CircularPSP

Circular Economy Hotspot Slovenia 2025
2025-09-10 - 2025-09-12
In 2025, Slovenia will host a conference in a series of circular hotspot conferences, which are intended to bring together planners and implementers of circular economy measures.
This year marks 10 years since the first Circular Economy Conference in Slovenia. It also marks 10 years since the first EU Circular Economy Action Plan. It was created in recognition of the fact that the material aspect is an important lever for achieving climate, environmental and biodiversity goals. Reducing the consumption of primary resources, designing products from secondary resources, introducing circular business models and circular consumption are only some from the variety of circular economy measures with which we can effectively respond to the challenges of excessive resource consumption.
Five years ago, the EU adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan with a strong message: “For a cleaner and more competitive Europe”. Its purpose is to encourage the production of sustainable products that can be used for a long time and to enable citizens to fully participate in the circular economy and the positive changes it brings.
But success in this area will require a lot of effort, as the consumption of material resources already exceeds the capacity of our planet. Estimates show that by 2050, human consumption will have grown to the point where it would require three planet Earths.
Implementing circular principles is an economically and socially demanding task that requires a systemic approach, as the levers for action require coordination in all areas of our activities and lives.
Hence this conference aims at contributing to greater awareness and better progress of the circular economy. We primarily want to focus on questions: where are we, what can we do and how can we do it?
The conference will look at circular economy through the lens of competitiveness and resilience of the EU and Slovenia and the lens of supply and demand system.
Conference organization
Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, in cooperation with the Strategic Research and Innovation Partnership Circular Economy and Circular Change, successfully applied to hold a conference on the circular economy as an annual event in the series of conferences of the circular economy hotspots.
The conference is organized by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy and the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport and in cooperation with the Slovenian Centre for Circular Economy.
Members of programming committee are: Uroš Vajgl, State secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, head; dr. Janez Potočnik, co-chair, UN International Resource Panel; Nina Meglič, ReCatalyst; Anna Brussa, Climate KIC; Jaka Kranjc, Ecologists Without Borders Association; Marija Čebular Zajec, Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport; Mireia Cannellas Grifoll, Ministry of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition, Catalonia.
The plenary part of the conference will be held in Slovenian and English. Interpretation will be provided from English into Slovenian and vice versa. Parallel sessions will be held in English.
Who should attend?
The conference is intended for companies from various industries, universities and faculties, students, research institutions, ministries, public utilities participating in waste management schemes, municipalities, regional development agencies, non-governmental organizations and the media, as operating according to the principles of the circular economy concerns companies, research, professional and innovative institutions, ministries, local communities and individuals
How will the conference achieve its purpose?
The conference will bring together circular economy policymakers at the EU level and in Slovenia, designers of support systems and implementers of circular practices in the field.
Good business practices and the forefront of circular innovation will be presented, the discussion will also focus on the role of decision-makers who design support systems and programs to overcome obstacles to the circular economy. We will talk about how circular economy can contribute to social resilience and what role local communities, businesses and young people play in this. We will also discuss tools for strengthening circular supply and demand.
Conference participants will also be able to learn about and experience circular economy practices on site.
There will be many opportunities for networking, exchanging opinions and experiences among conference participants, with panellists and speakers.

Launch of the Nordic Ecosystem for Circular Construction
2026-01-27 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Berlin)
27 January 2026 | Online Event
On Tuesday, 27 January 2026, the Nordic Ecosystem for Circular Construction will be officially launched during a dedicated digital session bringing together policymakers, practitioners and innovators from across the Nordic region and beyond.
Hosted by Nordic Circular Hotspot and Natural State, the event marks a significant milestone following the Circular Build Forum in Denmark, one of the leading platforms for circular construction in the Nordics. For the first time, the organisers have introduced a dedicated Nordic Track, offering a full day of sessions focused on accelerating circularity in the built environment.
The 90-minute online programme will provide participants with:

A wrap-up of the Circular Build Forum, including key highlights and practical takeaways

An overview of the Nordic Circular Construction project and its strategic objectives

