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Innovation Ecosystems for Circular Economy Entrepreneurs

Innovation Ecosystems for Circular Economy Entrepreneurs

Global strategies to achieve a circular economy often overlook the contributions of smaller, locally-led enterprises and the need for market-based solutions specific to emerging economies. Most mainstream business models operate the “take, make and dispose” way of production and consumption and this is reflected in the vast majority of entrepreneurship or business development training resources. The ECO-CENT project will support the transformative potential of business models driven by social, economic and environmental sustainability objectives. It will be designed for entrepreneurs and business owners committed to adopting business models premised on up-cycling and re-cycling, resource efficiency, and ensuring valuable resources are not simply discarded but live on in innovative products and services.

The ECO-CENT project aims to respond to these needs of iVET and cVET providers and members of the business community by providing targeted training both to businesses on circular business models, and to VET trainers to support their continuous professional development in this domain. To bring innovation to the forefront of VET provision in each country, ECO-CENT partners will also form local synergies between VET professionals and business representatives to develop an innovation ecosystem to support both parties to contribute to the green transition of Europe.

The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. [Project Number: 2021-1-PT01-KA220-VET-000033190]

Target Groups

Professionals, Youth, Adults, Trainers, VET professionals, Adult educators, Public bodies

Education Level

Secondary, Teacher education, Higher education, VET, Adult education, Professional education