In February, Messe München and CIRCULAZE launched bgreen leaders – THE business network for circular economy. The initiative is designed to empower corporate decision-makers, investors, and startups alike by offering a year-round program of online and offline formats, exclusive benefits, and special offers. We are thrilled about the strong start and the significant growth in membership since then, and we can’t wait to expand the community even further in 2025. You can already look forward to a unique and valuable program in 2025!
bgreen leaders Dinners
Over the year we hosted four bgreen leaders dinners in Munich, Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin on a variety of highly relevant topics.
We kicked off the series at The Hoxton in Berlin with an exciting evening on “Government Briefing: Germany’s National Circular Economy Stategy (NCES)” presented by Dr. Florian Kammerer, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).
In Munich we gathered during IFAT on the topic of “Energy Transition and Carbon Circles: System Transformation, Ecosystems, Virtuous Cycles and Success Stories” brought to the guest by Verena Cordes from Ventilatorenfabrik Oelde GmbH.
At the TORTUE in Hamburg we heard a phenomenal impulse by Marie-Christine von Hahn, Vice President Corporate Sustainability & External Affairs at Aurubis on “Circular Economy and the Future of Sustainable Resource Management”.
And in Cologne we gathered at the Office of Capnamic where Christoph Nützel, Head of Technology and Data & Analytics at Futurice, delivered an insightful keynote on “The Interaction of Circularity and Artificial Intelligence”.
bgreen leaders at IFAT and at electronica
This year, bgreen leaders had the opportunity to participate in exclusive events at two world-leading trade fairs.
The first bgreen leaders Day took place in May at IFAT in Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for environmental technologies, and it exceeded all our expectations. The event featured an inspiring panel discussion with Dr. Johannes F. Kirchhoff (Managing Partner of Kirchhoff Group and Board Member of the BDI Circular Economy Initiative), Stefan Rummel (CEO of Messe München), and Natascha Zeljko (Co-Founder of CIRCULAZE) on “The Value of Networks, the Necessity of Collaborations, and Entrepreneurial Responsibility.” This was followed by a guided tour of leading companies in circularity, such as PreZero, Remondis, and Container Grid, and an inspiring exchange with Dr. Nina Fechler (Evonik) and Dr. Caroline Cassignol (Siemens) on “Circularity Now! How Circular Models are Transforming Key German Industries: Best Practices, Blueprints, Strategies, and Potentials.”
At the start of bgreen leaders Day at electronica in November, Merlin Reingruber from Mayerhofer Elektronik delivered impactful insights on how the circular economy can foster a resilient and socially responsible future for the electronics industry. The subsequent startup pitches and an exchange with Corinna Wolf (Infineon) and Anne Lauenroth (BDI) on “Decoding the Carbon Footprint” provided further deep insights. The event concluded on a high note with a guided tour of top exhibitors, including HARTING Technology Group, Delta Electronics, and Phoenix Contact.
CIRCULAZE Summit & Night 2024
A thousand words couldn’t capture the incredible atmosphere at CIRCULAZE Night & Summit 2024! Over 350 guests and 50 speakers convened in Munich on November 5th and 6th to celebrate pioneers in the circular economy and explore new pathways toward sustainability. With inspiring keynotes, impactful discussions, and dynamic networking, CIRCULAZE Night & Summit 2024 showcased the future of circular innovation across industries. Congratulations to the Top 22 Start-ups and the Top Company recognized for their groundbreaking work in the circular economy! Read the full recap here.
CIRCULAZE On Tour
This field trip series aims to provide a behind-the-scenes look at flagship projects in the circular economy.
In March, we visited Quantron, the winner of last year’s Circular Company Award 2023. The visit highlighted Quantron’s pivotal role in driving the principles of a circular economy through the transformative power of hydrogen.
In October, we embarked on the second “On Tour” trip of 2024, focusing on innovative solutions and circular economy practices in the construction industry. This time, we visited Drees & Sommer, a globally operating company that develops solutions for efficient, sustainable infrastructures and livable cities by combining economic efficiency with ecological responsibility.
During the visit, we had the unique opportunity to explore the groundbreaking concept behind their own building, OWP12. This project sets new benchmarks for clients and demonstrates how BIM (Building Information Modeling) and Artificial Intelligence are revolutionizing the green transformation of the built environment.
CIRCULAZE Digital Events
Because our community is spread across the globe, we naturally offer regular online events as well. In 2024, a total of 19 webinars, exchanges, and virtual trend tours took place – wow! And you showed up in great numbers every time.
Your favorite event was the Virtual Trend Tour on Plastics & Packaging, featuring insights from leading startups in this field, including Cirplus, Vytal, Bloom Biorenewables, and Sykell.
Your second highlight was the exchange on “Getting Circular in the Fashion Industry” with Serena Bonomi, Design Strategy & Innovation Advisor for the Circular Economy (formerly with Zalando, VF Corp, and BMW Group).
Equally well-received was the exchange on “Greenwashing” with Stefanie Kuhnhen, CSO and Partner at Serviceplan Agencies.
A big thank you goes out to all our members, supporters and partners. We can’t wait for an amazing and inspiring 2025 with you!
Your CIRCULAZE and bgreen leaders Team <3