The Circular Valley Foundation has launched its new educational initiative, "Circular Valley Scouts – Exploring the Circular Economy." Supported by the North Rhine-Westphalia Foundation for Environment and Development, the innovative programme is aimed at students from Year 5 onwards. Its objective is to promote sustainable consumption and empower young people to actively contribute to the transition towards a circular economy. 

Developed in cooperation with companies from the region, the programme combines theoretical learning with practical career orientation. After all, the shift from a linear to a circular economy requires not only technological innovation but also a fundamental change in the way society thinks and acts. 

Where Theory Meets Practice 

The programme consists of two main phases. During the training phase, students take part in three in-depth double lessons covering the fundamentals of sustainability and the circular economy. Using the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the so-called R-strategies (ranging from Refuse to Recover), they learn to critically assess linear value chains and develop circular alternatives. One particular highlight is the interactive game "Resource Race," which introduces the challenge of resource scarcity in an engaging and accessible way. 

During the second phase—the field study—students apply their newly acquired knowledge directly within companies. At Circular Valley network partners including Vorwerk, KNIPEX, AWG, Gebrüder Becker and WSW, they analyse real-world case studies, tour production facilities and exchange ideas with experts on circular solutions and career opportunities in the field. 

Successful Launch in Wuppertal Schools 

The first programme activities at Bayreuther Straße Grammar School and Vohwinkel Secondary School in Wuppertal have already demonstrated the project's potential. With great enthusiasm, students developed ideas for more sustainable lifestyles and successfully put their knowledge into practice during their first company visit to Gebrüder Becker GmbH. 
During an excursion to Circular Valley partner Erfurt, the students also made paper by hand, gaining first-hand experience of material cycles. They additionally learned how sustainability is integrated into the company's operations, how circular practices are implemented and what career opportunities are available for young people. 

"Combining Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) with practical career orientation is a unique feature of this programme and is highly valued by schools," says Rebecca Kruppert. "We are delighted by the positive response. The enthusiasm is contagious, and the students are genuinely excited to take part." 

Creating Long-Term Impact for the Region 

The project is designed as a model for wider implementation. During the pilot phase, six tailored educational modules will be tested with different types of schools—from lower secondary schools to grammar schools. The long-term goal is to establish the programme permanently. After the pilot phase, the educational formats will continue and be made available to additional schools, helping to strengthen circular economy competencies across the region over the long term. 

As raw materials become scarcer, regulatory requirements increase and companies seek more resilient supply chains, the circular economy is rapidly evolving from an environmental concern into a key competitive advantage for industry. This is the focus of the eleventh edition of the Circular Valley Circular Economy Accelerator. From today, startups from around the world are invited to apply for the programme. Applications are open until 19 July 2026. 

Six Focus Areas – Plus a Wildcard 

In addition, startups can apply through the Wildcard category with other innovative circular economy solutions, including applications in the field of artificial intelligence. 

"This is precisely why we need the innovative strength of young companies. Through our accelerator, we connect international startups with industry, academia and investors to turn promising ideas into practical solutions for industrial transformation." 

Startups to Present Their Innovations at the Circular Valley Forum 

Applications will be accepted until 19 July 2026. Selected applicants will then be invited to interviews, after which a jury comprising members of the Circular Valley network will choose the startups that will participate in the eleventh accelerator programme. 

The selected companies will come to Germany's Rhine-Ruhr region in the autumn, where they will benefit from the expertise and network of the Circular Valley community. Together with experts from industry, academia and business, they will further develop their business models, gain first-hand insights into industrial practice and prepare for discussions with potential partners and investors. 

One of the highlights of the programme is the Demo Day, which will take place as part of the Circular Valley Forum on 13 November 2026. There, participating startups will present their solutions to an audience of representatives from industry, academia, politics and the investment community, while building valuable connections to support their future growth. 
Since the Accelerator was launched in 2021, 178 startups from around the world have participated in the programme. Numerous collaborations between young companies, industrial partners and research institutions have emerged, helping to translate circular economy innovation into real-world industrial practice. 

