Abstract
This paper explores how different institutional factors at various levels of analysis affect the circular economy (CE) innovations in the construction sector. We focus on the innovations that consider the whole life cycle of buildings or infrastructures, from procurement, planning and design, construction, operation, to end-of-life (Eol). We compare the institutional contexts of Finland, Germany, and Nigeria by conducting a qualitative multi-system literature review of various CE relevant public document sources, such as policies, regulations, reports, roadmaps, white papers, urban plans, technical codes, etc. We identify the regulative, normative, and cognitive institutions that influence CE innovation in each country. We find that the degree and type of CE adoption in the construction sector depend on the level of institutional support and alignment across countries. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings and suggest future research directions on how institutions shape CE innovation regarding the environmental awareness and responsibility of society.