MOVECO - Mobilising Institutional Learning for Better Exploitation of Research and Innovation for the Circular Economy

From a linear to a Circular Economy

Our current modes of consumption and production follow a linear economy: produce - use - dispose. Resources are extracted and processed into products. After using the products, they are disposed on landfills or incinerated. Typically, at the end of their life cycles, products and valuable resources comprised therein are lost from material cycles.

The future belongs to a Circular Economy, aiming at manufacturing products, which, after their use phase, can be easily recycled or reused. This can be achieved through intelligent product design and innovative business models. 

Benefits associated with Circular Economy are:

• Protection of resources and the environment by improving resource efficiency and reducing waste;
• Economic growth and innovation: Boosting competitiveness by reducing production costs and ensuring supply security by minimising the dependence of imports of raw materials;
• Social benefits by creation of new jobs through development of new business models, products and services.

MOVECO closes the loop

The Circular Economy Strategy, adopted by the European Commission, aims at "closing the loop" of product life cycles through greater recycling and re-use, to bring benefits for society, environment and economy. Closing the loop of materials streams poses many challenges to research and innovation: Increasing durability, reparability and recyclability of products (Extended Producer Responsibility), improving waste management and resource efficiency in industrial sectors, fostering industrial symbiosis and remanufacturing.

MOVECO responds to this challenge and sets its objective to improve the framework conditions and policy instruments for eco innovation and the transition to a Circular Economy, fostering smart and sustainable growth and reducing disparities among the regions in the Danube Region.

MOVECO – Moving to a Circular Economy – Your trash is my treasure

MOVECO's results include a strong transnational partnership competent to implement the Circular Economy in the Danube region and meet its targets.

1. Transnational Strategy for the Transition to a Circular Economy in the Danube region, including the identification of possible material streams for the Danube region and roadmaps for the strategy's implementation.
2. Circular Economy Toolbox: New services and tools for eco-design and eco innovation. This shall promote a better cooperation between research and development and businesses in the field of resource recovery and resource efficiency.
3. Platform: An online platform supporting cooperation between business and research.
4. Virtual Marketplace: A concrete measure to promote reuse and stimulate industrial symbiosis as it helps enterprises to offer their waste and by-products as a valuable material. This tool enhances industrial symbiosis by turning one industy's by-product into another industry's raw material.

The MOVECO Consortium

The MOVECO consortium consists of twelve project partners and four associated partners from ten Danube region countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. The consortium is working under the coordination of Ms. Grit Ackermann from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

The MOVECO partnership comprises representatives from various backgrounds, including policy-makers, business support organisations, research and development institutions as well as civil society organisations - all committed to unleash the potential of the Circular Economy in the Danube region.

Start date

01-12-2016

End date

31-05-2019

Budget in Euro

Overall: 2268691

ERDF Contribution: 1798430,81

IPA Contribution: 129956,5

ENI Contribution: 0

Call number

Call 1

Priority

Innovative and socially responsible Danube region

Specific objective

Improve framework conditions for innovation