The figures from the Circular Economy Accelerator speak for themselves: over the course of ten programme cohorts—plus a dedicated cohort focusing on reverse logistics—the programme has supported 178 startups from 45 countries. Together, these alumni have raised more than €350 million in funding. Several companies have successfully completed financing rounds worth tens of millions of euros and are now emerging as significant players in circular value chains across a wide range of industries and international markets. 

The circular economy also makes a substantial contribution to North Rhine-Westphalia's economy as a whole. According to a recent briefing paper by the Competence Network for Environmental Business NRW, more than 241,000 people are already employed in circular economy-related sectors across the state, generating €20.5 billion in gross value added. The foundations have been laid—now the focus must be on scaling solutions and strengthening cross-sector collaboration even further. 

From an Environmental Issue to a Public Health Challenge 

The Board of Trustees meeting in May was about more than just impressive figures. It also highlighted how the broader context of the circular economy has shifted. What began primarily as an environmental mission has increasingly become an economic policy instrument—strengthening supply chain resilience, reducing dependence on imported raw materials and enhancing strategic autonomy in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape. 

Another topic that received particular attention was a dimension of the circular economy that has so far received comparatively little public attention: its contribution to public health. Closing material loops more effectively in the pharmaceutical sector can reduce the amount of pharmaceutical residues entering the environment. Keeping plastics in circulation helps prevent microplastics from accumulating in soils and waterways—and ultimately entering the food chain. Likewise, circular construction promotes the use of proven, health-tested building materials rather than composite materials whose long-term health effects are still uncertain. 

"One message became particularly clear during our Board of Trustees meeting: the circular economy also has an important public health dimension. Fewer pollutants in our water, less plastic in our bodies and healthier building materials in the spaces where we live and work," says Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Circular Valley Foundation. "The case for the circular economy is becoming broader and more compelling." 

During a harbor tour, participants gained firsthand insights into the crucial role logistics plays in enabling circular systems. Fabian Pfingsten, Head of Business Development at Duisport, provided an overview of the port’s operations and shared practical examples of how companies are already helping to keep materials and resources in circulation for longer. 

In his presentation, Dr. Marius Dellbrügge from the Technical University of Dortmund explained why logistics serves as the backbone of circular systems. Products, components, and materials can only remain in circulation if collection, sorting, tracking, refurbishment, and redistribution processes are organized efficiently. Reverse logistics, digital product passports, and innovative business models all play an essential role in making this possible. 

Companies Are Already Successfully Developing Solutions 

The subsequent discussion highlighted that many of the necessary technical solutions already exist today. Companies are successfully refurbishing industrial components, recovering valuable materials, and using digital twins to improve transparency, traceability, and reuse throughout product lifecycles. 

At the same time, participants openly addressed the challenges that remain. Complex regulatory requirements, insufficient take-back systems, and unresolved questions related to waste legislation, transportation permits, recycled materials in public procurement, and international material flows continue to slow the adoption of circular business models. 

The Partner Talk once again demonstrated that the transition to a circular economy can only succeed if products and materials are efficiently collected, sorted, transported, and returned to new value cycles after use. Logistics is therefore a key enabler of resource efficiency and circular business models.

Tech Tour and Circular Valley have been working together in the field of the bioeconomy for many years. Tech Tour has now launched a dedicated Circular Economy programme in partnership with the City of Ghent and Ghent University. This development is of particular importance to Circular Valley, as its close collaboration with the Flanders region makes Ghent an increasingly important partner. 

Several companies from the Circular Valley ecosystem had the opportunity to present their solutions to an international audience of industry experts. Revoltech (Batch 3), instrAction (Batch 7), Paper Earth (Batch 8) and Ecorbio (Batch 9) were selected as pitching companies, demonstrating how Circular Valley alumni are gaining visibility across Europe. 

Highlight: Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant 

One of the highlights of the visit was the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, an independent pilot facility where companies can scale bio-based processes and products from laboratory development to industrial production. 

The facility provides services ranging from process development and scale-up to contract manufacturing for bio-based products, including biochemicals, biomaterials and biofuels. 

