What is the future of the circular economy in the Danube region? What are the best practices, how can we develop sustainable and socially beneficial business models? These are the key topics of the final international conference of the European DECIDE project, which will be held on May 13 at the Technology and Innovation Center Međimurje (TICM) in Čakovec.
The conference, titled "Turning Circular Ideas into Successful Business Models – Experiences from the Danube Region", will bring together over 60 experts from a dozen European countries. The program will run from 11 AM to 3 PM. You can join the conference in-person at TICM and via online broadcast. Participation is free of charge, with pre-registration via the official conference website. The program is in English. Lunch is provided for all participants of the live conference.
The event is organized by the Croatian partners in the DECIDE project: the Faculty of Organization and Informatics (FOI), TICM and the social enterprise Humana Nova, in cooperation with the EUSDR Working Group on Circular Economy and Bioeconomy of Priority Area 8.
PROGRAM
11:00 – Welcome & introduction
Opening remarks by hosts and guests
11:15 – DECIDE project results presentation
How does a circular idea become a successful business model?
12:30 – Keynotes
– Interreg Danube Region Programme - National Contact Point Germany
– USDR – Priority Area 8 Coordinator (Enterprise Competitiveness)
– Representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Croatia, Directory of Industry
13:30 – Panel discussion
Impact, scaling opportunities and the importance of transnational cooperation
14:30 – Closing remarks
Click HERE for program details.
An internal partners’ meeting and a study visit of the Working Group on Circular Economy and Bioeconomy will precede the final public conference.
We invite policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, regional development organisations, and all stakeholders interested in circular economy solutions to join this event and contribute to shaping a sustainable future for the Danube Region based on a circular economy.
We will explore the key aspects of the circular economy and bioeconomy, with an emphasis on digital tools, policy frameworks and regional cooperation as important factors in fostering the sustainable economic transformation of the Danube Region.
Participants will get insights into:
– Real-world examples. Results from pilot projects demonstrating how cooperation between companies, development agencies, and experts works in reality.
– The DECIDE toolkit. A suite of digital services and practical methods designed to help startups, SMEs, and regional development agencies in textiles, food, packaging, and smart cities sectors to identify and launch circular business models.
About the DECIDE project
DECIDE is a key strategic project of the Interreg programme for the Danube Region. It is worth EUR 2.8 million and brings together 16 partners from ten countries. It supports SMEs and regional investors in sectors such as food, packaging, batteries, smart cities and textiles in the transition towards a circular economy through digital tools (DECIDE toolkit). The project runs from January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, under the leadership of the Böblingen Digitalization Center (ZD.BB GmbH).
About the Croatian partners The implementation of the DECIDE project in Croatia is led by a group of experts from the business, academic and civil sectors. TICM is responsible for communication and dissemination of results at the level of the entire Danube region. FOI and Humana Nova worked on developing digital services and tools for textile waste management and its reuse through a commercial model. The value of Humana Nova's activities in the project is 95,850 euros.
