Building a European Community of Practice of Hubs for Circularity

Project Information

H4C EUROPE

Grant agreement ID: 101058416

DOI

10.3030/101058416

Project closed

EC signature date 6 May 2022

Start date 1 June 2022

End date 31 May 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 1 999 830,63

EU contribution

€ 1 999 829,12

Coordinated by

PNO INNOVATION SRL
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - H4C EUROPE (Building a European Community of Practice of Hubs for Circularity)

Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Hubs4Circularity (H4C) are socio-technical ecosystems for full-scale industrial (urban) symbiosis and circular economy closing energy, resource and data loops at a regional scale. They are an important building block for achieving the 2050 climate neutrality targets. The EU-funded H4C Europe project’s key mission is to set up a Community of Practice to connect H4C initiatives as well as actors from industry, regions, cities and R&D organisations. Interested parties connect through an established knowledge platform as well as during workshops and events to share knowledge, experiences, tools and materials. Overall, the project will facilitate building, scaling up and replicating H4C ecosystems. Moreover, it will help progress faster towards industrial (urban) symbiosis and circular value chains.

The H4C Europe project is creating a European Community of Practice (ECoP). It provides a community, knowledge platform, and exchange structures that will help the existing and future hubs in creation, management, and growth, by overcoming barriers to IS/I-US/C. The ECoP is set up to be self-sustaining. 10 existing Hubs have committed to join as ECoP Founding Members. The ECoP will preserve the findings of IS/I-US/C research and innovation projects, especially those funded by the EC and member states. It will organize a continuous exchange of ideas and best practices and facilitate in-depth exchanges between experts to identify bottlenecks, evaluate the outcomes of related projects, and propose innovative approaches to overcome bottlenecks. Possible topics include the financing and operation of IS infrastructures, matching demand and supply in IS and I-US, sharing benefits, cross-border exchange of materials, water, and waste-water systems, regulatory issues in the use of secondary raw materials, the tension between re-use and use of waste as feedstock, to name a few. Digitalization is a transversal enabling aspect of IS/I-US/C and the usage of digital tools will be an important aspect of each expert group. In line with the call and to achieve its vision, the CSA will work along four axes: 1) Sustainable Community building and establishment of an IT knowledge platform as a tool, 2) Consolidation and creation of available knowledge by analysis of the state of the art, in-depth discussions of leading experts, and field trials of business models and financial strategies a.o. for large-scale demonstrators, 3) Development of a KPI toolkit for the assessment of the maturity of IS/I-US/C regional initiatives towards H4C and independent evaluation of H4Cs as candidates for lighthouse projects, as well as the elaboration of policy recommendations, 4) Promotion of the H4C concept, societal engagement, and policy recommendations.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

H4C Europe has successfully established a unified Community of Practice (CoP) and a knowledge-sharing platform for Hubs for Circularity (H4C), achieving significant progress in sustainability, knowledge exchange, analysis, and promotion of the H4C concept. Key accomplishments include exceeding the goal of 25 active contributors within the first year, launching the Knowledge Platform in March 2023 as an interactive hub for accessing knowledge, conducting a thorough analysis of 141 IS/I-US/CE projects, developing a KPI toolkit and maturity assessment model, and progressing on the State of Play Analysis for targeted regions. Ongoing activities involve the promotion of the H4C concept through dissemination, communication, policy recommendations, and the development of an advocacy handbook. The consortium remains committed to engaging stakeholders throughout Europe.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Establishment of a Vibrant Community of Practice (CoP)
Results: Exceeded expectations in creating a dynamic CoP linking process industry parks, H4C candidates, corporates, research institutions, universities, and SMEs.
Impacts: Enhances collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking, fostering innovation and sustainable practices.
Key Needs: Continuous community engagement, post-project CoP sustainability support, and measures for diversity and inclusivity.

Up-to-date Support through Knowledge Development
Results: Curated knowledge, tools, models, solutions, and training materials via the Knowledge Centre facilitate informed decision-making for H4Cs.
Impacts: Accelerates H4C development, increases problem-solving efficiency, and enhances business modeling effectiveness.
Key Needs: Ongoing Knowledge Centre updates, collaborative research addressing emerging challenges, and strategies for sustained community engagement.

Development of Methodologies and KPIs for Circular Progress
Results: H4C Assessment Toolkit provides a structured approach for quantifying circularity and symbiosis, identifying gaps for targeted improvements.
Impacts: Informs decision-making, improves performance assessment, and drives targeted interventions for circular economy goals.
Key Needs: Continuous refinement of methodologies, alignment with emerging sustainability metrics, and user-friendly tools for broader adoption.

State-of-Play Analysis for Targeted Regions/Areas
Results: Transparent evaluations of 15–20 regions and industrial parks identify areas with high IS/I-US/CE potential.
Impacts: Strategically selects locations for advanced H4Cs and large-scale demonstrators, fostering regional economic and environmental benefits.
Key Needs: Ongoing regional monitoring, collaboration with local stakeholders, and mechanisms for swift implementation of identified opportunities.

H4C 2050 Roadmap for Advanced Pilots
Results: Comprehensive roadmap outlines RD&I requirements, budget considerations, potential business cases, and funding strategies for first-of-a-kind H4C demonstrators.
Impacts: Accelerates CO2 impact reduction in energy-intensive industries, providing strategic direction for investment and innovation.
Key Needs: Collaboration with financial institutions, ongoing market analysis, and policy advocacy for necessary funding.

Collaboration, Promotion, and Sustainability Planning
Results: Successful collaboration, H4C concept promotion, and sustainability plan development for ECoP beyond the project's completion.
Impacts: Wide dissemination of the H4C concept, increased stakeholder engagement, and a sustainable framework for ongoing community support.
Key Needs: Continued advocacy, international collaboration, financial support for the sustainability plan, and proactive engagement with regulatory bodies.

Image created to signify H4C Concept

H4C Europe Logo

H4C Community of Practice platform

Hubs4Circularity Community of Practice logo