Companies struggle to realize circular ambitions, says researcher

Phys · May 24, 2026 · 507 words · By Eindhoven University

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What to know about Companies struggle to realize circular ambitions, says researcher

The article discusses research by Wierikx from Eindhoven University of Technology regarding the challenges companies face when implementing circular economy ambitions. It introduces the Circular Maturity Tool (CMT) designed to help organizations assess and develop the capabilities necessary for this transition.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Companies struggle to realize circular ambitions, says researcher Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor The research, conducted by Wierikx at the Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, is based on more than 3,000…

Why it matters

The results reveal a consistent pattern: companies are relatively strong in setting circular ambitions, but face major challenges in scaling initiatives and embedding circularity into day-to-day business operations.

Common ground

According to Wierikx, the problem is not a lack of sustainability goals, but a lack of organizational readiness.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Companies struggle to realize circular ambitions, says researcher?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The Circular Maturity Tool measures ten organizational dimensions, divided across four domains: People & Culture, Operations, Strategy & Approach, and Value Chain Collaboration?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-companies-struggle-circular-ambitions.html

analyticsAnalysis

Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 3

info Single Source 2

verified Verified 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

report Misleading 1

info

Claim 1: “The Circular Maturity Tool measures ten organizational dimensions, divided across four domains: People & Culture, Operations, Strategy & Approach, and Value Chain Collaboration.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant documents regarding the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

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web search NEUTRAL — Download official Olympic documents and resources on the topic of IOC Sessions
https://www.olympics.com/ioc/documents/international-olympic…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 17, 2025 · Official home of the IOC. Find the latest news and featured stories, information about IOC members plus Olympic principles, values and legacy.
https://www.olympics.com/ioc/documents/international-olympic…

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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 8, 2022 · Official home of the IOC. Find the latest news and featured stories, information about IOC members plus Olympic principles, values and legacy.
https://www.olympics.com/ioc/documents/olympic-games/olympic…

verified

Claim 2: “Each dimension receives a maturity score ranging from 0 (none) to 5 (regenerative).”

VERIFIED

The 'Circular Change' source explicitly mentions a circular level assessment on a 0-5 scale, which aligns with the claim's scoring system.

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web search NEUTRAL — With the free Circular Maturity Measurement, we assess how circular your organization is.Receive your circular level on a 0-5 scale and over 200 supportive recommendations, tools, and templates that p…
https://www.circularchange.com/circular-maturity-measurement

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web search NEUTRAL — The self-assessment tool employed a maturity model comprising several stages, which were designed through a combination of design science research and scenario planning. The Lean-Circular Maturity Mod…
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/lean-circular-maturity-…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Circular Maturity Indicator (CMI) employs a point-based scoring system to assess and categorize organizations’ circularity levels. Key features of the CMI include
https://www.indeed-innovation.com/circular-maturity-indicato…

report

Claim 3: “Last March, the 2026 edition was presented to Queen Máxima at the Circular Entrepreneurship Congress in Utrecht.”

MISLEADING

While evidence from Utrecht Science Park confirms the report was presented to Queen Máxima at the Circular Entrepreneurship Congress in Utrecht, the claim specifies the '2026 edition'. The evidence does not specify the year of the edition, and the provided Wikipedia/Britannica results for 2026 are general year descriptions, not confirmation of a 2026 report presented in the past (March).

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web search NEUTRAL — 2026 (MMXXVI) is the current year, and is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2026th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 26th year of the 3…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026

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web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago · This year has been marked by major political upheavals, armed conflicts, cultural milestones, and memorable moments in sports. The following timeline highlights some of the notable develo…
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Major-Events-of-2026

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web search NEUTRAL — United States 2026 – Calendar with American holidays. Yearly calendar showing months for the year 2026. Calendars – online and print friendly – for any year and month
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2026&country=1

help

Claim 4: “Beyond his Ph.D. research, Wierikx works as a lecturer and coach at the intersection of logistics, ICT and change management at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided regarding Wierikx's specific role as a lecturer and coach at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.

verified

Claim 5: “Wierikx's dissertation, titled "The Circular Shift: A Design Science Approach to Developing a Circular Capability Maturity Tool for Firms," was supervised by Dr. Néomie Raassens and Dr. Alex Alblas of Eindhoven University of Technology, and Dr. Ing. Pascal Ravesteijn of HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.”

VERIFIED

A source from 'Duurzaam Ondernemen' explicitly confirms the dissertation title and the supervisors: Dr. Néomie Raassens, Dr. Alex Alblas (TU/e), and Dr. Ing. Pascal Ravesteijn.

