Digitalization is considered a key driver for the transition to a functioning circular economy—including in the plastics industry. Sophia Botsch, a scientist at the SKZ Plastics Center in the Plastics Industry Transformation Group, is focusing on this future-oriented topic as part of her doctoral research.

SKZ scientist Sophia Botsch (far right) at the EurOMA conference in Vienna. (Source: SKZ)

As early as 2024, she was honored with the prestigious “Digital Green Talent” award for her work in the fields of digitalization and sustainability. As part of this award, she participated in the international Digital Green Talent Summer School and, thanks to an associated scholarship, was able to spend three months conducting research at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU).

Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice

During her research stay at FAU, Sophia conducted an in-depth analysis of digital platforms in the context of the circular economy. Her research focuses on how data-driven networking—from plastic manufacturers to processors to recyclers—can enable more efficient material flows and new business models.

The theoretical insights gained there are now being directly incorporated into her doctoral research at the SKZ. Here, they are combined with practice-oriented research to generate concrete solutions for industry in the future. The SKZ thus offers ideal conditions for combining scientific excellence with industrial applicability.

A final highlight of her research stay at FAU was a joint visit with the Chair of Digital Industries to the EurOMA Conference in Vienna, one of the leading scientific conferences in the field of operations management and sustainable value creation. There, Sophia Botsch had the opportunity to present the results of her research stay to an international audience of experts and to gain valuable insights from both academia and industry. The interdisciplinary exchange and discussions with experts underscore the high relevance of digital platforms for the transition to a circular plastics economy.

Digital Platforms as the Key to a Circular Economy

Digital platform solutions can play a decisive role on the path toward a functioning circular economy. They create transparency regarding material flows, enable the traceability of plastics, and connect previously isolated market participants. This creates new opportunities for reuse, recycling, and closing material loops.

In her research, Sophia Botsch examines how different types of circular platforms—in particular, reusable packaging platforms, reuse and resale hubs, and data platforms—structure and combine resources to achieve network effects.

Across all platform types, it is evident that the standardization of materials, products, and data is a key prerequisite for interoperability and the successful networking of stakeholders. This is because significantly more stakeholders are interconnected within platforms than in traditional linear supply and economic relationships. To accelerate the spread of circular economic activities, supportive policy frameworks are therefore necessary.

SKZ Targets Scientific Development

The SKZ actively supports the personal and professional development of its employees—including through doctoral programs. The integration of research, industry projects, and international exchange enables young scientists to develop innovative solutions with direct practical relevance.

“I am very grateful for the support I have received both at the SKZ and through this award. The combination of in-depth scientific study and practice-oriented research gives me the opportunity to contribute to real solutions for a functioning circular economy,” says Sophia Botsch.

Through her doctoral research, she is making an important contribution to the transformation of the plastics industry toward greater sustainability and resource efficiency.