Wagner Product Manager Joins Indeed Innovation: Inside Our Circular Economy Internship Program
At Indeed Innovation, we believe collaboration is the key to meaningful progress, especially when it comes to creating circular economy solutions. This is why we welcome team members from other companies to work alongside our team, experiencing firsthand how we innovate for a sustainable future.
This internship was the perfect possibility to broaden my perspective, while also enabling me to bring valuable insights back to Wagner, enriching our approach to innovation and product development.
Recently, we had the privilege of hosting Robin Bärtle, a Product Manager from Wagner, for a two-month internship focused on developing circular systems to replace existing products. His journey with us exemplifies how companies can accelerate their sustainability transformation through hands-on collaboration.
In this interview, Robin shares his insights and takeaways from working within our team, highlighting the transformative potential of partnering with Indeed Innovation on circular economy initiatives.
- As a Product Manager at Wagner, what motivated you to step away from your regular role and immerse yourself in a two-month internship focused on circular economy at Indeed Innovation?
Continuous learning and improvement are essential for both personal and professional success, being prepared for future challenges. Combined with my desire to gain hands-on experience in conceptualizing and developing sustainable product solutions, this internship was the perfect possibility to broaden my perspective, while also enabling me to bring valuable insights back to Wagner, enriching our approach to innovation and product development.
- During your time here, you worked on developing circular systems to replace existing products. Could you walk us through a specific challenge you encountered and how the Indeed Innovation team’s approach helped you overcome it?
Part of my project was evaluating and comparing different business model options against each other to assess their risks and benefits. A key aspect of this comparison was the ecological footprint, which is significantly influenced by the design of the business model and the integration of circular solutions.
The systematic approach of Indeed Innovations team was invaluable in helping me to conduct thorough research to understand the product lifecycle and evaluate the impact of circular business models on the ecologic footprint. In particular, during the assessment and validation of lifecycle emissions, the tools and methodologies provided by the team were extremely supportive, enabling us to make data-driven decisions and refine our approach effectively.
- How has your experience working alongside Indeed Innovation’s team changed your perspective on product development and sustainability within your role at Wagner?
One of the key takeaways from the time at Indeed Innovation was the integration of circular economy principles. This involved looking beyond the individual product to consider the entire ecosystem, including suppliers, manufacturing, sales and waste management. Adopting this system thinking approach has been incredibly transformative.
Working together with Indeed Innovation has therefore encouraged me to think more strategically on embedding sustainability into the product offering to meet the demands of future markets.
- What aspects of Indeed Innovation’s methodology for tackling circular economy challenges surprised you the most, and how do you think other companies could benefit from this approach?
Definitely the interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, which lead to a comprehensive analysis of the entire ecosystem. For instance, when examining the end-of-life phase of the product lifecycle, we quickly got beyond theoretical desk research to include practical exchange with real stakeholders such as municipal waste management organizations.
Overall, the time at Indeed Innovation was a valuable experience filled with new perspectives, deep insights and truly amazing people. I was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of innovation in the circular economy and therefore like to express my thanks to the whole team.
I am convinced other companies can highly benefit from Indeed Innovation’s extensive expertise and collaborative approach. By fostering direct engagement with ecosystem players and leveraging diverse stakeholder input, companies can develop more innovative and impactful solutions that are better aligned with real-world challenges.
- Now that you are back at Wagner, how do you plan to implement the insights and methodologies you learned during your internship?
Back at Wagner I will adopt the systemic approach to sustainability, looking beyond the product itself to consider the entire ecosystem as a valuable resource for implementing sustainable solutions. The insights gained during my time at Indeed Innovation will enable me to integrate the circular economy principles into projects at Wagner.
I aim to promote the concept of embedded sustainability through my take-aways and learnings and contribute to making innovations more effective and impactful.
This interview showcases how companies like Wagner are leveraging opportunities at Indeed Innovation to drive impactful change and illustrates the benefits of such collaborations for creating a more sustainable future.
Are you interested in exploring similar collaborative opportunities with Indeed Innovation? Whether you’re looking to enhance your organization’s circular economy initiatives or gain hands-on experience in sustainable innovation, we’d love to hear from you. Contact our team here to discuss how we can work together to create more sustainable solutions.
