The summit of the circular economy began with a moment for the history books: at the Circular Valley Forum in Wuppertal the Minister Presidents of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Flanders, Hendrik Wüst and Jan Jambon, signed the first „Memorandum of Understanding" for the cooperation of two regions in the circular economy. The German federal state and the Belgian region agreed to exchange know-how, start pilot projects, train skilled workers and jointly apply for funds. The agreement is explicitly open for more countries and regions. The Netherlands are considered to be one of the ideal next partners.

NRW Minister President Wüst emphasized the importance of working across borders. No country can be successful in the circular economy on its own. The positive impact is closely related to scale. NRW and Flanders represent the largest industrialized metropolitan area in Europe and are therefore in an excellent position to initiate cooperation in the circular economy. „We want to show that it is possible", Wüst said. And it is vital to manage climate protection and preserve economic wealth simultaneously. Circular Valley Forum is doing important pioneer work for creating such a sustainable economy.

Flanders brings a lot of experience to the table. The region aims to decrease their „material footprint" by 30 per cent until 2030. „It is invaluable that we join forces now," said the Flemish Minister President Jambon on Thursday. NRW and Flanders constitute the center of the circular economy in Europe and jointly strive to ensure the circular flow of materials as much as possible. And with regard to Belgium presiding over the European Council in 2024, the circular economy will be an important topic, Jambon said. For example, a conference on circular economy is planned for April 17.

A good circular economy start-up has a threefold effect: it prevents emissions, conserves raw materials and saves money. Measured against these criteria, 14 very good start-ups participated in the Circular Valley DemoDay in the Rhine-Ruhr region. The international entrepreneurs currently supported by the initiative presented business models that prevent environmental pollution on a large scale, turn supposed waste into new materials and significantly reduce the consumption of water, wood or concrete.

In response to the severe plastic pollution of the world's oceans, many start-ups are looking for alternatives to plastic. Mi Terro from the USA has developed a bio-based plastic that can, for instance, be used as a detergent or ketchup packaging. One.five from Germany has invented new packaging for food and nutritional supplements as well as for cosmetic products.
70 percent of fresh water is consumed by the agricultural sector. Smart Watering Solutions from Serbia has developed an app to decrease this share. The startup provides precise data on when and how much water is needed. Using these data can save 15 percent of costs and 19 kilograms of CO2 per hectare.

The construction sector is responsible for a large amount of pollutant emissions, thereby creating much potential to reduce emissions. At DemoDay, Widuz from Singapore and Kohlschein Modulbau from Warburg, Germany, showed two examples of how this can be achieved. The Asian startup has developed a high-performance bamboo. The fast-growing raw material replaces wood in furniture, window frames and stairs. Kohlschein Modulbau uses recycled glass and hempcrete to create environmentally friendly building components.

The German start-up Voodin Blade Technologies solves a challenge in the field of renewable energy. Until now, wind turbines are rarely recycled when they reach their end of life. The cost of recycling is so high that 78 percent of wind turbines end up in landfills. Voodin Blade has developed blades made of wood that have the same properties as conventional rotor blades, but can be recycled and therefore save 20 percent in costs. A prototype has already been developed, and larger and larger blades will be produced over the next two years.

Quadloop is tackling two widespread problems in Africa: large quantities of electronic waste and the unstable power supply. The Nigerian startup produces solar lanterns from e-waste. The solar lanterns keep electrical parts in circulation and provide a safe source of light. Quadloop already attracted a lot of attention at the World Economic Forum, among other places.

Two other Circular Valley start-ups are working in the same field: NIU NIU from Mexico has developed an AI technology that analyzes the components of electronic waste to save rare materials. And Circu Li-Ion from Luxembourg enables clean recycling and reuse of batteries.

Participants for each batch of the Circular Economy Accelerator are selected by a jury from hundreds of proposals. They selected startups are then supported over three months to make make their idea marketable and scalable. High-profile coaches and mentors collaborate with startups in Circular Valley to refine their business models. Additionally, the initiative facilitates intensive exchange between young and established companies and the academic community.

The guests of the Circular Valley Forum had two members of the federal government on their side in terms of content. Federal Minister for the Environment Steffi Lemke and Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner explicitly supported the circular economy summit. Lindner welcomed the fact that representatives from different areas "regularly come together to exchange experiences and provide policy recommendations. We gladly welcome them," said Lindner ahead of the Forum. His cabinet colleague Lemke emphasized that Circular Valley has an important role model function: "You show the opportunities in a circular economy."

Ministers Lemke and Lindner see a double opportunity in the circular economy. It is "a market-driven instrument to strengthen the efficiency and sustainability of our economy," said the Finance Minister. "Environmental and nature protection are increasingly becoming drivers of innovation," explained the Minister of the Environment, pointing out that the federal government is currently developing a strategy for the circular economy. The goal is to reduce the need for primary raw materials and "close material cycles.

Nanette Braun sees the planet threatened by a triple crisis: climate change, pollution and the loss of biodiversity. The circular economy is one of the main ways to overcome these interconnected crises: "We must steer away from what is clearly an unsustainable model and move toward less destructive resource extraction, but also toward lowering emissions and cutting down on waste and pollution. It is important to understand that circularity isn't just a fad - it is critical for humanity to survive."

The guest from the United Nations sees "momentum" for the entire circular economy because there are initiatives for sustainability in many areas. But that is still not enough: "Industrial emissions have even been growing faster since 2000 than in any other sector, driven by increased raw material extraction and production. Needless to say, there is urgent need for action, including the transition to renewable energy across all processes," Nanette Braun said.

