Our vision is to embed circular design principles into the graduate curriculum through an innovative training program. The Covestro Circular Economy Program will enable students at the University of Pittsburgh to earn a PhD in a home department while also gaining unique expertise in circular economy principles, informed by Covestro LLC’s successes in this area, and ultimately create circular, sustainable products and service solutions. Current PhD participants are from the home departments of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering as well as Civil and Environmental Engineering. It is anticipated that departmental participation will expand as the program grows.

This vision aligns the organizational objectives of both Covestro and the University of Pittsburgh. In 2020, in line with Covestro’s sustainability roadmap using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a guide, Covestro announced a global corporate vision to become fully circular, focusing on alternative feedstocks, advanced recycling technologies, renewable energy, and collaborations. Sustainability is a core value at the University of Pittsburgh and the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation’s mission is to catalyze sustainability research and education. Uniting these two organizations will be a force multiplier in advancing the circular economy.

The dual vision of Covestro and the University of Pittsburgh will be realized across three core pillars:

• Academics
• Research
• A transdisciplinary Circular Economy Innovation program housed at Pitt

These pillars deliver compelling arguments to support the creation of a new scientific field that will produce a demonstrable impact on what we produce, how we produce it, how we train future leaders, and how we live. Find out more in the Programs section.