We offer social-science expertise on the public acceptance of secondary raw materials and circular economy practices, building on extensive research on the acceptance of sustainable technologies and consumer behaviour. We are interested in joining TOPIC 2 consortia to address the social dimension of enhancing access to raw materials from secondary sources.

We contribute by:
- assessing public acceptance of recycled raw materials and citizens' willingness to participate in recycling and circular practices (surveys, experiments, perception and behaviour research);
- engaging stakeholders and local communities around the industrial processing of recycled raw materials, including siting and social licence to operate;
- science communication formats that build recycling knowledge and strengthen the willingness to engage in circular behaviour;
- operationalising social acceptance and the Safe and Sustainable by Design principle as a social impact assessment (social dimension).

The Chair of Communication Science at RWTH Aachen University brings deep expertise in social acceptance research and science communication, investigating how the public, local communities and stakeholders perceive new technologies and infrastructure — from energy systems to raw materials extraction, processing and recycling — and translating these findings into actionable implications for siting, technology development, regulation and policy.
With long-standing experience in interdisciplinary collaboration, we have contributed to numerous national and EU-funded projects, frequently as work package leaders for the social dimension, and hold a substantial record of high-ranked publications in the field.