The transition to sustainability, the circular economy and digitalisation: an operational framework for the German textile and clothing industry

Wiegand, Tina

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The transition to sustainability, the circular economy and digitalisation: an operational framework for the German textile and clothing industry

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Wiegand, Tina (2025) The transition to sustainability, the circular economy and digitalisation: an operational framework for the German textile and clothing industry. PhD thesis, University of Gloucestershire. doi:10.46289/XPCW4349

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Abstract

This study examines how the German textile and clothing (T&C) industry is managing the transition to sustainability, the circular economy (CE), and digitalisation in practice. Although both sustainability and the CE have gained increasing attention in academic debate, empirical research exploring the organisational and technological dimensions of this transformation remains limited. In particular, studies addressing the T&C sector - a key industry in the sustainability and CE discourse - are fragmented, and the Ger-man T&C industry has received very little attention in this context. To address this gap, the study pursues three research objectives: (1) To critically explore and analyse the interrelation and implementation of sustainability, the circular economy and digitalisation in an organisational context based on existing literature. (2) To research and ana-lyse the status of the transition to sustainability, the circular economy and digitalisation in the German Textile and Clothing industry. (3) To develop an operational framework for the transition to sustainability and the circular economy, leveraging the potential of digital technologies for the German Textile and Clothing industry. Following an interpretivist and inductive qualitative case study design, data collection combined document analysis and expert interviews. A total of 430 publicly available sustainability-related documents from 29 German T&C companies were analysed and expert inter-views were conducted with representatives from 10 of these companies. The analysis, guided by a conceptual framework integrating the dimensions of organisation, prod-ucts, and processes, suggested, that sustainability is strategically embedded in most companies, supported by value-based management cultures and increasing regulatory and market pressures. CE practices, however, emerged to remain fragmented: while efficiency-oriented narrowing strategies prevail, slowing and closing strategies are still in the early stages due to technological, structural, and market-related barriers. Digital technologies - especially ERP systems and cloud-, AI-, and blockchain-based plat forms - emerged as key enablers of transparency, traceability, and data-driven decision-making, yet their use remains largely efficiency-driven and seldom strategically aligned with CE goals. Building on these findings, the study develops an operational framework that integrates changes regarding organisational, product, and process dimensions. It identifies key fields of activity, challenges, influencing factors, and digital technology use cases, providing a structured tool for companies to assess and advance their transition. Overall, the research contributes to knowledge and practice by offering a sector-specific framework for the transition to sustainability, the CE and digitalisation in the German T&C industry. It enhances understanding of the EU’s twin (green and digital) transition and provides a foundation for comparative research, further analysis, and practical application in action research approaches.

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Thesis (PhD)

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