Enabling the Circular Economy: An Exploratory Study on Intellectual Property Challenges in Innovation Ecosystems

This paper explores circular economy related intellectual property (CEIP) challenges that actors in circular economy innovation ecosystems (CEIEs) face. Findings from a literature review are combined with empirical evidence from semi-structured interviews with different actors in CEIEs, including original equipment manufacturers as well as end-of-life solution providers of different company sizes and manufacturing industries. The main contributions of this paper to the literature are: (i) a preliminary framework to better understand IP challenges in CEIEs, (ii) a CEIP challenges framework which extends findings from the literature by categorising CEIP challenges mentioned in the conducted interviews and (iii) a visual mapping of CEIP challenges in the aerospace industry. © M. Wangrin, P. Vimalnath, F. Tietze. All rights reserved.

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