| dc.description.abstract | The Dutch government has set a goal to reach a circular economy by 2050. It is thus desirable to speed up the transition from a linear to a circular economy. To identify key processes in this transition, a success case of the circular economy strategy repair is studied: the Dutch automotive industry. One way to explain this success is with the Technological Innovation Systems (TIS) framework. TIS is a useful framework for measuring over time the key processes taking place in a transition. If one of the key processes is failing, hampering the transition, action can be taken to remove the barrier and speed up the transition. The application of TIS to the circular economy by Potting et al (2017), supplemented by the Mission-oriented Innovation System (MIS) is used to analyse the studied phenomenon. The required data was obtained using desk research and interviews. Two main motors of change were identified. The first motor was started by Ford around 1920, having an interest in prolonging vehicle lifetime to increase the diffusion of the car. To achieve this, Ford wanted to set up a repair system by opening a school for car mechanics, making the design of the car repairable and providing repair and maintenance information. The second motor started in 1985 when Europe decided to increase competition in the automotive repair industry with the introduction of the Block Exemption Regulation (BER). The current BER ensures competition by making spare parts, technical information and diagnostic equipment publicly available. To strengthen the circular economy strategy repair the Dutch government could write policy causing manufacturers to have an interest in increasing product lifetime. Additionally, the Dutch government could write policy for the legal availability of spare parts, repair and maintenance information and diagnostic equipment, to create a competitive aftermarket for products. | |
