Apply now! New Expert Group "Material Accounting & Circularity"

We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Material Accounting & Circularity Expert Group of the Catena-X Association, part of the Sustainability Committee.

Purpose

The Material Accounting & Circularity Expert Group provides a platform for addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing the automotive industry: How can recyclates become more available and economically viable? How can quality, traceability, and trust in secondary materials be ensured? How can companies meet increasing regulatory requirements while avoiding greenwashing risks?

Together with industry stakeholders, the group develops and validates standards, data models, and digital solutions that enable transparent material flows, reliable circularity claims, and scalable end-of-life processes. It works on defining and implementing solutions required by emerging circular economy strategies and regulations, including the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulation — such as standardized material information, circularity passports, mandatory dismantling information, and certificates supporting circularity and recovery claims.

The Expert Group brings together previously independent expert communities. By consolidating these activities into a single Expert Group, the aim is to strengthen collaboration, accelerate implementation, and create a unified approach towards a data-driven circular economy.

The Challenge

The transition towards a circular economy requires efficient collaboration between OEMs, dismantlers, recyclers, and downstream material processors. However, previous learnings from industry stakeholders revealed that the end-of-life value chain remains highly fragmented, with limited digital integration and a lack of standardized data exchange across participants. At the same time, upcoming regulatory requirements — particularly the ELV Regulation — are expected to become a key driver for OEMs to engage more actively in circularity, material transparency, and end-of-life data management.

Dismantlers represent the critical entry point into the end-of-life ecosystem, as they determine how vehicles and components enter data-driven recycling and recovery processes. At the same time, they are particularly difficult to engage: many operate with low margins, are highly cost-sensitive, have limited digitalization capabilities, and are typically not integrated into traditional automotive supply chain structures. As a result, the successful adoption of scalable digital solutions and industry standards depends on low entry barriers, tangible business value, and close collaboration across the ecosystem.

The Expert Group therefore aims to establish the foundations for data-driven recycling and end-of-life by identifying required data, defining interoperable data models, validating data sources such as IMDS and other industry systems, and translating operational industry needs into scalable Catena-X standards and solutions.

Key Goals

• Regulatory Enablement: Support the transition towards a data-driven circular economy within the Catena-X ecosystem, backing emerging regulatory requirements including the ELV Regulation, and reduce administrative effort and compliance costs by enabling standardized and automated access to regulatory-relevant information.
• Transparency & Trust: Improve transparency and traceability to support brand protection, reduce the risk of fraud and greenwashing, and enable better steering of value chains.
• Scalable Standards: Develop common standards and interoperable solutions that lower transaction costs, accelerate industrialization and automation, and create growth opportunities for end-of-life ecosystem participants.
• Recyclate Availability: Increase the availability, quality, and affordability of recyclates by enabling circularity to scale across the automotive industry.

Deliverables

Two workstreams have been identified as a starting point, with first tangible deliverables:

1. Industrialization and Strategic Stakeholder Engagement for the Material Accounting Standard

• Drive and support current app development activities for adoption
• Continuously enhance the Material Accounting Standard CX-0159, the KIT, and the data model through technical and operational pilots in real-life environments
• Define a value proposition for larger dismantlers with industrialized operations as a potential target group
• Support VDA collaboration to establish Material Accounting as an industry standard
• Align on process and data requirements for the Material Accounting use case data exchange with IMDS
• Drive adoption through use case representation at relevant fairs and events

2. Enablement of Circularity, Data-Driven Recycling and End-of-Life Services

• Evaluate and develop a value proposition for data-driven dismantling, recycling, and material recovery processes to increase participation of dismantlers, recyclers, and other end-of-life stakeholders in the Catena-X ecosystem
• Develop a concept to aggregate materials and components from small dismantlers via logistics and software providers to Catena-X (e.g. a Hub & Spoke concept), considering Catena-X guardrails
• Support outreach to associations such as BVSE and similar to create awareness and the need for collaboration towards data-driven end-of-life processes
• Identify and validate processes and data requirements for circularity, recycling, secondary materials, and end-of-life processes, including the assessment of data sources such as IMDS and other relevant systems
• Collaborate with relevant industry projects and initiatives such as Manufacturing-X, ReDriveS, and EDCar, and reflect their findings in Catena-X standards and use cases
• Evaluate and update the existing Circularity Core Standard CX-0131 and its KIT

Why participate?

• Shape Industry Standards: Shape industry standards for Material Accounting and Circularity.
• Cross-Value-Chain Network: Collaborate with experts from across the automotive and recycling value chain.
• Technical Contribution: Contribute to interoperable standards, data models, and use cases.
• Regulatory Insight: Gain first-hand insights into regulatory and industry developments.
• Practical Exchange: Exchange practical experience and user feedback to improve adoption.
• Real Impact: Help accelerate the transition towards a data-driven circular economy.

Who should apply?

• Experts with experience in Circularity or Material Accounting
• Knowledge of other Catena-X standards and an IT background is a plus
• Willingness to contribute regularly and actively to the group’s work

Commitment

A minimum availability of 10 hours per month (bi-weekly/weekly meetings) is required, along with a commitment to regular participation and contribution.

Association Contact: Stan Faldin

Further details are available in the Expert Group Profile.

How to apply

All registered members received an email from info@catena-x.net on August 24, 2026 regarding the call for applications, including a link to the application form. If you are a member of the Association and have not received this email, please contact the primary contact person in your organisation. Please submit your application by September 18, 2026, 5 p.m. CEST.

We look forward to your application.