Engineering Circularity 2026

Engineering Circularity 2026

On June 9–10, 2026, Automotive Circle’s conference “Engineering Circularity” took place for the fifth time in Bad Nauheim, gathering an international audience of automotive sustainability experts. Now held under its new name, the conference further emphasized its in-depth focus on achieving circular economy solutions in the automotive industry.

Against the backdrop of the anticipated EU Circular Economy Act, the conference provided a platform to present the latest ideas, innovations, and progress reports in areas such as:

  • Achieving circularity of high-volume automotive materials and parts: plastics/composites, steels, light metals, rubber, glass
  • Efficient sorting as well as chemical and mechanical recycling processes of polymer and plastic materials
  • Non-downgrading, end-of-life recycling of steels and aluminium
  • Enhancing the availability of high-quality post-consumer scrap
  • Efficient automotive battery recycling
  • Recycling of electronic materials, e.g. copper, rare earths, and magnets
  • Replacing or avoiding Raw Materials and Substances of Concern
  • Narrowing the loop – R-Strategy concepts beyond recycling and their application: Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recover
  • Smart design-for-dismantling vehicle architectures
  • Efficient data tracing and tracking across the vehicle life cycle

The conference addressed key questions including:

  • How must material streams between OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, material suppliers, and recyclers be organized?
  • How can end-of-life vehicles be efficiently dismantled to yield sorted, high-quality scrap materials or reusable parts?
  • How do vehicle architectures and material concepts need to evolve to foster circularity?
  • To what extent must vehicle or component properties be adapted when using secondary materials?

In 2026, Engineering Circularity was held in parallel with Automotive Interiors, creating valuable synergies between the two events. Participants were able to move freely between both conferences, benefiting from joint sessions, shared networking opportunities, and a combined exhibition.

While Engineering Circularity focused on concepts and solutions for implementing R-strategies, Automotive Interiors showcased forward-looking vehicle interior design concepts—highlighting the increasing importance of integrating circularity into interior development.

We would like to thank all participants, speakers, and partners for making the 2026 edition a great success.

Stay tuned for updates on upcoming Automotive Circle events and follow our hashtag for impressions and highlights: #ACEngineeringCircularity

Conference Agenda

Program is subject to change

Status as of: May 22, 2026

Participants

  • Automotive engineers and experts at OEMs and OES worldwide who are involved in sustainability-related decision making
  • Representatives of relevant academic and related institutes as well as other experts for sustainable industry solutions

  • :em engineering methods AG, DE
  • A Raymond EUR, FR
  • Aluminium Rheinfelden Alloys GmbH, DE
  • AMAG rolling GmbH, AT
  • Audi AG , DE
  • Autoneum Holding AG, CH
  • ARaymond EURL, DE
  • BIA Kunststoff- & Galvanotechnik GmbH & Co.KG, DE
  • BMW AG, DE
  • Certified Recycled Content CRC GmbH, DE
  • Covestro Deutschland AG, DE
  • Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, DE
  • Envalior Deutschland GmbH, DE
  • Fraunhofer -Institut für Schicht- und Oberflächentechnik IST, DE
  • Fraunhofer IWS Dresden Institut Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik, DE
  • Fraunhofer-IFAM Institut für Fertigungstechnik und Angewandte, DE
  • G-TEKT Deutschland GmbH, DE
  • Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH, DE
  • Hydro Extrusions Nenzing GmbH, AT
  • Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center GmbH, DE
  • Jaguar Land Rover Ltd.,UK
  • Kia Europe GmbH, DE
  • Kobelco Europe GmbH, DE
  • Layer Performance GmbH, DE
  • Mitsubishi Motor R&D Europe GmbH, DE
  • Nissan Motor Co, JP
  • Objective Partner AG, DE
  • Plastics Recyclers Europe, BE
  • Renault Group, FR
  • SEI Automotive Europe GmbH, DE
  • Sika Services AG, GB
  • Tata Steel, NL
  • Thatcham Research, FR
  • Toyota Motor Europe, BE
  • Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA, BE
  • TU Braunschweig  Institut f. Füge-und Schweisstechnik, DE
  • Volvo Car Corporation, SE

Status as of: June 5, 2026

International OEM Advisory Board

Mike Herbig

Audi AG

Dr. Christoph Haberling

Audi AG

Ilya Popov

Ford Werke GmbH

Timo Unger

Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center GmbH

Luke Birch

Jaguar Landrover (JLR)

Yohei Bito

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Jens Thomer

Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG

Dr. Isotta Cerri

Toyota Motor Europe

Simon Buckingham

Volvo Cars

Dr. Linnea Petersson

Volvo Trucks

Exhibition & Sponsoring

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Your Contacts

Dr. Dirk Meine

Presidium

+49 511 9910-319

Frauke Haentsch

Director Sales

+49 511 9910-340

Amanda Beyer

Director Event Management

+49 511 9910-380