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In conversation with Tobias Stucki about the upcycling project ‘Pop-Up-Space’
We spoke to Tobias Stucki about his pilot project in the circular economy, the Pop-Up-Space at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) Business School. Tobias is co-director of the Institute for Sustainable Business and the MSc Circular Innovation and Sustainability programme.
Your research and teaching is focussed on the concept of the circular economy. What was the key moment that led you down this path?
I was initially involved innovation research for a long time, going on later to specialise in sustainable product and process innovation. Reflecting on the drivers and effects was a big part of this, and then the circular economy wasn’t such a big leap. The topic is highly relevant, and this was the key moment – especially in the area of sustainability, where it takes innovation to achieve the kind of impact we need!
How much is the topic of sustainability involved in teaching?
It’s a compulsory part of all business degrees, while the intensity depends on the relevant module in the bachelor’s and master’s programmes. One compulsory module at the beginning is then followed by further in-depth options. In the future, however, we want to integrate sustainability as an interdisciplinary subject everywhere. With the Master of Circular Innovation and Sustainability programme, the subject is of course the main focus. In my role as co-director of the programme, I structure the topics accordingly.
You've initiated a circular Pop-up-Space. What's the idea behind this?
We've got lots of spaces that are still a little old-fashioned in their design, and we need new spatial concepts – we want to move away from teacher-led learning and towards the flipped classroom, involving discussions and interactive work. With the new concept we want to reflect the topic of sustainability on campus and fulfil our duty as a university to lead by example. Students need to be able to see this being done in practice-based examples, and we want to show that sustainability can be cool.
How is the space used?
Currently there's this one room mainly being used for the master's programme. But the idea is to scale up to other spaces so the whole university can gradually be exposed to the concept. We used only existing furniture for the upcycling project, which was implemented during the course of the semester. Feedback on the approach taken by designer Björn Ischi has been very positive – the furniture is practical, and students can use QR codes on the tables to access more information about the project. This was a pilot run, but we’ve seen that the concept works.
To what extent can the space be used to teach the content of the degree programmes?
With those students focussing specifically on the area of circularity, we take a close and practice-based look at the subject, also visiting Girsberger as a manufacturer to hold workshops in collaboration with Björn Ischi.
»Transformation takes time. If we want to come anywhere close to achieving our environmental goals, we need to take bigger steps than we are today.«
Is there any basic guidance for implementing a circular economy in practice – in interior design and furniture making, for example?
Students only receive initial inspiration from us, and then they have to apply the knowledge they acquire about the circular economy to specific cases that they choose themselves. But it doesn’t have to be about furniture. It can also involve business models. They have to identify possible approaches based on the case they have chosen, and develop a concept around it – a circular economy can be anywhere!
To what extent are you involved in the planning of the Bern (2027) and Biel (2030) campuses in terms of the circular economy? Is the Pop-Up-Space also thought of as a trial area for this?
I don’t have much influence in this regard. It’s certainly being discussed at management level. The department has a representative, and there’s also an architect within the university who represents these interests in the project. We’ve made a general commitment to sustainable procurement. Ideally we’ll continue to use our furniture, and also scale up the concept of the circular Pop-Up-Space when it comes to the plans for the new campus project. Certain adjustments will undoubtedly be made where needed.
»In the final stage, a circular economy is a radical transformation. It affects the core of the entire economy, and I wish everyone was more courageous.«
Does the university have a circular business model that could offer practical guidance for interested companies?
We do want to promote these issues in the public domain, and we are providing assistance – but we have to avoid treading on any toes in the consulting world. Our goal is to achieve an impact based on the results of our research. We’ve developed a benchmarking tool, for example, to help companies compare themselves and see where they stand in terms of the circular economy. And last but not least, our graduates naturally go out into the business world and pass on the knowledge they’ve acquired.
Thank you for the interview!
Interview: Dorothea Scheidl-Nennemann
Images: Daniel Kuhn
