{"id":77412,"date":"2025-07-01T00:03:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T04:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=77412"},"modified":"2025-07-01T00:03:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T04:03:45","slug":"can-digitalization-accelerate-the-transition-to-a-circular-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/can-digitalization-accelerate-the-transition-to-a-circular-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"Can digitalization accelerate the transition to a circular economy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We are consuming and depleting the planet’s resources<\/a>\u00a0at an ever-increasing pace\u00a0. To address this problem, the need to abandon the traditional linear model based on producing, using, and throwing away has emerged in recent years, replacing it with a new production model: the circular economy, based on reducing the amount of resources used and reusing them. But what role does digitalization play in this paradigm shift?<\/p>\n

Recent research<\/a>\u00a0analyzes how digital technologies can help European countries move toward a more sustainable model. The results are revealing:\u00a0countries with greater digital development tend to improve their circular performance<\/a>\u00a0. In other words, digitalization and circularity go hand in hand.<\/p>\n

The challenge: using resources without depleting them<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The problem of overproduction requires an urgent solution.\u00a0Global demand for natural resources<\/a>\u00a0is growing relentlessly, and a large portion of them are not regenerated. By 2030, more than 9 billion people are expected to share a planet with very clear physical boundaries.<\/p>\n

In this context, the circular economy proposes an economic model that reduces waste, extends\u00a0product life<\/a>\u00a0, and reincorporates materials into the production cycle. In contrast to the wastefulness of the traditional model, it focuses on efficiency, sustainability, and regeneration.<\/p>\n

Consequently, initiatives such as the\u00a0European Green Deal<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0EU Circular Economy Action Plan<\/a>\u00a0have gained prominence. But, beyond policies, it is necessary to understand what factors facilitate\u2014or hinder\u2014the transition to this new model.<\/p>\n

Can technology help us?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Although it might seem that sustainability and technology are antagonistic concepts, the reality is quite different.\u00a0Digitalization<\/a>\u00a0\u2014understood as the integration of digital technologies into social and economic processes\u2014can be a powerful ally for the circular economy. From sensors that track materials to reuse platforms, including artificial intelligence systems that optimize\u00a0production and consumption processes<\/a>\u00a0, digital applications open up new avenues for closing production cycles and reducing waste.<\/p>\n

But how does this relationship play out in practice? Are the most digitalized countries really closer to achieving a circular economy?<\/p>\n

Four types of countries, four levels of circularity<\/strong><\/h4>\n

To answer these questions, the study analyzed the 27 countries of the European Union, grouping them based on their performance in the following key areas for the circular economy: production and consumption, waste management, use of secondary raw materials, and innovation. Based on this classification, four groups of countries were identified:<\/p>\n