Nanette Braun encourages "to bring existing momentum to scale". The circular economy should not be understood as a menu from which individual steps can be selected one after the other, she said. Rather, it is a systematic approach – and "the only viable option". The United Nations is taking on an important role here, ensuring that progress is credibly assessed and that attempts at greenwashing don't stand a chance. "Tools like the standards for net-zero emissions developed under the leadership of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are important to realistically assess whether we are on the right track," says Nanette Braun. In this context, she also appeals to consumers, as their purchasing decisions have an influence as well: "We have seen much heightened awareness, in particular among young people, as to the choices they make, whether it is transport or the products they opt to spend their money on. This is encouraging and should further incentivize the transition from a linear to a circular economy".

Bayer and Bioweg have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, outlining specific further steps in the collaboration between the two organizations. This emphasizes the commitment of both parties to promote sustainable agricultural solutions. The partners aim to develop sustainable formulation materials for seed coatings and the encapsulation of controlled-release plant protection products that are bio-based and biodegradable.

For the collaboration, Bioweg's material research and development team will move to North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically to the Bayer LifeHub in Monheim am Rhein. The LifeHub supports innovative startups by providing them access to Bayer's facilities, enabling close collaboration.

Dr. Prateek Mahalwar, CEO of Bioweg, explained the benefits and goals of the partnership:

Bayer is also very optimistic about the cooperation: "We are pleased to welcome the first startup company to the campus of Bayer's global headquarters for the Crop Science Division in Germany as part of our open innovation strategy and our efforts to further complement our innovation capabilities through close collaboration with young and innovative startup companies," said Axel Trautwein, Head of Regulatory Science at Bayer's Crop Science Division.

Regarding the partnership: Nowadays, seeds undergo a coating process to achieve uniform shape, size, weight, and surface. This coating serves various purposes, including facilitating sowing, improving seed quality through the use of active ingredients, and protecting against biological and environmental influences.

Seed coatings typically consist of polymers, binders, dyes, minerals, and various additives. These components are subject to strict regulations and are often not biodegradable. Bioweg has developed biodegradable and bio-based alternatives to agricultural coatings and other agricultural formulation materials. These sustainable and adaptable solutions address various challenges, such as adjustable release, loading with active ingredients or micronutrients, and increasing microbial resilience to optimize crop yields. The development of biodegradable seed and fertilizer coatings not only expands farmers' options to derive greater benefits from their production, both economically and ecologically. This radically new approach can also contribute to making agriculture and our food system more resilient.

Together, they have now celebrated a milestone. In early November, Plastic Fischer reported having fished out the 1000th ton of plastic waste from rivers in Southeast Asia. An important aspect of this process is that local employees can easily set up and deploy the floating barriers.

Founded in 2019, the startup now employs around 90 people in India and Indonesia who retrieve plastic waste from rivers and prepare it for recycling. One of them shared a special story with the founders: Since he and his son now have secure jobs, he bought the first trash can of his life.

In early December, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium embarked on a three-day state visit to Berlin and chose a special setting for their reception. In the large hall of the Funkhaus Berlin, they welcomed around 400 guests (including Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife) to a concert. Queen Mathilde inquired with Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Circular Valley Foundation, about the work in the extended Rhine-Ruhr region. She was delighted to learn that North Rhine-Westphalia and Flanders are collaborating in the circular economy, emphasizing the high significance of the topic for Belgium.

A study titled "It's time to connect the dots on circularity" was conducted by the consulting firm Kearney, in collaboration with its Business Model Innovation arm FFWD and Circular Valley. The partners surveyed a hundred business executives to inquire about their approach to the circular economy, the existence and nature of connections between circular initiatives and corporate strategies, and where opportunities for creation of value through the circular economy were identified.

The central findings of the study reveal that two-thirds of the companies have already incorporated circular economy elements into their strategies, anticipating an increase in demand and revenue. Simultaneously, they view the circular economy as a key to greater resilience in times of geopolitical instability and a potential differentiator.

However, the survey respondents also identified challenges on their journey. Clear metrics, cross-organizational linkages, and experiences on how to fully embed the circular economy at the core of the business and sustain investments in this area are still lacking. In line with these challenges, the study includes chapters on collaborations, long-term orientation, innovation, and acceleration.

The participants in the study describe the sense of urgency as high and ultimately purposeful. There is a fitting headline in the study for this aspect as well – a chapter titled "The reasons for change are clear."

The goal is to facilitate cooperation between local businesses and startups with partners in Ghana, as well as enable the participation of additional Ghanaian startups in the Circular Economy Accelerator. Therefore, Circular Valley has developed an eight-part webinar series to support entrepreneurs in Africa, with key topics including food and the textile industry. A vital component is the direct exchange between startups, involving Circular Valley alumni and young companies from Ghana. "Our cross-border work in the circular economy is not limited to Europe. We are delighted with the many partners in Africa and worldwide," said Andreas Mucke, Managing Director of Circular Economy Accelerator GmbH.

In recent months, the initiative for the circular economy welcomed visitors, including the Candid Foundation. The independent non-profit organization based in Berlin focuses on the Middle East and North Africa. This brought founders and activists to Wuppertal, carrying many ideas and insights into the circular economy.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, brought a delegation from China to Germany and Wuppertal. The guests from state-owned enterprises demonstrated in their discussions that the circular economy has gained considerable momentum in their country.

For the preservation of creation, the circular economy is of crucial importance. In line with this, 40 pastors from Protestant Churches visited the Circular Valley. After a long and intensive exchange with Circular Valley, they now have two initiatives: addressing the topic in church services to attract people who might not usually attend and continuing the dialogue at a higher level within the Protestant Church in the Rhineland. A nice conclusion of the meeting: Despite the significant challenges in climate and environmental protection, the guests left Circular Valley with a "good feeling" based on what they heard.