The Resilience-to-Growth Circularity Playbook for Industrial Solutions and Manufacturing

Circularity is no longer only an environmental priority. Its strategic importance is increasingly driven by economic competitiveness, growth, resilience and resource security amid supply-chain volatility and geopolitical tensions that expose the vulnerabilities of linear production models.

This shift is reflected in the 2026 Circularity for Competitiveness and Resilience Executive Survey by the World Economic Forum and Bain & Company: 80% of executives say circularity matters to their business today, expected to rise to 94% within three years.

For most companies, the question has shifted from why circularity matters to how to scale it. Yet a persistent gap remains between ambition and execution, with progress constrained by cost, operational complexity, limited visibility and fragmented ecosystems.

The Resilience-to-Growth Circularity Playbook for Industrial Solutions and Manufacturing offers a practical path forward. Developed by the Sectoral Taskforce within the World Economic Forum’s Circular Economy Transformation initiative, it sets out a three-step framework: quantify risk exposure; codify high-value circular moves; and amplify through key enablers. Together, these steps will help leaders translate circularity ambitions into action and durable competitive advantage