Bern User Forum 2023 report

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  1. Bern User Forum on Cicular Economy

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The Bern User Forum on Circular Economy was held at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, which is one of the leading institutions of applied sciences in Switzerland. The university offers a diverse range of programs in engineering, architecture, business, social work, and health sciences. The forum attracted participants from various sectors, with 99% of them being Swiss nationals and highlighted the growing importance of circular economy in addressing the world’s sustainability and challenges and provided a platform for attendees to share their experiences and ideas.The event was conducted in German, reflecting the language preference of the participants. It started at 8:30 am and concluded at 5:00 pm, after which the attendees left the venue.

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The forum was held in lecture format, and some participants were difficult to interview during the brief breaks between lectures.

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By midday, only five interviews had been conducted. However, the situation improved in the afternoon when attendees stayed in the break room during the lectures and engaged in discussions, which allowed to conduct 16 interviews in total. Unfortunately, three interviews were cut short because the interviewees felt they were not able to answer the questions well.

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In total, 13 full interviews were conducted, of which 7 were in English and 6 were in German, as some interviewees felt more comfortable expressing themselves in German.

Consideration:
All the interviewees had a clear understanding of circular economy and were able to explain it in their own words. The interviews were substantive, and the knowledge level of the interviewees was high, despite this being the first forum of its kind. The high level of knowledge demonstrated by the interviewees indicates a growing awareness and interest in circular economy in Switzerland.

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The Circular Economy, From Theory to Practice, in Bern
Edgeryders finds growing awareness and interest in the circular economy in Switzerland

Organized by the Bern University of Applied Sciences — one of Switzerland’s leading institutions of applied sciences — and Prozirkula — who advise public procurement agencies on integrating circular economy into their tenders — the Bern User Forum on Circular Economy highlighted the growing importance of circular economy to address sustainability, and provided a platform for attendees to share their experiences and ideas.

“Circular economy is on everyone’s lips,” the organizers say, “We are overusing the earth’s resources and ability to regenerate. The circular economy offers promising approaches for a new production and consumption method.”

Edgeryders attended the event and interviewed thirteen participants applying its Semantic Social Network Analysis (SSNA) research. All interviewees showed in-depth knowledge of the circular economy, indicating a growing awareness and interest in the circular economy in Switzerland. The interviews were substantive, and the interviewees’ knowledge was high despite this being the first forum of its kind.

Presenters discussed business models, resource efficiency, procurement, ecodesign, value streams, and waste prevention. Through lecture-style presentations, participants brainstormed “solutions that make optimal use of resources and allow those resources to be recovered following their use, in a sustainable, circular, value-added cycle.”

Other forum partners included Smart City Berlin, Standortforderung Bern, City of Bern, Siemens, Kastli, BEKB BCBE, Emch+ Berger, and Circular Economy Switzerland.

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