The manufacturing industry is searching for ways to reduce its use of natural resources but at the same time remain a business and be competitive. Production companies have seen the possibilities ofcircularity in production, which could bring new business opportunities when steering production towards closed-loop production systems. This licentiate thesis is focused on production operations, a central function in the production company that directly creates value for the customer in the manufacturing stage. Previous research shows that circularity could work as a strategy for the production company to reach the UN Sustainable Development goals. Previous research has focused on circularity in theproduct development stage and the design of production systems.However, little literature has focused on how established production operations practically change from their current linear production to a circular production. This licentiate thesis investigates how the production operation works with circularity transition today, and in what ways the production operation is supported to reach circularity goals. To address thementioned literature gap, research studies have been carried out by production companies in Sweden. Findings from the studies show similarities between the investigated companies regarding the scope and definition of the adopted circularity strategy, lack of clarified goals and lack of strategies in managing the production towards the anticipated direction. However, based on common circularity principles adopted from literature and managerial data generated from company interviews, themes and concepts were discovered that could give general recommendations anddirections for production companies to accelerate the transition from linear to circular production. The findings from the empirically driven investigations provide valuable insights into how circular transition couldbe managed in practice and which obstacles may arise and be overcome.The main contribution is three main aspects, circular production strategy, management systems and standards, which are identified as the enginethat in close connection with production operations drives the circularity transition. The practical contribution of this thesis addresses the lack of practical guidance on how manufacturing companies actually couldachieve circular production. 

Tillverkningsindustrin söker nya vägar för att minska på sitt resursuttag men samtidigt bestå som företag och vara konkurrenskraftiga. Produktionsföretag har sett möjligheterna med cirkulär produktion. Nya affärsmöjligheter kan skapas genom att styra mot cirkularitetsmål. I fokus står produktionsverksamheten som direkt skapar värde för kund i tillverkningsskedet. Tidigare forskning visar på att cirkularitet kan vara en strategi för produktionsföretaget, särskilt i produktframtagning och i design av produktionssystem, för att nå målen om hållbar utveckling. Däremot finns det knappt någon forskning på hur en etablerad produktionsverksamhet gör för att ställa om från dagens läge till en cirkulär produktion. Den här licentiatavhandlingen undersöker hur produktionsverksamheten jobbar mot cirkularitet idag och hur verksamheten styrs för att nå cirkulära mål. För att adressera gapet mot tidigare forskning har forskningsstudier genomförts på produktionsföretag i Sverige. Resultat från studierna visar på likheter mellan de undersökta företagen när det gäller brist på omfattning och definition av den antagna cirkularitetsstrategin, brist på förtydligade mål och avsaknad av strategier för att leda produktionen i rätt riktning. Baserat på cirkularitetsprinciper som förekommer i litteraturen och information från företagsintervjuer, upptäcktes dock teman och koncept som kunde ge generella rekommendationer och riktning för produktionsföretagen till att påskynda övergången från linjär till cirkulär produktion. Resultaten från de empiriskt drivna undersökningarna ger värdefulla insikter om hur cirkulär övergång skulle kunna hanteras i praktiken och vilka hinder som kan uppstå och övervinnas. Det huvudsakliga bidraget med denna licentiatuppsats är de tre huvudaspekterna, cirkulär produktionsstrategi, ledningssystem och standarder som tillsammans med produktionsverksamheten driver den cirkulära transitionen. Det praktiska bidraget denna uppsats medför är välkommet då det saknas instruktioner till hur tillverkande företag faktiskt kan gå till väga för att nå en cirkulär produktion.

