Crafting routes to a circular economy

The transition from a linear to a circular economy is crucial for Europe’s prosperity, long term competitiveness and strategic autonomy. This shift can reduce dependence on raw materials, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and waste, limit biodiversity loss, create jobs, and support environmental sustainability. The New European Innovation Agenda recognises circularity as a key challenge to accelerate innovation across the EU. Securing essential resources is a high priority, but the transition to circularity requires more than new materials and products: it demands a paradigm shift and a systemic approach that combines different sectors, technological progress, actors, and disciplines with deeper industrial, economic, and societal changes. In advancing a circular economy and society, cultural dimensions are paramount; and cultural barriers can be as significant as economic or technical ones and should be addressed. CCSIs can act as catalysts for change. Through storytelling and community engagement, they can reshape cognitive frameworks, influence consumer attitudes, and promote societal shifts towards circular principles. They can encourage other industries, such as manufacturing (including textile and fashion), tourism, or construction (including housing and urban development) to adopt circular approaches, promoting resource efficiency and designing for longevity and adaptability. Despite their potential, cultural aspects remain underexplored in circular economy strategies. This topic aims to investigate effective strategies and synergies between culture, creativity, and the circular economy, to inform policy, enhance education and lifelong learning, and inspire innovation. The goal is to develop robust frameworks supporting economic, environmental, and social sustainability across Europe, fostering an environment where culture, creativity, and economy combine to form resilient circular systems and societies. Where relevant, synergies with the New European Bauhaus may also be considered. Proposals may address one or more of the following four focuses and may combine them with others as appropriate to their objectives. Focus 1. Crafts-led innovation for circular economy Crafts naturally align with circular economy principles through their use of natural, renewable materials, small scale tools and production, and the creation of durable products with cultural significance. Integrating circular economy concepts with craftsmanship helps address sustainability challenges, preserve cultural heritage and foster local economic development. Craft practices exemplify frugal innovation by efficiently using local resources and minimising waste, offering valuable insights for other sectors seeking to improve sustainability and resource efficiency. Key aspects of the relationship between crafts and the circular economy include traditional knowledge systems rooted in generations of sustainable, place-based practices; local resource utilisation promoting efficiency; and upcycling and waste reduction through creative reuse of materials. Furthermore, craftmanship is key part of the value chain in high-end industries such as fashion and textiles, with potential synergies to enhance sustainability and the use of recycled, reused and renewable materials and to foster circular and just fashion and textiles value-chains, supporting innovative approaches. By leveraging circular economy and frugal innovation principles, craft practices offer affordable, accessible, inclusive and equitable solutions to sustainability challenges, emphasizing local resources and community-based production. Collaborative, open innovation approaches can unlock creative solutions that promote a more sustainable, inclusive, and resource-efficient future. Proposals should develop a framework integrating circular economy and frugal innovation principles derived from craft practices, applicable and adaptable across various industries and sectors. This includes models for cross-sector collaboration and knowledge transfer among craft practitioners, designers, researchers, and industry professionals to drive circular innovation, foster capacity building, and ensure equitable access to sustainable solutions. Proposals may consider UNESCO Creative Cities, in particular the City of Crafts and Folk Arts. Focus 2 Evaluating adaptive reuse of built cultural heritage Cultural heritage buildings are vital for their historical and cultural significance, embodying the identity of local communities. At the same time, the built environment is a major driver of material demand, with significant economic, environmental and wellbeing impacts. The Built4People SRIA highlights the need for R&I in retrofitting and repair, including heritage buildings, using vernacular, bio-based, locally sourced materials, or innovative materials compatible with vernacular ones. The EU Circular Cities and Regions Initiative identifies adaptive reuse of cultural heritage as key to urban sustainability and resilience. There is a need for systematic urban planning transforming building lifecycles from linear to circular models, leveraging cultural heritage to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, and generate cultural, economic, social and environmental benefits. Participatory planning is crucial for achieving circularity, as are indicators for measuring impact. Adaptive reuse also delivers economic value as heritage sites attract visitors, support local businesses, and foster vibrant cultural economies, making cultural participation central to sustainable urban regeneration and the circular economy. Integrating service design approaches can further connect adaptive reuse of heritage buildings with stakeholders and enhance cultural services and community activities. Proposals should develop methodologies to evaluate the economic, social and environmental benefits of maintaining and reusing built heritage. They should establish criteria and indicators for…