Cycleand

Cycleand is a conceptual framework and software platform for analyzing and optimizing interdependent cycles in ecological and industrial systems. It emphasizes the flows of materials, energy, and information across interconnected processes and aims to support circularity and resilience through explicit modeling of feedback loops.

The name Cycleand is a portmanteau of cycle and network, reflecting the core idea of cyclic processes operating within a connected system. In practice, the term is used in both theoretical discussions about circular economy models and in software tools that implement those ideas.

Core components typically include a modeling language for representing cycles and their connections, a data model for assets, processes, and reservoirs, and a simulation engine capable of discrete-event and continuous-time dynamics. Visualization tools depict material and energy flows, stocks and flows, and network topologies.

Applications include designing circular supply chains, urban resource recovery programs, and corporate sustainability planning. Cycleand supports scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, and lifecycle assessment integration to compare intervention strategies and policy options.

History: The concept emerged in sustainability research in the 2010s as a way to formalize cyclic thinking beyond linear input–output models. Early implementations appeared in open-source and commercial software during the late 2010s and early 2020s, with increasing adoption by researchers and practitioners.

See also: circular economy, systems thinking, stock-and-flow modelling, lifecycle assessment.