Future Materials

Six of the nine planetary boundaries have been exceeded. Globally, the use of natural resources has tripled in the past 50 years, and in Sweden, we live as if we have the resources of four planets. Today's linear economic systems exploit the Earth's resources, leading to significant climate and environmental challenges. There is a pressing need for more concrete solutions that contribute to a circular system, effectively utilizing both raw materials and existing material flows. Through the program area Future Materials, Axfoundation brings together academia, businesses, and experts from the entire materials field to collectively find solutions for sustainable value chains and the circular utilization of natural resources.

Today's linear economy is built on short-term business logic that depletes the earth's resources. Axfoundation develops concrete solutions focusing on bio-based raw materials, waste streams, digital value chains, and the transition to a circular economy

The Issue

Since 1970, GDP has increased by 400%, significantly improving the standard of living for millions of people – but at the expense of the climate and environment. During the same period, the extraction of renewable and finite natural resources has tripled. Without swift, concrete solutions for sustainable resource use, material usage could increase by 60% by 2060. Currently, 70% of today’s climate impact is due to unsustainable resource use. A comprehensive transition is required for sustainable development, requiring practical solutions to reduce the material footprint while benefiting businesses.

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percent of all material value in the economy is lost after just a single usage cycle.

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percent of biodiversity loss is due to the extraction and processing of raw materials.

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percent of global water stress is due to the extraction and processing of raw materials.

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percent – that’s how much Sweden must reduce the use of virgin raw materials by 2050 to stay within planetary boundaries.

About the Program

In the Future Materials program area, Axfoundation develops solutions for future circular and resource-efficient material systems. Together with partners, we run pilot projects and innovations in practice, which, if successful, are scaled up and spread. Our projects focus on bio-based raw materials, waste streams, digital value chains, and a circular economy with the goal of accelerating the sustainable transition. We gather representatives from various parts of the materials sector: researchers, experts, suppliers, manufacturing and selling companies, entrepreneurs, industry organizations, and more. We delve deeply into retail, the food industry, manufacturing, and renewable energy, while also exploring other industries.

Material Shift & System Innovation

Axfoundation’s initiatives contribute to a material shift by replacing non-renewable and virgin raw materials (e.g., oil-based plastics) with sustainably produced and renewable raw materials (e.g., reeds, hemp, algae, or wool) early in the system. Our projects also adopt a system perspective, working with a range of actors across several system dimensions to remove barriers and strengthen the conditions for long-term scalable solutions. These dimensions include:

Technology, products, and processes
Policy and regulations
Physical and digital infrastructure
Business models and investments
Behavior change

Torsåker Farm, Axfoundation’s test farm and development center, is a valuable catalyst in our work.

Increased supply chain disruptions and a long-term increase in resource scarcity mean traditional linear business models are now riskier. Reducing material footprints and reliance on virgin raw materials while finding new business opportunities are key to a circular transition. At Axfoundation, we believe successful companies of the future will create value and profitability by being smarter in resource utilization.

– Hanna Hobohm Skoog, Programme Director, Future Materials

Successful Companies of the Future

To excel in the shift from today’s predominantly linear economic system, driven by short-term business logic, to a sustainable circular model, companies must lead the way. This transformation can, for example, involve ensuring that all byproducts of raw materials or production processes find commercial applications, or developing customer offerings where the company can capitalize on the same product multiple times, enabling the product to be used as long as possible in the economy. Achieving such successful, profitable, circular solutions requires collaboration across sectors and borders.

The pillars of a circular economy are:

Raw materials, materials, and products are utilized and reused for as long as possible in the economy, preserving as much value as possible.
The ecosystems we depend on for extracting natural resources and raw materials are restored and preserved, ensuring a long-term supply of materials.
Waste and residual streams are utilized as resources, and waste is designed out from the beginning as much as possible.

Results

In Axfoundation’s Progress Report – Act to Inspire & Inspire to Act – we share a selection of successful results from the program area, but we also share examples of when things didn’t go quite as planned. Because it takes courage to fail in order to innovate and accelerate solutions for a more sustainable world.