Towards a Platform-Driven Business Model to Enhance Circular Economy Practices

The rapid growth of the photovoltaic industry is expected to significantly increase both the demand for raw materials and the growing volumes of panel waste, entering the waste stream at the end-of-life stage. To address these challenges, the industry must not only focus on technological innovation, but also adopt innovative business models that enable a scalable and economically viable circular economy. Circular business models are essential to this transition, focusing on resource efficiency, recovery, and regenerative design to minimize waste and maximize value creation. Digitalization, particularly driven by platform ecosystems, is identified as a key enabler for circular business models, facilitating collaboration, traceability, and information sharing across dynamic value chains. Despite the promise of platform ecosystems, little research has explored the development of platform-driven business models in the European solar industry, particularly integrating stakeholder collaboration aspects for enhanced recycling efforts. Therefore, this study aims to achieve the following objectives: 1) identify the value propositions that underpin a platform-driven business model to advance recycling practices in the European solar industry, and 2) explore how stakeholder perspectives can be effectively incorporated into platform-driven business models to enhance circular economy practices. Using 16 interviews with stakeholders from the European solar industry and two frameworks - the Value Proposition Canvas and Ecocanvas - this study develops a conceptual model to guide designing and implementing of platform-driven circular business models. This study contributes to both theory and practice by providing a foundation for circular value creation in the solar industry and offering implications for stakeholders and policymakers.