Theoretical relationships between circular economy practices and the agile approach in construction projects

The construction industry is a major consumer of natural resources and a generator of waste, resulting in significant environmental impacts. At the same time, the sector faces management challenges, including project inconsistencies, missed deadlines, budget overruns, and environmental degradation. The Circular Economy (CE) has shown promise in addressing inefficient resource use and minimizing negative environmental impacts, while agile project management aims to deliver more successful and efficient projects. This paper explores the synergy between the agile approach and CE in the construction industry through a content analysis of CE practices and agile attributes for construction projects, examining positive and negative interactions. The results show a positive synergy between the two approaches, highlighting the use of digital technologies to promote CE and the design of modular buildings, focusing on the early phase of the life cycle (design), which has the most relationships. Flexibility and transparency were the agile attributes most associated with CE practices, with the "management processes" category highlighted as the most interactive. The study suggests adapting the Scrum agile framework to manage circular innovation projects in parallel with construction to promote the transition from a linear to a CE model in the construction industry.