Hubs for Circularity European Community of Practice (ECoP) platform (Processes4Planet Partnership) (CSA)

Circularity is an essential part of the industry transformation towards climate-neutrality and long-term competitiveness. H4C are defined as first-of-a-kind, lighthouse demonstrator plants of commercial size implementing industrial symbiosis or urban industrial symbiosis with the aim of achieving a step change in circular utilization of resources and GHG emission reductions, within a given representative geographical area. H4C have strong technological focus and industrial dimension, but their implementation leverages elements well beyond R&I. Specific implementation (including funding) strategies will have to be designed, ensuring the participation of all stakeholders (Industry, SMEs, local authorities, educational institutions and civil society). The common target is to collectively achieve and demonstrate at scale a leap towards circularity and carbon neutrality in the use of resources (feedstock, energy and water) in a profitable way.

The ECoP is a tool for connecting the Hubs and the community of interest into a network for exchanging tools and knowledge across regions. It has also been proposed by Processes4Planet partnership. The project will embrace possibly all existing H4C and circular systemic activities and strongly link with the activities of relevant European Partnerships, such as P4Planet.

The ECoP should:

• Gather, evaluate and synthesise state-of-the-art knowledge on circularity and industrial symbiosis and work out their benefits for climate neutrality and competitiveness in relation to their possible applications. This work should embrace the outcomes of all previously funded projects and be subject to constant updates;
• Characterise, classify and evaluate systematically symbiosis and circularity-related solutions with a constant update of symbiosis and circularity-related solutions;
• Draw up a list of specifications/criteria for best suited areas/regions taking into account lifting up or expanding existing hubs;
• Analyse in detail suitable regions/areas in the EU for H4C implementation. The regions/areas to consider should involve all alternative resource streams relevant for process industries as potential source of feedstock or as utilities, I-US scenarios and infrastructures that are already in place; scrutinise co-investment scenarios (combination of public and private means) to reach high Symbiosis Readiness Levels (SRL).
• Analyse proven involvement of regions and local communities;
• Identify high-potential regions/areas, for developing the first demonstrator of H4C by 2026. Such identification should be justified on the basis of objective criteria and should be open to further regions in the course of the project. Criteria should focus on process level, symbiosis process implementation, commitment level of the local authorities and communities, regional specificities (business/industrial policy and strategies), additional funding, potential private investors, etc. These hubs should become lighthouse examples of win-win cooperation between industry, SMEs, public authorities, educational institutions and civil society on circular economy beyond 2026;
• The H4C could be thematic at first (e.g. focus on valorisation of emissions or circular use of plastic waste, etc.) and evolve after a successful first demonstration into a broader concept, attracting other players from other industry sectors at local, regional, national or European level and enabling industrial symbiosis in new areas and processes;
• Propose stakeholder events for local and regional authorities creating awareness on industrial opportunities and challenges based on the analysis;
• Connect the regional H4C and ensure a mutually profitable knowledge and experience exchange;
• Provide support and advice to the community members, as well as, tutorials and learning framework about state-of-the-art solutions (for technical and non-technical problems);
• Promote the role and service of enablers/facilitators as a new type of service to industry, regions and civil society;
• Support the transfer of knowledge, tools and innovation across the H4C, and the programming groups or ad-hoc task forces;
• Engage with stakeholders, such as, universities or other educational institutions to facilitate the training of circular practitioners. These practitioners should have an in-depth understanding of I-US, the state-of-the-art tools and databases and newest business models;
• Track regional needs based on feedback of H4C and other supporting members in order to optimise the support;
• Enable and regularly update evaluation of I-US projects by providing systematic knowledge on gaps and potential impacts, and favour connection with regions/areas of high potential for a first successful implementation of a H4C;
• Identify potential sites for setting up emerging new hubs based on mapping of I-US and circular activities as a continuous update and extension of the pre-implementation analysis.

The EU funded projects under Process4Planet, Made in Europe and Clean Steel but also under cluster 6 dealing with circularity will be required to provide complete information and full collaboration to the ECoP platform.

Clustering and cooperation with other selected projects under this cross-cutting call and others in HE, and with European initiatives (as for example Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) and European Circular Economy Stakeholder Panel (ECESP)), building on existing H2020 projects[[e.g. Sharebox, Scaler, CIRCLEAN network or JRC Industry mapping EIGL, etc.]] is strongly encouraged, see also Industrial Symbiosis Report from March 2020.[[Study and Portfolio Review of Cluster of Projects on Industrial Symbiosis

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/f26dfd11-6288-11ea-b735-01aa75ed71a1]].

This topic implements the co-programmed European partnership Processes4Planet.