The official launch of the Nordic Ecosystem for Circular Construction, aimed at fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange and systemic change across the sector

The initiative seeks to strengthen cooperation across the value chain, support innovation, and scale circular solutions in construction—objectives that strongly resonate with CircularPSP’s work on enabling circular economy practices through innovative public procurement and digital public service platforms.
The session is free of charge and will take place online from 14:30 to 16:00 CET. A recording will be made available following the event.
📅 Date: Tuesday, 27 January 2026⏰ Time: 14:30–16:00 CET📍 Format: Online
Further information and registration details are available via the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform: https://nordiccircularhotspot.org/events/programme-launch-nordic-community-for-circular-construction

World Sustainable Energy Days 2026
2026-02-24 - 2026-02-27
What are the World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED)?

Energy transition = energy independence
Geopolitical instabilities, high energy prices and growing global competition make one thing clear: Europe must urgently increase its energy independence. Energy efciency and renewable energy are the key assets in this transformation: They decrease energy imports, reduce energy prices and make Europe more resilient.
The World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED) present policies, technologies and business models which increase competitiveness and make energy more affordable. The event is a leading annual conference on the energy transition and climate neutrality with over 650 participants from more than 60 countries.

When does it take place?
24 – 27 February 2026

How to join?
Mark your calender, register today and join us in Wels at the World Sustainable Energy Days!

Contact
Conference office
OÖ Energiesparverband
Landstrasse 45, 4020 Linz, Austria
Tel. +43/732/7720-14386
office(at)esv.or.at

Conference venue
Stadthalle Wels, Pollheimerstrasse 1, 4600 Wels, Austria

Who attends the event?
Over 650 experts from more than 60 countries each year!

business actors engaged in the energy transition: energy companies, technology and equipment companies, service providers, planners, developers, financing community etc.
the energy research community
public sector representatives (e.g. EU institutions, national, regional and local governments, energy agencies)

Where does it happen?
In Wels/Austria.
Upper Austria, one of Austria’s nine regions, is a leader in the clean energy transition, making the region an ideal location for this conference. Through significant increases in energy efficiency and renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions from buildings were reduced by 42 %. Over 72 % of all space heating and 33 % of the primary energy in Upper Austria already come from renewables. Over 4.7 billion Euro are invested annually in the energy transition.

The conference organiser: OÖ Energiesparverband
The OÖ Energiesparverband (ESV) is the energy agency of Upper Austria. The agency, which was established by the regional government, drives the energy transition by promoting energy efficiency, renewables and e-mobility. It provides comprehensive services to households, businesses of all sizes and municipalities. It also supports energy technology companies in the context of the Cleantech-Cluster.

Follower Event - From Pilots to Follower Testing: Two solutions to drive municipal circularity
2026-02-26 13:00 - 14:15 | Online
CircularPSP invites you to our next Follower Event on 26 February (13:00-14:15 CET): From Pilots to Follower Testing: Two solutions to drive municipal circularity. Two Suppliers will demonstrate their CE-solution and present a detailed testing approach for Followers, which will start in March 2026 with priority given to municipalities and other public organisations.

Participation in this webinar is not required to join public testing. The event will be recorded.

Agenda:

Introduction and welcome
CircularPSP project overview and update
Summary of product and access plans for Followers by both Suppliers (VCG/CircOS, CircularAI)
Breakout rooms for both Suppliers for more detailed demonstrations and questions
Conclusion and Q&A

Registration Link

IFAT Munich 2026
2026-05-04 - 2026-05-07
Why a visit to IFAT Munich 2026 is worthwhile
IFAT Munich is the most important industry meeting point and the heart of the largest international platform for environmental technologies.
In May 2026, over 3,000 exhibitors from more than 60 countries will present their strategies and innovations. Discover pioneering solutions for water, recycling, and circularity.
Reasons for the No. 1 environmental technology trade fair
Reasons for the waste management and recycling sector
Reasons for the water management sector
Your Challenges—our solutions
Digitalization, recycling, drinking water supply, climate resilience, municipal technology – these and other industry topics will be the focus of IFAT Munich 2026. What challenges need to be overcome? What opportunities will be made possible? We would like to discuss these and other questions with you on site.

