Collaboration is at the center of circular business models

This article originally was published on Circle Economy. 

Arguably, the terms “business” and “collaboration” may appear contradictory — even oxymoronic — placed in the same sentence.

Traditionally, business has been based on competitive self-interest, driven by disparate purposes: “The pursuit of competitive advantage is ingrained in the managerial psyche.” But while collaboration seems to work against the core principles of “doing business,” the last decade has seen a revolution of sorts:

As sustainability concerns are increasingly given a platform on global corporate agendas, collaboration has emerged as both an enabler and a necessity. And in the business-to-business arena, working together is slowly becoming more prominent. Collaboration is a key factor in the transition to a resilient, just and circular economy, according to previous Circle Economy research. Yet the processes behind collaboration formation — and the factors that spur…

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