Sharing best practices for sustainable development
At the end of June, representatives from the Jakobstad region participated in the first joint project meeting of iCEAR – Integrated Circular Economy Action plan for Rural areas, an Interreg Europe project that brings together 9 partners from 9 countries. The meeting was held in Giessen, Germany, on 23–26 June.
The purpose of the study visit was to get to know the other project partners, go through the goals of the project and start the joint work for the coming 4 years. A central part was also to establish policy working groups, where the regions together develop tools and working methods to strengthen the circular economy at local and regional level.
Focus on policy and data
The theme of the meeting was policy instruments and data quality – two key issues for circular solutions to become a reality in practice. The workshops, which were attended by iCEAR project manager Pia Holkkola-Löf, Fredrik Sandelin, regional developer at Concordia and Matilda Björklund, expert investigator at Kronoby municipality and representative from the Jakobstad region’s joint climate working group, discussed, among other things:
- How different regions work with circular policies and action plans.
- The role of data and knowledge in developing effective governance
- Challenges in comparing data between regions and countries, as well as obstacles such as GDPR and lack of resources can entail.
For the Jakobstad region, it became particularly clear that many of the challenges we see here are also shared by our project partners in, for example, Portugal and Germany – lack of time, funding, and access to and analysis of relevant data are common factors.
Circular economy in practice
During the days in Giessen, the participants also got to visit, among others, the RINN concrete factory, where they work in various ways with the reuse of materials and resource-efficient production. The study visit provided concrete examples of how circular solutions can be implemented in traditional industries.
Key lessons
One of the biggest benefits of the meeting was getting to know the other project participants and taking part in their experiences. The discussions clearly showed that there is no “one size fits all” solution – each region has its own conditions. At the same time, the collaboration creates opportunities to draw inspiration, compare working methods and jointly develop better tools to support the circular transition.
The project is now continuing with working groups and regional stakeholder groups, where municipalities, companies and other actors are invited to contribute.
“This project gives us a unique chance to both strengthen the local work and at the same time take part in experiences from all over Europe. For the Jakobstad region, it is an opportunity to find smart solutions that make our business development more sustainable and future-proof,” says project manager Pia Holkkola-Löf.
Want to know more about iCEAR?
Read more on the project’s website or contact project manager Pia Holkkola-Löf or Elisabeth Andersson