World Procurement Congress 2026
2026-05-19 - 2026-05-21
One Community. One Vision. One Future.

As the flagship gathering of procurement leaders and the world’s most influential meeting of CPOs, WPC 26 is where the function’s next chapter takes shape. In a world defined by rapid innovation and evolving global pressures, Chief Procurement Officers stand at the crossroads of human ingenuity and digital transformation. WPC 26 is where this new era of procurement takes shape — through ideas, collaboration and bold leadership in action.
Over three high-impact days, global leaders will convene in London to explore how procurement can unlock new sources of value, resilience, and innovation. The experience begins with two exclusive Day 0 forums — the AI Forum and Resilience Forum — before two days of congress sessions and concludes with the prestigious World Procurement Awards celebrating excellence across the function. Explore six essential themes: CPO Vision, People & Performance, Digitalisation, Resilience, Sustainability, and Partnerships & Innovation.

Resilience & AI in Focus

Ahead of the Congress, two exclusive Forums bring senior procurement leaders together for deep-dive collaboration. The AI Forum explores how procurement is moving from experimentation to integration by building trusted data, intelligent systems and human-AI partnerships that accelerate impact. The Resilience Forum supports leaders to anticipate disruption, build stronger supplier networks, and embed agility through technology, ESG, and culture.

SUM SYMPOSIUM IS BACK!
2026-05-20 - 2026-05-22
After the outstanding success of the 2025 edition, we are pleased to announce SUM 2026 – 9th Multidisciplinary Symposium on Circular Economy and Urban Mining, which will take place from 20 to 22 May 2026 in the stunning island of Procida, Italy – a gem in the Bay of Naples and Italy’s Capital of Culture in 2022.
Organized once again in this unique and inspiring setting, SUM 2026 will bring together leading international experts, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers — representing diverse disciplinary backgrounds — to explore the latest advancements and key challenges in circular economy, sustainable resource management, and urban mining.
The previous edition, held in Procida in 2025, was a great success, attracting participants from 26 countries and a wide variety of disciplines. Building on this momentum, SUM has established itself as a truly multidisciplinary annual event, recognizing the increasing complexity of circular economy issues and the urgent need for integrated, cross-sectoral solutions.
SUM2026 is scientifically organised by IRACE – International Research Association on Circular Economy and benefits from the scientific contribution of a Multidisciplinary Executive Committee composed of scientists from several prestigious universities worldwide.
The Symposium fosters open dialogue and collaboration among experts from fields such as Engineering, Economics, Law, Environmental Sciences, Medicine, Psychology, Sociology, and many others — promoting a science-based approach that connects research, policy, and practice.

Circular Solutions and AI Innovation for Future Cities
2026-06-01
How can cities turn circular economy ambition into practical action? Join us for Circular Solutions and AI Innovation for Future Cities, an event bringing together public authorities, businesses, researchers and innovators to explore how circular solutions and AI-powered tools can support more sustainable, resilient and future-ready urban systems.
📍1 June 2026 in Istanbul.
Through keynote insights, live platform demonstrations and a panel discussion, the session will showcase how digital solutions such as CircularAI and VCG.AI are helping cities move from strategy to implementation.
👉 Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQ26Ee-UuuX-f5K_2IEnwQ3kWmNtidv86FyLy7uSuJ0VtHtw/viewform

International Conference on Circular Economy and Green Growth (ICCEGG)
2026-06-22 - 2026-06-23
The International Research Conference Aims and Objectives

The International Research Conference is a federated organization dedicated to bringing together a significant number of diverse scholarly events for presentation within the conference program. Events will run over a span of time during the conference depending on the number and length of the presentations. With its high quality, it provides an exceptional value for students, academics and industry researchers.
International Conference on Circular Economy and Green Growth aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Circular Economy and Green Growth. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Circular Economy and Green Growth.