Since its establishment in 2008, the pilot plant has collaborated on more than 900 projects with over 270 companies of various sizes. 

Bioeconomy to Feature Again at the Circular Valley Forum 

The bioeconomy will once again play a key role at this year's Circular Valley Forum on 13 November. Unlike previous years, when the corresponding Tech Tour event took place the day before, this year's programme will be fully integrated into the Forum and held in parallel at the Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal. 

Separating the wheat from the chaff has been essential in agriculture for centuries. The same principle applies to the circular economy: without precise sorting, materials cannot be returned to high-value material cycles. Early on, the Circular Valley Foundation and its partners identified sorting technology as a cross-cutting capability with relevance across industries and initiated the first collaborative projects demonstrating its considerable potential. 

The growing interest from industry was evident at the specialist event "Material and Process Efficiency: Innovation, Regional Cooperation & Value Creation," organised by Circular Valley partner PETKUS Technologie GmbH together with the Wartburg District, the Hersfeld-Rotenburg Economic Development Agency, the Thuringian Energy and GreenTech Agency (ThEGA) and Röber Institut GmbH. Held on 20 May at the PETKUS site in Eisenach, Thuringia, the event brought together around 40 companies to discuss a wide range of approaches and practical applications for industrial sorting processes. The broad participation from different sectors highlighted the growing importance of sorting technologies for the practical implementation of the circular economy. 

Joint discussions among several partners had already taken place 

The activities in this field originated from joint discussions and initial pilot projects initiated by Circular Valley together with PETKUS, automotive supplier Aptiv and plastics recycler Energenta. The initial results have been highly encouraging and are now being further developed. The collaboration brings together two areas of expertise that rarely intersect: optical sensing technology and industrial machinery engineering—a combination where cross-industry collaboration can generate significant innovation. 

Based in Eisenach, Thuringia, PETKUS Technologie GmbH has specialised in sorting technologies since 1852, contributing advanced optical detection systems and mechanical engineering expertise originally developed for seed processing. Aptiv, a global automotive supplier with operations in Wuppertal, faces the challenge of reliably sorting small-scale production scrap. Energenta, based in Ochtrup, North Rhine-Westphalia, processes mixed plastic waste and must separate heterogeneous material streams into high-purity fractions. Three companies, three industries—and one shared challenge: how can materials be sorted with sufficient precision to return them to high-value circular systems? 

On 27 May 2026, Circular Valley participated in Japan Business Day in Düsseldorf, one of the leading German-Japanese business conferences. Since 2002, the event has been held annually as part of Japan Day and is organised by NRW.Global Business, the City of Düsseldorf and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This year's event focused entirely on the circular economy. Under the title "Realising the Circular Economy through the Commercialisation of New Ideas and Technologies," representatives from business, academia and public institutions from both countries came together to exchange ideas. 

The high-level participation—including State Secretary Paul Höller, Lord Mayor Dr. Stephan Keller and Consul General Yoshitaka Tsunoda—underlined the importance of the topic in both countries. 

Dr. Carsten Gerhardt presented the work of Circular Valley 

Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Circular Valley Foundation, introduced Circular Valley, its network and its activities, and moderated two panel discussions with experts from industry and academia, including representatives of Fraunhofer UMSICHT and the Japanese energy research organisation NEDO. In a series of case studies, companies including Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba Electronics Europe and the Düsseldorf-based startup cylib presented practical approaches to bringing circular solutions into practice. 

One key message emerged from the discussions:

The German-Japanese perspective proved to be particularly valuable. Both countries share a strong industrial base, engineering expertise and a tradition of quality-driven innovation—providing an excellent foundation for developing joint circular value chains, from resource efficiency and product design to recycling and new business models. 

Japan Business Day demonstrated that international cooperation is not simply an added benefit, but a prerequisite for turning innovative ideas into tangible impact. 

In his opening address, Minister-President Hendrik Wüst emphasized the importance of dialogue and collaboration, calling for people to “talk more with each other instead of about each other.” His message highlighted the need for cooperation across sectors and institutions to address current economic, social and environmental challenges. 

