Why do we need a Circular Valley? Emissions resulting from “linear economy” pose a major threat to the environment and to us. We need a place to cooperate on solutions to reduce emissions and “closed cycles”.

Why is the Rhine-Ruhr region ideal? The Rhine-Ruhr region in Germany combines industries in need of solutions with already existing solution providers and a broad scientific landscape. It is also a cosmopolitan region with a rich industrial tradition.

How to start? The development of the region towards a “Circular Valley” has started with an Accelerator for Circular Economy topics to attract talent to work with companies from the region and beyond.

Application phase for Batch #2 starts in September 2021. It is for start-ups supporting the EU Green Deal and CEAP.

CIRCULÉIRE is Ireland’s first cross-sectoral circular economy innovation network, first designated EU circular economy hotspot, and is supported by several government departments. Its goal is to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero carbon circular economy in Ireland.
CIRCULÉIRE is co-creating innovative solutions with Irish industry from the agri-food, pharmaceutical, recycling, medical devices, ICT and built environment sectors. It has a dedicated innovation fund to invest in innovation demonstration projects.
CIRCULÉIRE also engages with a wide range of stakeholders from the Irish innovation ecosystem through our open-access circular economy knowledge library and capacity building activities including annual thematic working groups and workshops.

Circusol - Circular Business Models for the Solar Power Industry - is an Innovation Action project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, bringing together 15 partners from 7 European countries to develop and demonstrate business solutions for the circular economy in the solar power sector.

Photovoltaics (PV) currently accounts for about 5 % of world’s electricity generation capacity. As the PV and EV (electric vehicle) markets grow, so will their demand for raw materials, as well as their "waste" output. How to make sure that the material aspect of the energy transition will also be sustainable? Product-Service Systems (PSS) could be the answer.

Interested in what Circusol is doing (newsletter, events, sharing knowledge, feedback, etc.)? Join its Network!

Circwaste is a 7-year LIFE IP project that promotes efficient use of material flows, waste prevention and new waste and resource management concepts. It is coordinated by the Circular Economy Service Centre established by the Finnish Environment Institute.

The Service Centre provides regional operators with expert support and disseminates information on good practices in the context of the circular economy. It distributes information on material-efficient public procurement, harmful substances, establishing industrial symbioses and the possibilities of funding new initiatives. In particular, it supports regional working groups and a select number of pioneering municipalities in preparing their own circular economy roadmaps, which should be adopted by late 2019.

A regional cooperation network provides support and expert assistance for developing the circular economy and implementing the national waste plan in Southwest Finland, Central Finland, South Karelia and North Karelia.

The circwaste.fi portal (in English), which distributes information on national good practices in circular economy, similar to 'Good news from Finland', is an abridged version of the Finnish-language service materiaalitkiertoon.fi.

To learn more about circwaste activities watch the video below:

Cirkelstad is a national platform connecting private entrepreneurs and policy-makers who are delivering the transition to a circular economy in pioneering Dutch cities. By facilitating their networking, the platform enables greater impact by spreading best practice.

In addition to a comprehensive database of good practice, research and policy guidelines to inspire practicioners, the Cirkelstad Academie also provides occassional trainings and provides advisory services to aspiring circular projects in Utrecht and Amsterdam.

To learn more about this hands-on network and connect with the 'spinners' coordinating activities in each city, visit the platform here. 

The Prague Circular Hub is a joint initiative by the Institut Cirkularni Ekonomiky, Alliance for Renewable Energy and the Brno Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Its vision is to build a cultural and innovation centre which seeks to acquaint the general and professional public with circular economy. With discussions, seminars, conferences, as well as pilot projects aimed at testing new research methods in the field of circular economy, the Prague Circular Hub contributes to the active transformation into a circular system.

While the Hub has already completed a Prague Circular Scan with the support of Circle Economy, it continues to organise regular ‘buzz talks’ and conduct further research to promote the adoption of circular business models in the Czech capital.

The CirQuality OWL project is funded by the EU (ERDF) and the Federal State North-Rhine Westfalia (NRW) with the aim of fostering the circular economy in the area.

Seven regional partners from the different fields (from energy to technologies to food to universities and associations) teamed up to use the circular economy to get the region off the ground in an innovative, crisis-proof, resilient and sustainable way. Together they are jointly striving for the following goals:

• Discover Circular Economy (CE)
• Regional capacity building
• Qualifying stakeholders
• Providing strategic support to stakeholders
• Developing regional identity
• Transfer results

Citeo est engagée pour un monde plus durable et oeuvre pour réduire l’impact environnemental des emballages ménagers et des papiers, en les transformant en nouvelles ressources.

Depuis 25 ans, les entreprises ont investi 10 milliards d’euros pour collecter, trier, recycler les emballages et les papiers. Cet engagement a permis de déployer la collecte sélective partout en France, de faire du tri le 1er geste citoyen des Français et de créer des filières de recyclage, en partenariat avec les collectivités locales, les filières matériaux et les opérateurs.

Citeo contribue à une mission d’intérêt général : ancrer la consommation durable, l’éco-conception et le recyclage dans les habitudes des entreprises et des citoyens de métropole et des Outre-mer.

The Upper Autrian Cleantech-Cluster networks all actors from the resource supplier, to the manufacturer, industrial researcher, to mechanical engineers, recyclers, and disposers in order to find joint solutions and develop new technologies. We cooperate with our 10 cluster initiatives in the Upper Austrian business support agency and 2000 partner companies, whose activities range from plastics, to automotive, furniture and wood construction, food, medical technology, mechatronics, IT, logistics, and HR, In order to support projects for SMEs in particular, the cluster also supports EU funding applications, thus offering its partners an internationally mature circular economy toolbox.

THEMES and EXPERTISE in the network:

• Material efficiency in production
• Recycling
• Recovery
• Disposal
• Circular design
• Business Models
• Initial and continuing education
• Research

SERVICES:

• Cross-sector networking with researchers, companies, associations (regional, national, international)
• Project development
• Project Management
• Process support through conception, moderation of workshops, work meetings, events
• Funding advice

The Conseil Européen de Remanufacture is a business-led group advocating the growth of remanufacturing to €100 billion in Europe by 2030 in sectors like automotive, aviation, acoustic devices, agricultural equipment, construction equipment, defense, electronics, electrical equipment, IT imaging equipment, machine tools, marine, medical devices, telecoms, trains, transmissions, tyres, wind turbines.

Open to participation with universities in Horizon and similar EU-funded research programmes, it has access to several experienced technical research staff. Networked with WEF, OECD, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, UNEP, it is well connected to standards organisations and academic researchers in the fields of circular design, eco-design, product life extension, IR4.0, and digital.