Call for Contributions
Prospective authors are kindly encouraged to contribute to and help shape the conference through submissions of their research abstracts, papers and e-posters. Also, high quality research contributions describing original and unpublished results of conceptual, constructive, empirical, experimental, or theoretical work in all areas of Circular Economy and Green Growth are cordially invited for presentation at the conference. The conference solicits contributions of abstracts, papers and e-posters that address themes and topics of the conference, including figures, tables and references of novel research materials.
Guidelines for Authors
Please ensure your submission meets the conference’s strict guidelines for accepting scholarly papers. Downloadable versions of the check list for Full-Text Papers and Abstract Papers.
Please refer to the Paper Submission Guideline, Abstract Submission Guideline and Author Information before submitting your paper.
Conference Proceedings
All submitted conference papers will be blind peer reviewed by three competent reviewers. The peer-reviewed conference proceedings are indexed in the Open Science Index, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, Zenedo, BASE, WorldCAT, Sherpa/RoMEO, and other index databases. Impact Factor Indicators.
Special Journal Issues
20. International Conference on Circular Economy and Green Growth has teamed up with the Special Journal Issue on Circular Economy and Green Growth. A number of selected high-impact full text papers will also be considered for the special journal issues. All submitted papers will have the opportunity to be considered for this Special Journal Issue. The paper selection will be carried out during the peer review process as well as at the conference presentation stage. Submitted papers must not be under consideration by any other journal or publication. The final decision for paper selection will be made based on peer review reports by the Guest Editors and the Editor-in-Chief jointly. Selected full-text papers will be published online free of charge.
Conference Sponsor and Exhibitor Opportunities
The Conference offers the opportunity to become a conference sponsor or exhibitor. To participate as a sponsor or exhibitor, please download and complete the Conference Sponsorship Request Form.

Circular Cities in Action: AI-Powered Tools for Circular Transition at Scale
2026-07-02 09:00 - 13:00
Cities across Europe are under growing pressure to accelerate their transition to a circular economy, yet many still lack the tools, data, and capacity to move from policy ambition to practical implementation. This event marks the culmination of the CircularPSP programme (grant agreement no. 101092208) and introduces two AI-powered platforms – CircOS and CircularAI – developed to help address this challenge.
Through live platform demonstrations, city testimonials, and a structured roundtable discussion, participants will explore how AI can support circular city strategies in practice, hear directly from municipalities that piloted the platforms, and discuss the policy, procurement, and funding pathways needed to scale these solutions across Europe.
📅 2 July 2025 | 09:00–13:00
📍 Brussels
Take a look at the programme here.

ReSBE 2026
2026-10-20 - 2026-10-23
ReSBE 2026 is your opportunity to shape the future of the built environment through sustainability with an emphasis on circularity.

The Laboratory of Building Construction and building Physics of the School of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, along with the COST Action CA21103, join forces to host a conference dedicated to sustainability and circular economy in the built environment. The conference is proudly supported by the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE).
Our conference theme “ReShaping the Built Environment through Sustainability and Circularity” highlights the urgent need to move beyond incremental improvements and embrace transformative approaches that drive systemic change in design, construction, operation, and renewal of the built environment.
We invite researchers, practitioners, innovators, policymakers, and experts from across disciplines, geographies, and sectors to contribute to our shared vision of a regenerative and resource-efficient built environment.

Welcome Message from the ReSBE 2026 Conference Chairs

Welcome to ReSBE 2026 – ReShaping the Built Environment through Sustainability and Circularity.
The built environment is being redefined. Innovation, digitalisation, and circular thinking are transforming how we design, construct, and renew our spaces. ReSBE 2026 is where these transformations converge to ultimately lead to a more sustainable world.
This conference is not just about sharing research; it’s about co-creating the future of how we live and build. We’re bringing together people who challenge conventions, prototype solutions, and connect disciplines, because reshaping the built environment requires a new kind of collaboration.
Over three days in Thessaloniki, we will exchange ideas that cross borders and boundaries — from AI and material circularity to regenerative cities and adaptive design. Expect open dialogue, disruptive insights, and the energy of a global community that believes innovation is inseparable from sustainability.
