On November 27th 2024, the Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) facility in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, was abuzz with energy as leaders in sustainable innovation, policy, and industry gathered for CIRCULÉIRE’s Annual Conference: “The Future of Business is Circular” to mark this national flagship initiative’s 5th year in operation. With over 115 stakeholders in attendance, the event showcased Ireland’s circular economy journey, offering insights into decarbonisation pathways, market-building opportunities, and innovative cross-sectoral industrial circularity solutions.
Below are the highlights as well as key note speaker slides and video recordings for full recap:
Keynote Speakers
Niall McLoughlin (Principal Officer, Circular Economy Strategic Policy, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications)
Niall McLoughlin delivered the opening keynote with a deep dive into Ireland’s Circular Economy Strategic Policy. He highlighted the crucial role of robust frameworks and cross-sectoral collaboration to achieve Ireland’s ambitious 2030 targets and the significance of the strategic partnership with CIRCULÉIRE to demystify, derisk and deliver circular innovation in Ireland.
Link to Niall's Presentation:
Iain Gulland (CEO, Zero Waste Scotland)
Iain Gulland, brought an international perspective sharing insights from Zero Waste Scotland’s 10 year journey to enable circularity and called for the urgent need to rewire the economy to make circular economy the new norm. He showcased Zero Waste Scotland’s new Corporate Strategy underpinned by an ecosystem approach to empowering businesses and communities to deliver disruptive innovation, localised solutions, and a resilient circular economy.
Link to Iain's Presentation:
Dr Sarah Miller (CEO, The Rediscovery Centre)
Sarah Miller shared insights on consumer behaviour and the barriers to circular economy adoption – highlighting that the Rediscovery Centre’s most recent tracker with Behaviour & Attitudes shows that 55 per cent of the Irish population are now aware of the circular economy. She called for scalable circular business solutions to address cost and accessibility challenges for Irish citizens, emphasising Ireland’s "moral duty to future generations" to drive change.
Link to Sarah's Presentation:
Rasmus Jørgensen (Circularity Lead, Danfoss)
Rasmus Jørgensen outlined Danfoss’s groundbreaking remanufacturing journey. He shared success stories like remanufactured hydraulic pumps—a cost-effective, low-emission product—and highlighted how Danfoss use circular business revenue as an internal metric for circularity stressing the importance of how circular business metrics and strategic partnerships drive circular innovation.
Link to Rasmus' Presentation:
Martijn Lopes Cardozo (Partner, Regeneration VC)
Martijn Lopes Cardozo, industrialist and ex-CEO of Circular Economy, addressed the untapped potential of circular economy investments, stating unequivocally, “There is no net zero without the circular economy.” He highlighted that circular economy as having an ‘outsized impact potential with Ireland being no exception’ and called for increased funding in design and use phases, showcasing showcased ventures like Cruise Foam and Tulu as examples of transformative circular solutions.
Link to Martijn's Presentation:
Watch Martijn's presentation here
Circular Venture Speakers
The conference spotlighted CIRCULÉIRE’s 2024 Venture Cohort, each presenting innovative solutions that exemplify the potential of circular business models:
Revolutionising single-use PPE with a circular-product service system for , bio-digestible alternatives tailored for healthcare, food, and biopharma sectors.
Transforming cigarette waste into “Re-fil” materials for diverse applications, from fashion to construction.
Pioneering sustainable manufacturing with their “Made to be ReMade in Ireland” ethos and circular sofa take-back scheme “Revive” which gives Finline pieces a second-life.
Tackling single-use plastics with reusable packaging solutions and real-time impact tracking for corporate events and canteens.
Repurposing wind turbines into pedestrian bridges and other infrastructure, showcasing circularity in the built environment.
Exhibitors
The event also featured an impressive line-up of exhibitors sharing their circular journeys and expertise:
IQUTECH - Showcasing remanufacturing in action
AIB - launching their 2024 Manufacturing Outlook spotlighting circularity
BiaSol X Aryzta – Showcasing their collaboration utilising Brewers Spent Grain as a flour substitute
GreenIT - Showcasing their remanufactured laptops
Lough Ree Distillery - Showcasing their ecoSPIRITS Circular Economy distribution system for spirits
NSAI - Highlighting the ISO circular economy standards ISO 59004, 59010 and 59020 launched in 2024
EPA Ireland - Spotlighting the Food Waste Charter
SOLAS - Spotlighting their suite of Circular Economy training courses like 'Circular Economy in the Workplace'
Enterprise Ireland - Showcasing grants available through The Green Transition Fund.
Their displays highlighted practical applications of circular economy principles across diverse sectors, from manufacturing to education.
Closing Reflections
The conference’s success lay not only in the inspiring talks but also in the dynamic conversations and connections forged. Delegates departed with actionable insights, from policy developments to venture innovations, ready to accelerate Ireland’s circular economy transformation.
A special thanks to keynote speaker Dr Andy Kerr from EIT Climate-KIC for his dinner address at the CIRCULÉIRE Conference Stakeholder dinner, which underscored the urgency of continuing to invest in and scale circular economy innovation to support greater resilience and competitiveness in the face of anticipated supply-chain shocks. Moreover, he stressed the importance of understanding the multitude of interconnected EU regulations driving the interdependent climate-circular economy agendas - from CSRD to ESPR to Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CABM), Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR)) in addition to the “Competitive Circularity Act” anticipated in 2026.
To all who attended—your participation drives the collaboration and innovation needed for a circular future. We look forward to seeing the impact of these discussions unfold. Let’s make circularity the cornerstone of Ireland’s economy.
Комментарии