Production companies’ ambition to reach sustainable development goals, has resulted in a rapid strategic movement towards circularity in production. Previous studies have indicated that a transition to circular production is affirmed and a prioritised action. However, few studies describe how to operate a circular production, and how to perform the transition from linear to circular. To fill this gap, this paper aims to explore strategies for a seamless transition and to add new knowledge in this area. A multiple case study was employed for this purpose, based on production companies located in Sweden. Collected data were analysed by an inductive coding process. The coding process generated managerial themes that characterise the transition process in production operations. From the themes, three main incubators: management systems, standards and strategy, form together with drivers and blockers a framework called Integrated Circularity Management Systems (ICMS). The research presented in this study adds new knowledge to the field of circular production operations management as well as gives practical guidance for decision-makers in the manufacturing industry on how to initiate a circularity transition in an established production system.

In the context of increasing pressure for sustainable production practices, this paper proposes a framework for how production companies could operationalise circular economy principles. The focus is on the production organisation, and how production operations could contribute to strategic circularity change. Prior research has used the Green kaizen methodology to identify environmental aspects and circularity related to the input-output flow of resources at the production shop floor. However, this paper finds that a more comprehensive approach is required, involving all levels of the production organisation. First, the paper defines circular production principles for production operations, showing that these principles vary across different company levels. Operations and shop floor level principles tend to be closer to the production input-output system, whereas factory management level principles are more focused on information sharing and internal and external relations. The circular production principles followed a hierarchical organisational structure with a bottom-up drive, where the allocation of organisational resources increased as the level of the hierarchy increased. The study reveals parallels with Likert's management system, where green kaizen activities are suitable for the shop floor level, but business development requires authority exploitation. Secondly, the paper identifies four circularity impact factors that apply to all company levels. These factors enhance the practical utility and implementation of circularity aspects, making them applicable to all levels of the company. The framework for bottom-up escalation of circular production principles can be used as a roadmap or support for managing a circularity bottom-up transition work. The findings presented in this paper fill a knowledge gap regarding the organisational and managerial work required for circular production. Specifically, this paper addresses challenges related to circular production management, including the gap between strategic targets and operational-driven work. By proposing a comprehensive framework for operationalising circular production principles, this paper offers practical guidance for production companies seeking to transition to circular economy practices.

This paper explores the concept of green design in the context of production, focusing on investment projects for production equipment design and acquisition by a manufacturing firm. Research towards making manufacturing and production related activities more sustainable is increasing. In the manufacturing sector, environmental sustainability tends to be more commonly approached from the operations perspective. However, the decisions taken in the design phase of the production equipment significantly impact the operations phase. Therefore, proactive design approaches for sustainability applied in product design settings could be transferred to the design of the production equipment to build in green aspects from the outset. This study explores the research questions of what green production equipment design entails and how the concept of green design has evolved in the context of production. Overall, this conceptual paper highlights the importance of incorporating green design principles from the outset of the production design. Transferable methodological issues are also explored for further detailed investigation in the production equipment design context. Strong collaboration between equipment suppliers and the buying manufacturer that aims to integrate sustainability as part of requirements is proposed as an enabler for the way forward. The paper also provides insights into the evolution of the concept in this context for possible future research.

Increased demands for circularity in manufacturing industry put pressure on transformation in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Small-and-medium-sized-enterprises (SME)'s have an important role, supplying value chains with material and components for larger companies and original-equipment-manufacturers (OEMs). SME suppliers' net environmental footprint contributes to the OEM's overall footprint, however, SME suppliers are characterized by limited resources and competence to perform circularity activities. SME net environmental footprint consists of both production related targets combined with product related targets. Circular product performance evaluation have raised a demand for easy-to-use, self-assisting tools as a complement or substitute for standardised life-cycle-assessment (LCA) methods, often considered as costly with advanced calculations, and highlights the need for the development of accessible tools and guides that support the SMEs' circularity work. An established industrial tool based on previous research called the Green Performance Map (GPM), has successfully been used to assist circularity performance in production operations. This paper sets out to test the GPM tool in a new setting, addressing circularity in an extended value chain context, including three main areas; production and sourcing, product use and product end-of-life. The research presented is based on an in-depth case study with an interactive research approach and aims to explore how to reach a full value chain perspective on circularity in production. The result indicates that a joint and inclusive collaboration centred on the adapted GPM-tool, identifies and structures circular production principles as well as product use and end-of-life performance as a basis for evaluation. Findings from research study show that a comprehensive input-output tool could be used with limited competence and time, achieve increased employee awareness of circularity in the product value chain. This single case study brings a small empirical contribution to existing literature on SME circular production transformation, however it clearly shows on the urgency to evaluate circularity along the value chain in order to support a full industrial circular production transformation.

