General information


Subject type: Optional

Coordinator: Julián Horrillo Tello

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 6

Teaching staff: 

Maria Armiñana Maristany

Teaching languages


L'optativa s'impartirà en català, però hi pot haver documents en castellà i anglès.

Description


The subject is based on providing students with (and putting into practice) knowledge about the Circular Economy, with the participation of several experts and professionals in the sector, to be able to incorporate knowledge about sustainability and the strategies they can apply in the his professional career. During the elective, an applied project will be carried out, with support from a tutor.

First, a theoretical sketch will be made on the circular / sustainable / social economy, and later several activities and presentations will be made where the students themselves can generate the knowledge for future application in their professional itineraries and/or in other activities academics they are taking.

The subject will also allow you to obtain the guidelines to be able to incorporate the circular vision in the TFGs, thus being able to qualify for the Tecnocampus Circular End of Degree Work awards.

Learning outcomes


This optional subject is proposed so that students have the opportunity to gain knowledge in the new paradigm of Circular Economy strategies as a vector of competitiveness and business resilience of the future.

Working methodology


Theoretical sessions
MD1. Master class: Expository class sessions based on the explanation of the
teacher attended by all students enrolled in the subject.

Guided learning
MD5. Seminars: Face-to-face training in small work groups (between 14 and 40). they are
sessions linked to the face-to-face sessions of the subject that allow one to be offered
practical perspective of the subject and in which student participation is key.
MD7. Case study: Dynamics that starts from the study of a case, which serves for
contextualize the student in a specific situation, the teacher can propose
different activities, both individually and in groups, among their students.

Contents


Topic 1: Starting context and motivating factors for change

- The consideration of the environment in economic thought (from Malthus to the ecological economy)
- Other inspiring contributions (cradle to cradle, biomimetic, industrial ecology...)
- Institutional milestones of sustainability
- The 2030 Agenda of the United Nations
- The European Policy
o Plans for the circular economy
or Green Deal
o Major community directives 
or Circular Economy Action Plan
- Barriers and drivers for the transition. 
- Economic instruments 
- The pressure of the markets

Topic 2. Basics of Circular Economy

- Concept of circular economy vs linear economy
- Scope and limits of the circular economy
- Technical and business perspectives in the Circular Economy
- Circular economy strategies and examples

Topic 3: Innovation for circularity

- Innovation: methods and tools, and how they apply to business circularization
- Design thinking and circular value proposal

Topic 4: Circularity of the product through Eco-design

- Product life cycle (loops) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) 
- Concept of eco-design and the need
- Strategies by product
- Strategies by service

Topic 5: Circularity applied to business models
  
- Economic growth and circular economy. Macroeconomic approach.
- New business models and business transformation: Business models based on the provision of services (servitization) and based on performance (performance) 
- Financing of circular business models and the concept of TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)

Topic 6: Business metrics in sustainability

- Evaluation of the Circularity level of a company or organization
- Indicators of circularity
- External non-financial (sustainability) reporting
- Internal reporting: the integration of sustainability objectives in business planning and management

Topic 7: Sectoral analysis of circularity

Learning activities


- Group seminars 

- Partial

- Subject test

- Final transversal project

Evaluation system


- Team work / Group seminars (25% of the grade)

- Theme test (5%)

- Individual / Partial seminar (20% of the grade) 

FINAL EXAM (50% of the grade) - Final transversal project

REFERENCES


Basic

https://archive.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/es/fundacion-ellen-macarthur/la-fundacion