Optimizing circularity – with the URBAN MENUS CircularityOptimizer
When urban development, industry, and natural systems are considered in an integrated way and “work together,” significant progress can be made in the field of the circular economy.
The URBAN MENUS CircularityOptimizer makes this possible. This combined software solution was developed within an international R&D project led by BUSarchitektur, in which AEE – Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE INTEC) and akaryon, represented with the ESG Cockpit, participated.
Steering circular economy impact already in the planning phase
Here, 3D urban planning is combined with impact analysis, enabling not only the development of scenarios but also simultaneous evaluation of the ecological, economic, and social impacts generated by new combinations of circular economy technologies.
Within pilot applications in Austria – in the pioneering energy technology region of Gleisdorf – and China, the URBAN MENUS CircularityOptimizer has already demonstrated how decision-makers can be supported in a user-friendly way in planning and managing resilient circular systems – data-driven, interactive, and impact-oriented.
An example of successful further development and combination of core innovations
The circular economy requires the effective integration and, where necessary, adaptation of existing technologies. The URBAN MENUS CircularityOptimizer demonstrates that this also applies to the tools used to accomplish this task.
As part of the project, the existing ESG Cockpit was specifically further developed and expanded for this particular use case. It now enables the multi-criteria evaluation of circular economy scenarios, forming a central component within the CircularityOptimizer software ecosystem. Based on its established API architecture, it is integrated into this system and interoperably connected with other applications (circular technology catalog developed by AEE INTEC and software for participatory urban and regional planning in 3D URBAN MENUS by BUSarchitektur).
This meant that there was no need to reinvent the wheel: the ESG Cockpit already features a mature data infrastructure and stable workflows. As a result, sustainability factors and calculations can be continuously and up-to-date integrated into impact assessments via the CircularityOptimizer.
The result is an efficient, scalable overall approach that elevates and advances existing innovations to a new level.
The project Circularity Optimizer is funded under the bilateral TECXPORT-FTI Call of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) (Call 2023).