Circular economy is widely embraced as one major path towards sustainability goals by contributing to resource efficiency and reaching climate targets. The research need at hand lies in how to implement changes. To achieve a circular system, design for recirculation is advised when introducing new products and production processes. However, in practical applications it is a challenge to foresee the complex nature of a real circular production system with many stakeholders in a system in transition. Product systems are embedded in a use context, where the user is a key stakeholder. Collection and systematization of experience and ideas from the field is here a key. This research draws on the experiences of assessing and improve circulation in industrial practice deploying the Recirculation Strategies Decision Tree and the Eco-design-strategy-wheel. Through two case studies, practitioners have been supported in action to evaluate their products and production processes in term of circularity. Cases showed a process from current status and recirculation challenges to a more circular future state in production and end of life was scrutinized. As a result, emphasis differed between the two tools. The Eco strategy wheel supported product design phase with an engineering perspective, The Recirculation Strategies Decision Tree on end-of-life phase with a market perspective. Common for both tools was the dependency on user or operator’s handling. Outcome from this study is to emphasise the importance on social dimension in CE/user role in a circular product system. The interactive, user centered research with manufacturing companies is suggested for development to effectively close product loops

The Swedish strategic innovation programme, Produktion2030, is a national long-term effort towards global industrial competitiveness addressing Swedish industry’s transition towards climate goals of the European Green Deal while simultaneously realising smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 (I4.0). This paper investigated the extent of sustainability implementation and implications of I4.0 technologies through a nation-wide quantitative survey in Produktion2030’s 113 collaborative research projects. The analysis showed that 71% of the assessed projects included environmental aspects, 60% social aspects, and 45% Circular Economy (CE) aspects. Further, 65% of the projects implemented I4.0 technologies to increase overall sustainability. The survey results were compared with literature to understand how I4.0 opportunities helped derive sustainability and CE benefits. This detailed mapping of the results along with eight semi-structured interviews revealed that a majority of the projects implemented I4.0 technologies to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste in operations and incorporate CE practices in business models. The results also showed that Swedish manufacturing is progressing in the right direction of sustainability transition by deriving key resilience capabilities from I4.0-based enablers. Industries should actively adopt these capabilities to address the increasingly challenging and unpredictable sustainability issues arising in the world and for a successful transition towards sustainable manufacturing in a digital future.

The Swedish strategic innovation programme, Produktion2030, is a national long-term effort towards global industrial competitiveness addressing Swedish industry’s transition towards climate goals of the European Green Deal while simultaneously realising smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 (I4.0). This paper investigated the extent of sustainability implementation and implications of I4.0 technologies through a nation-wide quantitative survey in Produktion2030’s 113 collaborative research projects. The analysis showed that 71% of the assessed projects included environmental aspects, 60% social aspects, and 45% Circular Economy (CE) aspects. Further, 65% of the projects implemented I4.0 technologies to increase overall sustainability. The survey results were compared with literature to understand how I4.0 opportunities helped derive sustainability and CE benefits. This detailed mapping of the results along with eight semi-structured interviews revealed that a majority of the projects implemented I4.0 technologies to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste in operations and incorporate CE practices in business models. The results also showed that Swedish manufacturing is progressing in the right direction of sustainability transition by deriving key resiliencecapabilities from I4.0-based enablers. Industries should actively adopt these capabilities to address the increasingly challenging and unpredictable sustainability issues arising in the world and for a successful transition towards sustainable manufacturing in a digital future.