Circular Valley participated in the event with its own exhibition stand, providing an opportunity to engage with numerous representatives from politics, public institutions, business and civil society. Discussions focused on the role of the circular economy in strengthening competitiveness, resilience and sustainability, as well as on the importance of cross-sector collaboration for accelerating the transition towards circularity. 

Joint presence underlined cross-border collaboration 

Particular interest was shown in Circular Valley’s international activities, including its work with startups, industry partners and regional innovation ecosystems. The presence of partners from Flanders and the Netherlands further underscored the importance of international cooperation in advancing circular economy solutions across borders. 

In addition to innovation and business-related topics, visitors also showed strong interest in Circular Valley’s educational initiatives. The children’s book supported by the Circular Valley foundation attracted considerable attention. It introduces young children to circular thinking by showing that things can be repaired rather than discarded and replaced 
Throughout the evening, the Circular Valley stand welcomed numerous high-ranking representatives from politics and public institutions, reflecting the growing relevance of circular economy approaches for regional, national and international policymaking. 

The event once again demonstrated that meaningful progress toward a circular economy relies on dialogue, collaboration, and the willingness of various stakeholders to work together on shared solutions – in other words, talking with each other more. 

With this assessment, Professor Roland Goertz of the Bergische University of Wuppertal opened his presentation on current challenges in fire protection and emergency response at the online workshop of the "Transformation Hub Battery Value Chain" (TraWeBa), organized by Circular Valley.

New battery technologies such as sodium-ion and solid-state batteries do not fundamentally resolve the existing safety challenges. Thermal events involving lithium-ion batteries, as well as the associated risks resulting from the release of certain hydrogen-containing gases, therefore remain a key focus. These pose significant hazards, particularly in stationary energy storage systems, during transport or in enclosed spaces, and must be consistently taken into account in safety concepts. 

Alongside the technical aspects, operational emergency response also plays a central role. Emergency responders have many years of experience in dealing with the hazards associated with conventional powertrains, whereas this is not yet the case for electric drives. Additional information and training programmes could help close this gap. 

Safety Starts in the Development Process 

Building on these technical considerations, Melchior Staudacher (PEM Motion) demonstrated how safety requirements directly influence the development and production of modern battery systems. Today's batteries must combine high performance, low costs, long service life and maximum safety. These requirements, however, are often in conflict with one another. 

"All of these conflicting requirements can only be reconciled through a consistent development process." 

This statement underlines that safety cannot be considered in isolation but must be integrated systematically into the entire development process from an early stage. Close interaction between testing, simulation and coordination across cell, module and battery management system development is essential. Only in this way can robust and safe overall battery systems be developed. 

Battery Repair Brings New Safety Challenges 

Looking at the entire battery life cycle, the requirements become even more demanding. 

With this statement, Daniel Herzig of BHFM-Technologies made it clear that repairing high-voltage batteries goes far beyond technical maintenance. It represents a safety-critical intervention in a complex overall system. The central challenge is how battery systems can be reliably requalified after such an intervention and safely returned to operation. 

This gives rise to several key areas of tension. Battery systems must be opened and modules replaced in order to carry out repairs. At the same time, these interventions are particularly sensitive from a safety perspective. Standardised testing procedures are therefore essential to reliably restore system integrity. This also illustrates how closely operational activities are linked to overarching system issues. Repairs and modifications change a battery's configuration, yet such changes can currently only be documented to a limited extent within the digital battery passport. 

Insurance-related issues also remain unresolved. Despite established quality assurance methods such as Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), it is often unclear how repaired battery systems should be assessed in the event of damage. In practice, this sometimes results in batteries being classified as total losses as a precaution rather than being approved for qualified reuse. 

Collaboration Is Key to Safe Battery Systems 

The workshop highlighted that battery safety can only be achieved through close cooperation among all stakeholders across the entire value chain. At the same time, issues such as regulation, insurability and digital battery passports demonstrate that further development and coordination are still required. Nevertheless, modern battery systems are already regarded as comparatively safe. Their technological and organisational development continues to be driven forward by evolving international requirements.