CIRKLA Summer School 2026: Circular Steel in Practice
From 7 to 11 September 2026, the 2nd CIRKLA Summer School “Green Metallurgy: Case Study Steel” brought an interdisciplinary group to Saarland University for a week of scientific exchange, industrial insight and applied work on circular steel systems.
An interdisciplinary cohort
The Summer School brought together 22 participants from 18 institutions across 10 countries, including Germany, Denmark, Armenia, Italy, India, Sweden, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Spain and Luxembourg.
The group represented a broad mix of PhD researchers, postdoctoral and other early-career researchers, as well as participants with professional and industry backgrounds. Their expertise spanned materials science, biotechnology, business administration and other fields connected to circular-economy research and practice.
A program linking circularity, steel and implementation
Professor Frank Mücklich opened the Summer School with a welcome and participant introductions, placing the event within the broader context of UniGR-CIRKLA and its work on circular materials. Short introductions to the participating projects and groups followed, including an overview of the MOWSES and Circular Saar projects.
Over the five-day programme, a series of contributions connected scientific knowledge, organisational change and practical approaches to circular economy:
- Professor Jörn Block from Trier University spoke about circular business models across industries, their challenges and success factors.
- Daniel Rupp from Dillinger Hüttenwerke AG presented “Power4Steel: Green Transformation and Circular Steel Production”, focusing on the transformation towards greener and more circular steel production.
- Dr. Philipp Reinhold from Saarland University addressed the legal framework and challenges of international trade in steel.
- Romain Trauchessec from Université de Lorraine examined iron- and steelmaking slags as construction materials.
- Simon Ferner from Saarstahl discussed the challenges involved in the transformation of aluminium-free steel grades.
The scientific and institutional perspectives were complemented on Wednesday by a visit to Dillinger Hütte, providing participants with direct insight into the regional steel industry and its transformation.
A Circular Innovation Hackathon led by Professor Christian Köhler of htw saar provided the practical backbone of the week. The case company was SHS - Stahl-Holding-Saar. Five participant groups worked on focus topics spanning offshore-wind monopiles, offshore-wind rotors, rails and low-carbon rail components, steel bridges, and automotive applications. Each group developed a circular-economy concept, mapped the actors and value-creation network needed for its implementation, and translated the concept into a business model for SHS.
The case study was particularly well received by the participants, with coaching sessions and interim pitches allowing them to test and refine their ideas throughout the week.
Looking ahead
Overall, participants described the 2026 Summer School as a highly positive learning experience, emphasising the value of interdisciplinary exchange, practical group work and direct contact with industry. Future editions may build on this by further refining the case-study component and exploring other topics across the circular economy, such as critical raw materials, waste streams, biotechnology and resource efficiency.