Our Approach
Using systems innovation to embed circularity in
Irish industry
CIRCULÉIRE is the first cross-sectoral industry-led innovation network dedicated to accelerating the net-zero carbon circular economy in Ireland. CIRCULÉIRE is a €4.5m public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (Secretariat), and three Strategic Partners; the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EIT Climate-KIC and 25 Founding Industry Members.
CIRCULÉIRE’s overarching objective between 2020-2022 is to source, test, finance, and scale, circular manufacturing systems, supply chains and circular business models to deliver significant reductions in both CO2 emissions and waste across our Industry Membership over the programmes’ lifespan.
How is CIRCULÉIRE different?
There are several key characteristics of the programme that will foster collaboration to drive the transition to a zero-carbon circular economy, namely:
1) Industry-Led: We are co-creating innovative circular solutions which solve real industry challenges – working with MNCs, SMEs and their supply-chains targeting Scope 1,2 & 3 carbon emissions.
2) Innovation Fund: We have a ring-fenced network innovation fund dedicated to funding large scale systems-level innovation.
3) Nexus Approach: We are exploring circular innovation opportunities across the raw materials, water, and energy nexus.
4) Systems Innovation: Systems thinking underpins CIRCULÉIRE’s theory of change and we believe that cross-sector collaboration is fundamental to accelerating the scale-up of circularity.
5) Circularity Testbed for Economy: CIRCULÉIRE will contribute to Ireland’s ambition to become a leader in circularity by using manufacturing as a role model for the transition across the entire economy.
Our Activities
Driving innovation through collaboration with manufacturing companies and their supply-chains to demonstrate the value of circular economy in Ireland
Circular Economy Innovation Fund
CIRCULÉIRE has a ring-fenced innovation fund dedicated to implementing systems-level innovation demonstration projects which prove the value of the circular economy and contribute to de-risking Irish investments in circularity.
Circular Business Model Innovation
CIRCULÉIRE will support Industry Members on their journey from linear to circular business models through baselining, circularity assessments, business case development, legislative watch and implementation of circular manufacturing and supply-chain strategies and circular business models.
Circular Economy Insights
CIRCULÉIRE will develop circularity insights, use-cases, frameworks, and toolkits to support MNCs, SMEs and start-ups to accelerate their transition from linear to circular business models and benchmark their progress against both their sector and the wider CIRCULÉIRE network.
Circular Thematic Working Groups
CIRCULÉIRE will harness collective insight from the wider Irish innovation ecosystem through establishing annual Thematic Working Groups to identify knowledge gaps and international best practice for replication in Ireland. 2020 focus areas are: 1) Circular Bioeconomy, 2) Industrial Symbiosis / Closed-Loop Production, and 3) Circular Procurement.
Circular Economy Capacity Building
CIRCULÉIRE will increase understanding of circularity and support capacity building within the Irish innovation ecosystem through the identification of barriers to implementing circularity and pathways to overcome them. Circular insights and use-cases will be shared via our open-access circular economy knowledge library, networking events, and webinars.
Circular Policy Innovation
CIRCULÉIRE will seek to utilise learnings and insights from all our activities to inform Irish circular economy policy innovation, contributing to Ireland’s ambition to become a leader in the circular economy and circular bioeconomy. Policy related activities include but are not limited too; taking a leadership role in NSAI Technical Committees; engagement in DECC Waste & Circular Economy Advisory Group and the OECD-led Circular Economy Policy Dialogue in Ireland.
Our Network
Unlocking cross-sectoral collaboration to scale circularity
Irish Manufacturing Research is the Secretariat of CIRCULÉIRE and we are proud to count as Strategic Partners, the Government of Ireland’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EIT Climate KIC, the largest European public-private partnership dedicated to climate innovation.
CIRCULÉIRE is an industry-led public-private partnership launching with 25 Founding Industry Members (MNCs and SMEs alike) who aim to become circular economy exemplars in Ireland. CIRCULÉIRE is also actively engaging and collaborating with all stakeholders from the wider Irish innovation ecosystem (e.g. government departments and agencies, academia, third sector and solution providers) through our Associate Membership model.
Our Strategic Partners
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) are leading the delivery the Government of Ireland’s National Climate Action Plan (2019) and the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (2020-2025).
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lead the National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP), a Government of Ireland initiative, which supports national-level, strategic programmes to prevent waste and drive the circular economy in Ireland.
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EIT Climate-KIC is the largest public-private partnership in the EU dedicated to accelerating the transition to a zero-carbon, climate-resilient society, supported by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT).
Learn MoreOur Team
Maurice O’Connell
COO
David McCormack
Director of Sustainable Manufacturing
Dr Geraldine Brennan
Senior Circular Economy Programme Manager
Romain Couture
Circular Economy Researcher
Dr Damian Coughlan
Circular Economy Researcher
Giovanni Impoco
Circular Economy Researcher
Geraldine Ann Cusack
Sustainable Manufacturing Project Manager
Ana Santos
Water Research Engineer
Ajith Variam
Energy Research Engineer
