(1.2) New RTI-Project: Refurbishment of Office Furniture

How can office furniture be kept in use longer—and professionally refurbished so it can re-enter the cycle as a high-quality product? The research project RefurMO is dedicated to this question, with a particular focus on business-to-business applications.

We invite designers, architects, logistics experts, legal professionals, procurement officers, and manufacturers to take part in a short online survey examining current barriers and opportunities in the refurbishment of office furniture:

Take the survey here (approx. 15 minutes, anonymous)

The shift toward a circular economy poses complex challenges for many sectors—especially where ownership structures, long product lifespans, and regulatory hurdles intersect. RefurMO addresses three essential leverage points: logistics, legal frameworks, and design. Logistics sheds light on how return, sorting, and refurbishment can be organized efficiently. Legal expertise helps clarify how regulation shapes what’s possible. And design is central to making circularity tangible and actionable.

IDRV contributes the design perspective to this project. Design plays a critical role in determining whether furniture is durable, adaptable—and ultimately circular. As the interface between vision and implementation, design can act as a catalyst for systemic change.

RefurMO is coordinated by the Institute for Sustainability at the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt (FHWN) and draws on expertise from the Eco Design Master’s and Industrial Engineering Bachelor’s programs. In collaboration with IDRV, the Climate Lab, and the Association of the Austrian Wood Industries, the project analyses the entire value chain—from design and production to legal and logistical frameworks—to identify systemic levers for circular transformation in the office furniture sector.

More about our RTI-project