IARC2023 in Geneva
Sustainability through Innovation
Organized by ICM the International Automotive Recycling Congress 2023 (IARC) took place from 21th to 23rd June 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland. The 22nd Congress was themed “Sustainability through Innovation” and brought together leading experts, industry representatives and environmentalists from around the world to discuss the current challenges and future perspectives of automotive recycling.
It was a valuable terrain for our research in the context of event ethnography because of the possibility to investigate among the experts in the sector and continue with the cross pollination of expertise approach.
Among some of the interesting quotes from the interviews:
The IARC has established itself over time as a global meeting place for professionals from different countries who are trying to make the automotive industry more sustainable and find innovative solutions to the challenges of waste management.
One of participants, working long time in recycling industry, said:
New ideas and best practices that could help the entire industry find new opportunities were also presented during the three-day congress.
The congress program covered many topics related to automobile recycling. Participants had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of discussions, presentations and workshops on innovative recycling technologies, developing circular supply chains, promoting green practices, efficient resource management and sustainable procurement, and so on.
Among other things, for example, a new method was presented of how pollutants can be efficiently removed from old vehicles and recycled for more environmentally friendly vehicle disposal.
Various companies from all over the world were able to present their latest technologies and solutions in the exhibition hall.
Here, the congress participants had the opportunity to find out about the latest innovations such as the use of recycled materials in automobile production, the development of electric vehicles with a long service life and the efficient recycling of batteries.
In addition to the formal programme, IARC 2023 also provided ample opportunities for networking, discussions, the exchange of ideas and the formation of new business connections.
A platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation
The International Automotive Recycling Congress 2023 in Geneva undoubtedly made an important contribution to increasing the importance of automobile recycling and demonstrated the potential of innovative approaches.
As one of the participants said:
IARC also acted as a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious automotive industry. It is now up to the participants and the industry itself to translate the knowledge gained into concrete actions to enable a sustainable future.
A couple of considerations on our research:
Held for the 22nd time, the IARC brought together several hundred experts, decision makers and environmentalists to report on the latest technology developments and look for new ways and ideas in automotive recycling. The congress took place in lecture form. However, there was a small exhibition hall with the stands of various companies in which the breaks between the lectures and discussions were held.
I was then able to interview a total of 32 people, most of whom used the breaks to network or initiate new business connections. Everyone knew what the term circular economy meant, although a few interviewees had difficulty putting it in their own words. The audience was very international.
The transcripts are in the working part of the forum.