Boosting Circular Systemic Solutions through Virtual Regional Circular Economy Spaces

ongoing

CSSBoost aims to overcome technological and non-technological CE barriers, minimise CSS application and operational risks and decisively stimulate and maximise the Circular Economy and Bioeconomy Transition in any EU city/region or group of regions. To pursue this, CSSBoost develops a novel CSS Application Framework that views a CSS as a composite living entity that operates and evolves within a CE/CSS Ecosystem and Market, an open (physical) space of city, regional or multi-regional scope, encompassing an area’s existing CE market, its value chains and its entire external environment, even extra-regional entities and markets. It also introduces the methodological concept of the CSSBoost Integrated Solution that involves the integration of one or more CSS within a digital environment, enhanced by tailored methodology and procedures. This physical system is virtualised, monitored, analysed and assessed by developing the key CSSBoost innovation, the Virtual Regional CE/CSS Ecosystem and Market (VCEM). CSSBoost designs a set of diverse Exemplary CSSs, both as transition tools and to validate and promote its ideas by applying and demonstrating them in five city, regional and interregional Pilot Cases. The exemplary CSSs respond to different challenges, barriers, needs and feasibilities across EU and target different product value chains, as delineated in the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (Water, Food, and Nutrients; Plastics; Batteries & Vehicles). CSSBoost develops both its innovations and pilots by applying a rigorous SotA co-creation environment and instruments and SSH methods and procedures. It also develops replication, organisational, business and exploitation plans for the uptake, replication and upscaling of its solutions, as well as education and training programs and social innovation actions.