At IFA 2026 in Berlin, companies’ initiatives and the viability of a circular economy centered on long-lasting household appliances were presented. The focus was on the challenges surrounding repairs and parts replacement, and on balancing them with economic considerations.
IFA 2026 put the spotlight not only on the latest technologies in AI and smart homes, but also on the prospects for long-lasting household appliances. Beyond energy efficiency, repairability, parts replacement and the reuse of materials through the circulation of refurbished products are becoming embedded in product design and business models as part of the circular-economy philosophy.
The reporting highlighted a challenge in the European market: repair services can become cost centers rather than sources of profit. Maintaining inventories of parts and service networks, as well as securing personnel, entails costs, and companies need to find the right balance between passing those costs on through pricing and managing expenses.
The establishment of a regulatory framework around the Right to Repair has also become an important issue. The EU is coordinating policies requiring repair support and the supply of replacement parts with ecodesign policies that promote designs making products easier to repair. The view expressed was that businesses built around longer product lifespans will not be viable unless environmental considerations are combined with economic ones.
Companies need to consider how to turn repairs from a cost into a source of value, while consumers’ willingness to pay and the relationship with retail prices will also be important to extending product lifespans. The event underscored the need to find the right sweet spot between sustainable product development and market acceptance.