Sophia’s current research focuses on advancing circular economy principles in the plastics industry through digital innovation. Her goal is to be able to provide actionable recommendations for a circular platform economy.

Currently she is leading the project COPPA, which creates a circular collaboration platform with a digital product passport (DPP) for food packaging. It is particularly noteworthy, as it not only addresses the use of secondary materials but also emphasizes the importance of calculating and reducing carbon footprints. These efforts align well with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9 and 12, which focus on industry innovation and responsible consumption and production, respectively.

While platform-based value creation is widespread in the end consumer segment, it is still in its infancy in industrial sectors. In existing strongly application-oriented projects, a comprehensive scientific-conceptual and explorative examination of the future potential of a platform economy and the success factors specific to the plastics industry does not take place. This lack hinders a standardized understanding of "value creation on industrial platforms," which is crucial for interdisciplinary discourse and practical application. However, both from the perspective of a transforming plastics industry and regulatory aspects, this in-depth understanding is essential to develop business models and associated partnerships and to create the necessary internal and external framework conditions. Filling this knowledge gap is the motivation for her forthcoming PhD research project “Dynamik PiKTurE”.

“Dynamik PiKTurE”, funded through the Fachprogramm “Zukunft der Wertschöpfung”, is a natural progression of her previous work and aims to delve deeper into the dynamics of digital platforms and especially their circularity potential for the Twin Transition of the plastics industry. By examining the success factors specific to the plastics industry, as well as the broader implications for interdisciplinary sustainable development, this project has the potential to make a significant contribution to SDGs 8 on decent work and economic growth, and 17, which emphasizes partnerships for the goals.

The research of Sophia Botsch mainly contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals: 9, 12, 8, 17