SuFiRe researches circular economy in manufacturing
SuFiRe (Towards a Sustainable Finnish Re-manufacturing Industry) is a multidisciplinary research project that brings together leading Finnish universities and industrial partners to develop practical strategies for sustainable manufacturing.
At the heart of the project is the European Union’s Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting requirements, both of which are expected to significantly impact how products are designed, manufactured, and reported across Europe. This is a big regulatory shift for the manufacturing sector, and therefore the project want to explore how to turn this change into a competitive advantage.
The SuFiRe project is structured around three core work packages:
Regulatory landscape impact analysis – examines how the ESPR will affect Finnish companies and provides feedback to national policymakers regarding implementation.
Value creation via circular business models – here researchers are working directly with companies to redesign business processes around circular principles such as repairability, reusability, and lifecycle extension.
Values-based change leadership – recognizing that organizational change starts with people, this work package focuses on aligning leadership strategies with employee values to reduce resistance and boost engagement.
“What’s exiting with SuFiRe is that it integrates perspectives on environmental governance, circular business models, and values-based change leadership ,” says Maria Smeds Engström, Green Transition Program Manager at Mirka. “In that sense we’re not just studying change—we’re helping to lead it as well.”
The initiative is led by Turku University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with Åbo Akademi University and includes companies such as Mirka, Solving, Amada Automation Europe, and Nordic Lights. The project runs through 2026 and will produce tailored strategies for participating companies, policy recommendations, and open-access tools for broader industry use.
Follow the project here