How Robots Will Dismantle All Our Products

Can robotics make large-scale disassembly a reality for the circular economy? Automated disassembly is emerging as a key enabler for circular strategies such as repair, remanufacturing, and high-quality recycling. But turning this vision into scalable practice requires technical integration, economic viability, and alignment across industries. In this episode, speakers from robotics, recycling, and research explore how automation technologies can extend product lifecycles, reduce waste, and unlock new efficiencies in resource use. Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025, the panel brought together Fridolin Franke from SOLAR MATERIALS, Rebecca Zhu from Circu Li-ion, Tobias Ortmaier from voraus robotik, and José Saenz from Fraunhofer IFF to discuss the role of robotics in enabling circularity through disassembly. This episode is part of our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year’s festival.