According to the Circularity Gap Report 2025, only 6.9% of the 106 billion tonnes of materials used by the global economy each year come from recycled sources, and this share is declining. The construction sector alone consumes over 40% of the world’s raw materials, yet its circularity rate remains below 9%. These figures highlight the urgent need to rethink how we design, produce, use, and reuse materials. From scaling construction-material reuse and embedding circular-economy strategies to advancing industrial design through new technologies and materials, this event brings together leading voices to explore the barriers, opportunities, and systemic shifts needed to move from isolated experiments to real-world impact. The transition to sustainable new materials is not merely a technical challenge, but a transformation spanning design, policy, and business.
Program
13:30-14:00 – Registration
14:00-14:05 – Opening Remarks
14:05-14:15 – Material of the Future – Michael Krohn, Co-Head of Sustainability in the Arts, Zurich University of the Arts
14:15-14:25 – Materials That Matter: Building High-Performance, Sustainable Cities – Gang Tan, Qiushi Chair Professor at the College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University
14:25-14:35 – From Pilot to Practice: What Swiss Projects Teach Us About Building Material Reuse – Mija Frossard, Applied R&D Researcher, HEIG-VD (HES-SO)
14:35-14:45 – Closing the Loop: Transforming Industrial Waste Streams into Sustainable Building Solutions – Anthony Mao, Circular Economy Leader, EBP China
14:45-15:30 – Panel Discussion
Speakers
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Bio
Michael Krohn
Co-Head of Sustainability in the Arts, Zurich University of the ArtsProfessor Michael Krohn Co-Head of Sustainability in the Arts at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). He teaches, conducts research, and publishes in the fields of design and sustainability. Trained as an industrial designer, he has held various positions at ZHdK since 1992.
After the development of the Media Lab and a position in design research, he became Head of the Industrial Design programme in 2001. He reshaped design education by integrating research methodologies, digital technologies, and interdisciplinary approaches into the curriculum. From 2009 he led the development of the new Master of Arts in Design programme. Over the past decade, he played a role in the strategic transformation of the Design Department, focusing on sustainability, research, and technology. His work is reflected in numerous research projects and publications. As a member of the CUMULUS Executive Boards II, III, and VII, he developed international networks and in global design education.
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Bio
Gang Tan
Professor, Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang UniversityDr. Gang Tan is a Qiushi Chair Professor and the director of the Smart Materials for Architecture Research Lab at the Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Tsinghua University, followed by a PhD from MIT in 2005. His career encompasses roles in prestigious energy consulting firms, specializing in large-scale energy efficiency programs and initiatives. He held a tenured position at the University of Wyoming before joining Zhejiang University. His research focuses on innovative building materials, energy-efficient technologies, and renewable energy. His work has been published in esteemed journals such as Science, Joule, and Nature Communications and he was recognized in the World’s Top 2% Scientists list compiled by Stanford University and Elsvier. He serves as an Associate Editor for Building Simulation, an international journal.
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Bio
Mija Frossard
Applied R&D Researcher, HEIG-VD (HES-SO)Mija FROSSARD is an Applied R&D Researcher at the Institute of Energies, HEIG-VD (HES-SO), Member of the Scientific Committee for the Geneva State Building Carbon Regulation, Co-Responsible of the continuing education program “CAS in Life Cycle Assessment in Construction” (HES-SO), and holding a PhD from Mines Paris – PSL on the eco-design of robust zero-energy buildings under uncertainty. He measures the whole life carbon of buildings through life cycle assessment (LCA) and has helped design the calculation method and practitioner guide of Geneva State’s Building Carbon Regulation. His research began with uncertainty in a building’s future; he now addresses uncertainty in the design process and in the data available in practice, so decarbonation strategies can be tracked throughout a project and decisions remain reliable. His expertise spans embodied carbon, material reuse and circularity, EPDs for construction products, and energy systems.
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Bio
Anthony Mao
Circular Economy Leader, EBP ChinaAnthony is a senior sustainability consultant with 10+ years of experience, specializing in advancing the circular economy. His consulting career began in EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety) consulting, during which he gained extensive on-site experience working in various factories.
Anthony has led impactful circular economy projects, assisting leading brands in the electronics industry and their supply chains in waste reduction at the source, resource recovery, avoiding incineration and landfill, reducing the use of chemicals and plastics in manufacturing processes, and promoting the adoption and implementation of recycled materials. His expertise extends to waste management practices and regulatory research across Asia.
Anthony is well-versed in a wide range of manufacturing industries, including semiconductors, packaging and printing, automotive, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals. His material expertise covers plastics, organic solvents, acids, alkalis, and sludge.
