European Community of Practice supporting Hubs for Circularity (H4C ECoP)

Project Information

H4C ECoP

Grant agreement ID: 101058656

DOI

10.3030/101058656

Project closed

EC signature date 21 April 2022

Start date 1 June 2022

End date 31 May 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 1 658 186,25

EU contribution

€ 1 658 186,25

Coordinated by

INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - H4C ECoP (European Community of Practice supporting Hubs for Circularity (H4C ECoP))

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

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Hubs for Circularity (H4C) are to be the European lighthouses of resource efficiency: through implementing best practice in industrial and urban symbiosis (I-US). The ambition of the H4C ECoP is to trigger a step change toward implementation of I-US and circularity, to progress toward meeting the European Commission’s Green Deal goals, including reducing carbon emissions by 55%, and economic growth decoupled from resource use.
The Commission has invested heavily in preparing Europe for mainstream uptake of I-US, funding multiple projects producing knowledge, tools, models, and technologies (KTMT), thousands of case studies evidencing economic, environmental, and social benefits, and training modules to support stakeholders to implement I-US. The 2018 report for DG GROW1 documents multiple instances of I-US across Europe but few have achieved scale and mainstream industry still does not see the benefits. The H4C ECoP is tasked with redressing this lack of uptake.
A common challenge facing key stakeholders wanting to implement I-US is a lack of awareness and access to key resources needed to support immediate implementation, as well as active engagement and collective learning and use of resources - resources being the substantial body of information (KTMT) that exists in this area including the existing evidence base (economic, environmental, and social benefits delivered).

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

The digital Knowledge Platform was launched online. Addressed at experts, practitioners, and stakeholders from industries and cities from all over Europe, the Knowledge Platform will be the virtual forum for the community. The platform will be the backbone for the community’s activities with the active contribution of its members and will feature a collection of practical tools, methods, and contacts, thereby enabling easy exchanges and networking opportunities.
A collective sensemaking online workshop “Developing key performance indicators for industrial-urban circular economy initiatives”, organised by H4C ECoP, was held on 28 June 2023, to discuss and reflect on the various KPI development processes relevant to the industrial-urban symbiosis and circular economy community.
We have engaged and consulted 01-14 H4C demo projects and stakeholders. Several meetings have taken place with the H4C demo projects. Initially individual meetings took place to introduce H4C COP to the demo projects and to understand the aims of each project. Regular joint meetings with the demo project coordinators are now taking place, identifying common areas where the projects would like to collaborate and also receive support from H4C ECoP.
The mapping of non-technological barriers/enablers for 4 models of I-US implementation is being developed.
We started the development of a methodology to identify and characterize regions and sites in Europe with high potential to become Hubs for Circularity. First, we identified relevant quantitative and qualitative criteria to assess the potential for Industrial and Urban Symbiosis. Once these criteria were stablished, we researched, identified , and assessed appropriate sources of data to be evaluated. We also identified adequate tools to process the gathered information and begun the analysis. This included statistics and mapping of industrial and agricultural activity. The analysis provided preliminary results that allowed the refining of the methodology. This work is still on progress.
A GDPR-compliant stakeholder map was developed. H4C ECoP and H4C EUROPE collaborated directly on its development using complementary approaches: retrieving data both via AI-powered research (scanning relevant EU and national-funded projects), collecting stakeholder information through relevant communities, networks and associations, as well as through personal contacts of the two consortia.

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)

The established ECoP will become an effective and sustainable platform connecting H4C and all actors willing to invest in I-US, towards building new circular value chains. To effectively support the H4C, available information regarding I-US Knowledge, Tools, Models, Technologies will be curated, and made accessible to the community via the project platform. The training needs of the H4C demo sites will be assessed, and training offerings made available to key stakeholders.
To enable the progress quantification of circularity and symbiosis, we are compiling a comprehensive list of existing KPIs for I-US, and a methodology for their selection, organisation and implementation will be proposed.
Non-technological barriers will be mapped building on previous project results. Actions to overcome these barriers will be proposed so that I-US can be best exploited.
Building on past assessment of IS potential, a systematic assessment of the regional potential for I-US based on generic criteria will be carried out.
Co-investment scenarios to achieve high SRL will be scrutinised. Comprehensive information of EU funding schemes relevant to I-US will be gathered and synthesized to provide the information back to public and private investors, and all user groups. Based on this work and the work done in the identification of most suitable areas for H4C implementation, a roadmap on how to achieve an effective implementation of a certain number of first-of-a-kind pilots in advanced H4C by 2026 will be established, supported by a solid blended funding strategy, targeting the accomplishments of 2050 Green Deal Goals.
National and regional authorities will be consulted to identify funding schemes relevant to I-US. Private investment opportunities will be investigated using the network of the project. This work will contribute to stimulate public and private investments in CE projects.
H4C ECoP will work with H4C Europe consortium to develop stakeholder relations for I-US. Leveraging this structure with the H4C demos, H4C ECoP will drive and coordinate business-to-territory relationships in the area in which the H4C, or neighbouring H4C, are located.