3R Connect Reduce, Reuse and Rethink
CLEAN Danmark, Comissao de Coordenacao e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte PT, Flux50, Greater Copenhagen Danmark, Smart Waste Portugal, and VLAIO
: €499.644
One of the project's outcomes is the action plans developed in collaboration with local ecosystems. You can find the action plans below or click on the link for the action plan construction, plastics, textiles
Process
To arrive at a cross-regional Transformative Action Plan, a regional analysis will be conducted on:
- The regional innovation ecosystem.
- Strategic priorities, roadmaps and action plans.
- Regional competencies and capacities.
This will be followed by the cross-regional phase. During this phase, the regional analyses are compiled. Common priorities and actions for the three regions are identified. Then, the required actions to further accelerate circularity in the regions will be announced.
Implementing these actions will be done in potential follow-up projects, which will enable knowledge exchange in the connected network of innovative regions.
Indeed, Europe seeks to develop several innovative competence centres with connected ecosystems.
Through its expertise and ongoing projects in the innovator zone and focus domain, "Intelligent & Replicable Renovation," Flux50 seeks to advance "circular building." Hence, Flux50 draws this theme.
Clean Copenhagen accomplishes its sustainability goals through years of expertise in the area of plastics recycling. Smart Waste Portugal also offers education in waste management, the national plastics value chain, and textiles in the circular economy.
Context
The Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP, 2020) is an important cornerstone of the European Green Deal. The commitment to recycling and maintaining critical and strategic materials (Critical Raw Materials Act, 2023) should make Europe less dependent on imports. The Net Zero Industrial Green Deal targets a dedicated European ecosystem for the production and innovation of so-called ‘net-zero technologies’ in view of the Union's 2030 decarbonisation target.
3R-Connect aims to bring together technological innovation for circularity from different regions into one project. It falls under the European Innovation Ecosystems" (Horizon) work programme, which aims to ensure connectivity between regional systems to accelerate new technological developments for pressing societal challenges.
Transitions such as the one towards a circular economy require a holistic systems approach that brings the quadruple helix together and also connects different regional competence centres.
3R-Connect is starting from three core regions: Flanders, the Greater Copenhagen region, and northern Portugal. Each regional innovation ecosystem will separately assess its circular capabilities and potential for the textile, construction, and plastics sectors.
In the cross-regional phase, the regional competence analyses are compared. Actions needed for all regions are bundled in a European cross-regional Transformative Action Plan (TAP), while distinctive local competencies can be accelerated. After which, they flow into the connected network of innovative regions through knowledge exchange.
The project has a methodological and substantive objective:
- Methodologically, the project aims to refine the S3-Innovation Model as a tool to arrive at shared European TAPs, as well as use it as a method to connect different regional competence centres.
- In terms of content, the aim is to develop a cross-regional TAP for the reduction and reuse of (critical and strategic) raw materials within the plastics, textiles, and construction sectors. In this way, the ground can be methodically levelled to subsequently implement the TAP.
3R Connect is Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor EISMEA can be held responsible for them.
