Eco-Holonic 4.0 Circular Business Model to Conceptualize Sustainable Value Chain towards Digital Transition

María Jesús Ávila-Gutiérrez, Alejandro Martín-Gómez, Francisco Aguayo-González and Juan Ramón Lama-Ruiz
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María Jesús Ávila-Gutiérrez: Design Engineering Dept, University of Seville, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Virgen de África 7, 41011 Seville, Spain
Alejandro Martín-Gómez: Design Engineering Dept, University of Seville, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Virgen de África 7, 41011 Seville, Spain
Francisco Aguayo-González: Design Engineering Dept, University of Seville, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Virgen de África 7, 41011 Seville, Spain
Juan Ramón Lama-Ruiz: Design Engineering Dept, University of Seville, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Virgen de África 7, 41011 Seville, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-32

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a circular business model based on an Eco-Holonic Architecture, through the integration of circular economy and holonic principles. A conceptual model is developed to manage the complexity of integrating circular economy principles, digital transformation, and tools and frameworks for sustainability into business models. The proposed architecture is multilevel and multiscale in order to achieve the instantiation of the sustainable value chain in any territory. The architecture promotes the incorporation of circular economy and holonic principles into new circular business models. This integrated perspective of business model can support the design and upgrade of the manufacturing companies in their respective industrial sectors. The conceptual model proposed is based on activity theory that considers the interactions between technical and social systems and allows the mitigation of the metabolic rift that exists between natural and social metabolism. This study contributes to the existing literature on circular economy, circular business models and activity theory by considering holonic paradigm concerns, which have not been explored yet. This research also offers a unique holonic architecture of circular business model by considering different levels, relationships, dynamism and contextualization (territory) aspects.

Keywords: circular economy; circular business model; holonic systems; activity theory; sustainable manufacturing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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