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web search NEUTRAL — The interplay of digital transformation and employee competency: A design...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004016252…

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web search NEUTRAL — Het proefschrift van Wierikx, The Circular Shift: A Design Science Approach to Developing a Circular Capability Maturity Tool for Firms, werd begeleid door dr. Néomie Raassens en dr. Alex Alblas (TU/e…
https://www.duurzaam-ondernemen.nl/arjen-wierikx-tu-e-bedrij…

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web search NEUTRAL — There's a world of opportunity to re-think and re-design the way we make stuff. 'Re-Thinking Progress' explores how through a change in perspective we can re...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRKvDyyHmI

help

Claim 6: “The doctoral defense, including the layman's talk, will take place on Tuesday, May 26 at TU/e.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided regarding the date or location of the doctoral defense.

info

Claim 7: “The research, conducted by Wierikx at the Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, is based on more than 3,000 organizational assessments.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results regarding adult websites and does not mention Wierikx or organizational assessments.

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web search NEUTRAL — Honestly, Xhamster used to be one of my go tos until it required you to make an account with ID verification, not only am I too lazy for that, I feel dirty making an account and giving my personal inf…
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskRedditNSFW/comments/195ueha/whic…

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web search NEUTRAL — install a xhamster plugin (also plenty to choose from, also directly available at VLC's site and also for free) Watch, download, at your own time and dime (if you can watch/play a video, then you can …
https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/1bfr32w/pornhu…

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web search NEUTRAL — Idk what is happening but for the past few days, when I open xHamster on my laptop and click a video it doesn't show me the video. No video player at all. I tried to reset my laptop. didn't work. I ev…
https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/12gg3is/xhamst…

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Claim 8: “Wierikx developed the Circular Maturity Tool (CMT), a practical, data-driven instrument that helps organizations assess and strengthen the capabilities needed for circular transformation.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Arjen Wierikx's work on a Circular Economy Maturity Model/Framework and its purpose to make circular maturity measurable.

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web search NEUTRAL — This presentation introduces a Circular Economy Maturity Model co-developed by Route Circulair, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, and Eindhoven University of Technology.
https://www.centre-for-sustainability.nl/news/a-circular-eco…

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web search NEUTRAL — Authors. Arjen Wierikx, HU University of Applied Sciences Follow Pascal Ravesteijn Néomie Raassens Alex Alblas. Abstract. Organizations are currently facing substantial challenges regarding becoming c…
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/ciima/vol20/iss2/3/

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web search NEUTRAL — research on translating Circular Economy Business Models towards an Enterprise Circular Maturity Framework in order to make circular maturity measurable and provide scenarios for growth. January 2000 …
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arjen-Wierikx

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Claim 9: “The Circular Maturity Tool was developed in close collaboration with Route Circulair and other practitioners”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the maturity model was co-developed by Route Circulair, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, and Eindhoven University of Technology.

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web search NEUTRAL — Circular Maturity Measurement for Manufacturing. Gain insights, recommendations, and tools for your circular ambition.“ The Circular Maturity Measurement is a good first step if you want to delve deep…
https://www.impactx.nl/circular-maturity-measurement-manufac…

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web search NEUTRAL — Contact. Search_icon.svg. Showcases > Route Circulair – the Circular Maturity Scan.Through the CMM and other services, Route Circular is inspiring companies worldwide to take concrete steps toward a s…
https://hollandcircularhotspot.nl/case/route-circulair-the-c…

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Claim 10: “The study helped form the basis of the annual impact report "The State of Circular Entrepreneurship," which provides insight into the progress of circular business activity in the Netherlands.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm that Arjen Wierikx and colleagues investigated the state of circular entrepreneurship in the Netherlands and produced a report with that title.

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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers Arjen Wierikx, Alex Alblas and Néomie Raassens from the ITEM group, together with researchers from Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and Route Circulair, have investigated the state o…
https://www.tue.nl/nieuws-en-evenementen/nieuwsoverzicht/25-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Krista Smit of Route Circulair, an organization in the Netherlands that helps companies with the circular economy, presented the State of Circular Entrepreneurship report to Queen Máxima during the Ci…
https://www.utrechtsciencepark.nl/en/news/state-of-circular-…

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web search NEUTRAL — The circular economy gives us the tools to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss together, while addressing important social needs. It gives us the power to grow prosperity, jobs, and resilience…
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-eco…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.