Lydia Bühler

Dr. Lydia Bühler serves as Group Leader of the Business Transformation group within Fraunhofer IIS's Supply Chain Services division (Department of Innovation and Transformation) since October 2024, while maintaining academic roles as a Tutor at Europa University of Applied Sciences and thesis supervisor at University of Bamberg. Her career spans research, industry implementation, and education in sustainable supply chains.

Her research focuses on operationalizing Smart Circular Economy through three interconnected pillars:

• Digital Product Passport implementation for ESPR compliance
• Federated data ecosystem participation (Catena-X/Manufacturing-X)
• Data-driven circular business model innovation

This work directly addresses industrial challenges in M+E manufacturing and healthcare sectors, translating theoretical circular frameworks into actionable strategies using Fraunhofer's applied research approach.

Analysis of her 2021-2024 publications reveals a consistent trajectory toward practical implementation of circular economy principles, with increasing focus on regulatory compliance (ESPR), cross-industry data standards, and sector-specific adaptation (e.g., healthcare 9R framework). Her work bridges ICT perspectives with sustainable supply chain design.

Dr. Bühler actively mentors the next generation through:

• Master's thesis supervision at University of Bamberg (topics: Sustainable Logistics, Smart Circular Economy)
• Tutoring 'Basics of Logistics' at Europa University of Applied Sciences
• Guest lectures at three Technical Universities on practical circular economy implementation

Her leadership in the Business Transformation group drives industry collaboration through:

• Corporate implementation of circular service processes
• Stakeholder governance design for data value chains
• Smart service development for resource efficiency