Building effective partnerships is essential for advancing the circular economy, yet it is also one of the greatest challenges of sustainability transitions. This book explores how diverse stakeholders, including governments, businesses, NGOs, academia, and civil society, can overcome fragmented efforts and establish long-term, systemic collaborations. Drawing on extensive research and real-world examples, the book provides a clear framework for understanding the building blocks, principles, and resilience mechanisms that facilitate effective partnerships. Practitioners will find practical tools and actionable strategies to design and sustain collaborations, and scholars will gain a unified theoretical perspective on governance and transition dynamics. By bridging academic and practical approaches, the book supports progress toward SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, demonstrating how cross-sectoral cooperation can drive circular and sustainable transformation.

Philippe Eiselein is a senior researcher at the Centre for Sustainable Entrepreneurship (CenSE) at Odisee University of Applied Sciences in Brussels, and a visiting professor in the Business for Society group (B4S) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He holds a PhD in Business Economics from Solvay Business School (VUB). His research sits at the intersection of circular economy governance, social innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. He co-founded Belgium Impact, the national platform for social entrepreneurship in Belgium, launched under the patronage of His Majesty the King of Belgium, and has served as an evaluator for the European Innovation Council.