Circular Friesland

Leeuwarden region, the Netherlands

The Circular Friesland Association was founded by 25 companies and organisations including the Province of Friesland and Municipality of Leeuwarden.

The first step was to analyse the flow of raw materials to identify which streams could be processed circularly and quickly transformed into a circular economy.

Five circular themes were identified: circular agriculture, circular plastic, organic waste streams, construction of the future, and saline agriculture.
Members of Circular Friesland are from the public and private sector, and collaborate with circular experts.

Key initiatives:

  • Collaboration between public and private sector
  • Partnerships between different companies within material value chains

Outcomes and value delivered:

  • Circular collaborations between companies in the region
  • National Test Centre Circular Plastics

Circular Oslo

Oslo, Norway

The Circular Oslo initiative, part of Circular Regions, was created as a regional multi-stakeholder approach to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

The initiative identifies and highlights solutions with the potential to be tested on a smaller scale in Oslo, then replicated internationally –including innovating business models through the adoption of circular design based strategies, building knowledge and experience for reduced material consumption, and enabling a regional access economy.

Circular Regions supports and maps initiatives, and connects cities to the broader region, and covers urban and rural solutions.

The multi-stakeholder collaboration environment includes government, industry, civil society and science bodies.

Key initiatives:

  • Tools and resources for the public sector, business, NGOs and individuals
  • Circular workshops and events

Outcomes and value delivered:

  • CIRCULAR @ Oslo Innovation Week event, September 2020

Foodvalley

The Netherlands

Foodvalley’s ambition is to achieve food production in balance with the living environment, while significantly reducing the use of raw materials and losses throughout the chain.

The Foodvalley ecosystem aims to accelerate circular innovation and growth by connecting a range of companies to resources, facilities, knowledge suppliers and potential partners.

Key innovation activities include:

  • Robust cultivation of healthy soils and sustainable livestock farming
  • Reduce the use of raw materials, combined with high quality processing of residual flows
  • Scaling up alternative cultivation methods, such as vertical agriculture
  • Innovative companies and knowledge suppliers working together

Outcomes and value delivered:

  • Foodvalley Summit events for market trends, innovations, opportunities and challenges in Circular Agrifood