Business strategy transition towards sustainability and circularity in manufacturing industries

Manufacturing industry needs to become more sustainable while remaining competitive globally. Manufacturing companies must take into consideration not just the economic goals, but also environmental and social impacts occur at all stages of operations. There is a need to integrate sustainability in the core functions of the company. This paper defines the first strategic goal setting steps, on the transition to make sustainability and circularity a crucial part of operational excellence in the manufacturing industry. The strategic sustainability and circularity should lead to product and process innovations, for ensuring manufacturers' sustainable future. This paper is answering the first research question of the ongoing project: How to develop and implement sustainability strategies for operational excellence, to have a positive impact in all three dimensions of sustainability? Several workshops and interviews have been done within the research consortium for creating understanding of appropriate strategy steps.