of the different roles of business and non-business actors. 

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore renting models for clothing items and their value creation logics with a basis in resource interaction.

Design/methodology/approachThe paper relies on a multiple case study of renting models pursued by start-up companies in the Swedish context. The cases cover fashion wear as well as outdoor clothing. The theoretical frame builds on the industrial marketing and purchasing approach to business markets with a special focus on resource interaction and value creation.

FindingsThe multiple case study provides the basis for identifying three categories of renting models: membership, subscription and individual item renting. The three models use different patterns of resource mobilisation, resource utilisation and resource combination to build their value creation logics.

Research limitations/implicationsA plethora of different business models for sharing resources will be needed in reaching sustainable development in the fashion context. Renting models is one such model for sharing resources that increase product usage but struggles with economic sustainability.

Practical implicationsThe paper offers implications for actors in the fashion industry and capital systems by considering renting models not as tech start-ups but as sustainable start-up business models in which investments require longer time frames before showing results.

Originality/valueFew studies have treated the variety of renting models for clothing items. Thereby this paper extends the literature by providing a categorization of such models and how they create value.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to analyse collaborative product development in business relationships as a means of achieving a circular economy in business networks.

Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical framework is based on the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing approach, which views companies as part of business networks, and identifies business relationships as the key building blocks of these networks. The methodology employed is a case study of a collaborative project within the denim industry.

Findings – The results show that the development of circular products has an impact on the broader business network of the two collaborating companies. This has implications for the wider business networks of the two collaborating companies, including supplementary process development.

Practical implications – The results of the study may be of use to companies that intend to develop circular business models and contribute to a more sustainable future in resource-intensive industries.

Originality/value – This research makes a contribution to the academic discourse on circularity by offering insights into the potential of circular business models in developing circular products through business relationships.

Under de senaste åren har vi sett ett ökat behov av att engagera aktörer från de ekosystem vi studerar. I denna presentation utforskade vi strategier för hur dessa aktörer framgångsrikt kan involveras under olika faser av forsknings- och projektgenomförande.

Vi inledde med en genomgång av varför det är viktigt att engagera ekosystemets aktörer och vilka fördelar det medför för både forskning och praktik. Därefter presenterade vi tre fallstudier där vi framgångsrikt hade samarbetat med ekosystemaktörer. Varje fall belyste olika metoder som hade använts för att främja engagemang: från samarbete vid projektansökningar, involvering under genomförande och fältarbete, till fullt engagemang från idéstadiet till implementering.

I den avslutande delen av presentationen ledde vi en diskussion kring utmaningarna med att uppnå meningsfullt engagemang från ekosystemaktörer. Deltagarna delade med sig av sina egna erfarenheter, och vi bidrog även med exempel på utmaningar vi stött på för vidare diskussion.

Research on circular product development has gained popularity in recent years. While such approaches focus on the product's design phase to create environmental and economic value, they lack in understanding the co-created and dynamic nature of a multifaceted system of actors important for the transition to circularity. The purpose is to explore how multi-level institutional re-configuration patterns influence resource integration and its associated value co-creation during circular product development in a service ecosystem. Responding to the need to address the applicability of Service-Dominant Logic to managerial practice, the paper relies on a single case study of circular product development involving B2B actors in a supply chain for workwear garments in healthcare. Data was collected using participant observation during an innovation project lasting 1,5 years. The data, which was supplemented by semi-structured interviews and online queries, was analysed through coding, condensation and interpretation. The findings demonstrate the importance of interdependencies between institutional re-configuration patterns and the interrelatedness of the micro, meso and macro levels in a service ecosystem as these enable value co-creation opportunities during circular product development. For practitioners, the paper provides an understanding of how to manage enablers and barriers arising during circular product development through institutional work.

Purpose

Amidst offshoring and reshoring trends, the purpose of this paper is to explore why business practitioners, especially from the labour-intensive clothing industry, choose to manufacture some products in proximity to the high-cost European market. Moreover, the rise of sustainability concerns led us to further explore whether these reasons relate to triple bottom line (TBL): business, environment and society.

Design/methodology/approach

The content analysis was adopted for within-case and cross-case analysis of data from semi-structured interviews of managers from 12 clothing companies.

Findings

Within-case analysis showed enablers and barriers (factors) of proximity manufacturing within each company’s characteristics under TBL. Cross-case analysis showed the most-mentioned enablers (high-quality suppliers, short lead-time and fast replenishment) and barriers (expensive production cost and lack of industrial set-up and seamstresses). The findings revealed both common and different factors from existing studies.

Research limitations/implications

Besides being motives for companies to bring manufacturing back to Europe, the results can be used by researchers and companies to develop criteria and performance measures of manufacturing locations for enhancing the TBL sustainability. Future research may explore different locations and industries for possibilities of proximity–manufacturing generalisation.

Social implications

Findings show that governments could focus on eliminating barriers of proximity manufacturing and creating favourable institutional infrastructure for the European clothing industry and sustainability.

Originality/value

This paper highlights updated proximity–manufacturing factors from practices in relation to TBL sustainability, including support for proximity manufacturing as a practice for TBL enhancement.