René H. Reich
Researcher
Digital Circular Economy
About me
I am deeply passionate about sustainability and dedicate my career as an Information Systems and AI researcher to advancing social and environmental sustainable development. With a Ph.D. in Information Systems Engineering, an M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence, and two M.Sc. degrees in Sustainability Engineering, I bring an interdisciplinary perspective to tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges.
My research focuses on digital ecosystems, green information systems, the circular economy, and sustainable digital transformations. By exploring how technology and systems thinking can be harnessed responsibly, I aim to design solutions that not only drive innovation but also generate long-term value for society and the environment.
Beyond research, I thrive in mentoring thesis students and guiding the next generation of sustainability-driven scholars and practitioners. Collaboration is at the heart of my work; I believe that real progress emerges when diverse minds and disciplines come together to co-create impactful solutions.
I look forward to meeting my next potential collaborator and continuing to build bridges between information systems, AI, and sustainability to shape a more resilient and equitable future.
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Education
PhD in Digitalization for Circular Economy
KU Leuven, est. 2025
MSc in Artificial Intelligence
JKU Linz, est. 2025
MSc in Sustainable Materials
MU Leoben & KU Leuven, 2020
BSc in Materials Science
MU Leoben, 2018
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Professional Trainings
Business Development
UGent & KU Leuven, 2024
Business Process Management
HEC Montreal, 2023
Applied Data Science with Python
UMich, 2020
Coach for personal development
G2M Consulting, 2017
Expertise & Experience
Currently, I am a research associate in Prof. Karel Van Acker’s Sustainability Assessments of Materials and Circular Economy group. My research focuses on the digitalization of circular economies, developing digital solutions that enhance material efficiency, resource optimization, and sustainable business models. I have published extensively in this field and serve as an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Circular Economy. Throughout my career, I have:
✔ Led and managed research, consulting, and digitalization projects in sustainability and circular economy
✔ Supervised and mentored over ten master’s students and lectured in various courses
✔ Developed business strategies and process models through training in Business Development, Innovation, and Change Management
✔ Collaborated internationally through research stays at Chalmers University (Sweden), PolyU (Hong Kong), and UC Berkeley (USA)
Research & Projects
My research is based on the theoretical background of systems thinking, design science research, and circular economy. I investigate the design of eco-effective systems that foster the transition of organizations toward a circular economy. System must incorporate sustainability concepts and values to support the sustainable transition of industries.
Datafication of the Circular Economy
2020-2025
Interdisciplinary research project in collaboration with KU Leuven's Center for IT & IP Law. My contributions are:
- Analysis of organizations' opportunities and constraints in the digital transition to a CE.
- CE business models, reporting standards, and management
- Digital platforms in the CE
- Data governance in the CE
- Effective system designs in the CE
Digital Product Passports 4 Sustainability
(DPP4S)
2023
Explorative research project of the Flemish industry innovation center Flanders Make. My contributions are:
- Notion of product passports
- System architecture for product passports
- Legal requirements on product passports
- Management of a project work package
CE Center Flanders
2017-ongoing
Support center of the Flemish government in collaboration with industry and the Flemish universities. My contributions are:
- Report on the circularity of housing and buildings
- Theoretical background of CE policy monitoring
- Co-creation of the CE Monitor of Flanders
- Analysis of the entire business-to-government data ecosystem in CE
Integrating environmental SUStainability
SYstematically in product development processes
(SusSy)
2024-2025
Industrial research valorization project of Flanders Make investigating the integration of sustainability metrics in the product design process. My contributions are:
- Project management (in 2025)
- Business development
- Transition of research results into industry prototypes
Teaching & Mentoring
Good, high-quality teaching is essential to me. Already early on, working as a tutor for high school and college students financed my studies. I have over 240 hours of adult education training and over 400 hours of contact hours teaching experience. Since February 2018, I am a certified trainer in adult education. I contributed or gave the following courses at universities:
Mathematics 1 |
Mathematics 2 |
Project Work and Problem Solving 2 |
Thermodynamics and Kinetics |
Materials: Properties, Selection and Sustainability |
Metals Production and Recycling |
Sustainable Materials Management |
Python for Materials Science |
Furthermore, I supervised more than seven master's thesis projects in the master's programs of Artificial Intelligence, Information Management, International Business Economics and Management, Materials Engineering, Sustainable Territorial Development, and Sustainable Materials. I supervised the following master's theses:
Assessing the impacts of Digital Platform use on the realization of Circular Economy Sezen Gürlek Kafaoğlu (2024). Master in Information Management. |
Circular economy digitization by matching industry resource, material, product, and waste streams Roelants, Hannes (2024). Master in Artificial Intelligence. |
Information and data architecture of circular economy indicators Blloku, Mariza; Kaimi, Fabio; Santos Salazar, Maira (2024). Master in Information Management. |
Data ecosystem of the circular economy monitor Flanders Cornelissen, Thomas; De Sitter, Sarah (2024). Master in Information Managment. |
Environmental Impacts of Data Transmission Holla, Navaneeth (2024). Master in Sustainable Materials. |
Environmental Impact Assessment of Silicon Wafers Production and Supply Chains in the Semiconductor Industry Ahmed, Abullah Ahsan (2023). Master in Sustainable Materials. |
Classification of Circular Economy Indicators for Organization Management Delaiti, Davide (2023). Master in International Business Economics and Management. |
Digital Product Passport Policy in Europe: Potential Shift towards Circular Product Strategies Ayan, Joelle (2022). Master in Sustainable Territorial Development. |
Awards &
Distinctions
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Best Young Presenter
September 2023
Best poster award of the Life Cycle Management 2023 conference in the category Young Scientist.
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Paper-a-thon Winner
December 2022
Together with Hannah Stein and Lucian Visinescu, one of the winners of the Paper-a-thon of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2022).
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Best Poster
September 2023
Best poster award of the Life Cycle Management 2023 conference in the category Overall Winner.
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Science Slam Winner
November 2021
Winner of the first Una Europa PhD Slam within the Berlin Science Week.
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2nd at Science Slam
March 2023
I won 2nd place in my science slam on the datafication of the circular economy at the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany.
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Master's Thesis Scientia Award
September 2021
Scientia Fond Award in the category Engineering And Natural Sciences for my master's thesis "Datafication of material mechanisms in nuclear environment"
Let's connect!
I am eager to bring my expertise in digitalization, sustainability, and strategic consulting to forward-thinking organizations looking to drive impactful change. If you’re interested in collaborating, consulting, or discussing innovative sustainability solutions, let’s connect!