“Ohne kreislauffähige Werkstoffe keine Kreislaufwirtschaft (No circular economy without circular materials)”
This is the title of a recent interview with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Mücklich, published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. In it, he highlights the central role of materials in enabling the transition to a circular economy and shows how advances in materials science can significantly improve resource efficiency.
⚡ His key message is clear: products must be designed for circularity from the outset. Beyond conventional recycling, this means acting early in the product life cycle and ensuring that components remain functional, repairable, and reusable for as long as possible — following the principle of “slow down the loop”, implemented through strategies such as:
- Redesign: modular design enabling easy disassembly and material recovery
- Repair: simple, accessible repairs to extend product lifetimes
- Reuse: reuse of materials and components
💡 Materials science plays a key role in this transition. Prof. Mücklich applies laser-based processes to precisely tailor material structures, thereby enhancing functionality, performance, and durability.
🚀 Together with his team at the Universität des Saarlandes, he contributes to the UniGR-CIRKLA project: a case study analysing material flows in the Greater Region — examining how materials circulate across borders and what lessons can be drawn for improving recovery and reuse.
The CIRKLA Summer School, organised by the European School of Materials (EUSMAT), also offers a hands-on format designed to equip early-career researchers with the skills needed to develop sustainable solutions at the interface of science and industry.
