"There is increasing recognition within business that our systems of production and consumption need to be fundamentally transformed and that the industrial processes that provided the means for rapid growth and human development are no longer fit for purpose. This module considers sustainability and the circular economy concept. Sustainability encompasses society, the environment and economy, while circularity considers how to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, and progressively decouples economic growth from the consumption of finite resources. Together, these shape future innovation agendas for new technologies, processes, services and business models, changing how we produce and how we consume. Instead of an economy driven by a linear model of 'take, make and dispose', a circular model is envisioned that designs out waste and allows materials to safely re-enter the biosphere or continue to circulate as high-quality production resources. This requires organisations to come up with innovative production and consumption models that are based on longevity, renewability, reuse, repair, upgrade, refurbishment, servitisation, capacity sharing and dematerialisation. Consumers and producers need to extract as much value from those resources in the most effective way possible, and then recover and regenerate those materials and products at the end of that particular useful life if possible, and the idea is to create a circular economic structure in terms of production and consumption. In pursuing this sustainable development and circular economy agenda, businesses have to rethinking products and services as well as customer value propositions."

Consumption as the Dominant Social Paradigm. Sustainability as Megatrend. From linear-take-make-waste to circular business models. Theories of value and value co-creation. Alternative consumption practices, circular business models. Servitization, Innovation for Circularity.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: Critically debate the challenges posed by the Dominant Social Paradigm in achieving sustainability in production and consumption. Apply a market systems perspective and life cycle thinking to identify the core tenets of linear and circular economies. Evaluate dominant and emerging paradigms of value [co]creation. Assess the potentiality of different approaches in transitioning to a circular economy, including for example, resource and waste management, disruptive innovations, alternative consumption practices and circular business models. Develop an alternative approach to existing business models and/or consumption practices in a predefined context that improves circularity.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: Appreciate the complex interrelationship between sustainability, society, and consumer dynamics in advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

The module will be based on experiential and collaborative learning with a strong emphasis on case based learning. Students will engage through discussion, debate and action research with course course and materials. The introduction of different theoretical framings to discussion and debate will enhance students' curiosity as well as their abilities to articulate responsible approaches and courses of action.