05 Nov 2021

Let's Talk Circular Business!

During the digital event Let’s Talk Circular Business on October 21st, participants from all over Sweden and Finland, and from other countries in the world, got the opportunity to listen and learn more about the journey of four companies transforming their business model into a circular business model. Experts in Circular Economy also shared their knowledge about methodologies, platforms, initiatives and showed cases from both Sweden and Finland as well as international examples.

Recently North Sweden Cleantech arranged a digital event, lead by moderator Laura Vidje expert in Circular Econom, with focus on Circular Business and with the aim of spreading knowledge and inspiration on companies’ transformation from a linear to a circular business model.

What is Circular Economy?

If you go to the average person on the street, a lot of them think Circular Economy is about recycling. Cynthia Reynolds, expert in Circular Economy and the founder and the System Architect of the Circular Regions platform, explained that Circular Economy has many definitions, but it’s quite simply. It is an economic system based on business models that replace the end-of-life concept. These business models can vary depending on the stakeholder ranging from B2B, B2C, B2Government and even Goverment2Government solutions. The Circular Economy works at all levels of the economy, from macro level with cities, regions and nations through meso level with clusters and networks down to micro level such as yourself, the products and services we access.

Circular Regions - a digital platform for Circular Economy

The Circular Regions Platform  is a mission-oriented data-driven initiative supporting eco-system transformation. The platform is a collaboration between Cynthia Reynolds at Circular Regions, Esam and the Municipality of Umeå with the purpose of highlighting regional circular regions and initiatives in public, non-profit and private sector. Together they have worked with mapping a lot of circular solutions that already exists in the Umeå and Oslo Region and these show cases could be found in the Circular Regions Platform.

Circular Business Initiatives in Finland

Göran Östberg, Project Manager at Vasek Vasa Region Development Company, involved in Circular Business initiatives, presented several interesting initiatives in Ostrobothnia in northern Finland.

Ostrobothnia in Transition, a roadmap for Sustainability and Circular Economy, was launched in the February 2021. The roadmap is based on the UN’s global sustainability goals and shows practical examples on how to get started on the sustainability journey and to develop the sustainability thinking. This roadmap is focusing on developing hands-on guides, tools and checklists to make the change easier for entrepreneurs – whether the company is large or small.

Göran also presented other initiatives such as RENERGI, a Circular Economy Hub promoting the operating conditions of the region’s companies that work in the circular economy industry, Circle's Edge a new circular facility being built in the Vasa Region and Minimossen Recycling, the first recycling mall in Finland.

Four companies transition to becoming more circular

The past year four small and medium-sized companies in northern Sweden, selected after a screening process, has been involved in a project to develop their company’s business model into a circular business model. The project is a collaboration between North Sweden Cleantech, CEBANS* and Esam and the companies involved are Leosol, Smart Climate, Olofsfors AB and Edvardssons. During this project, the companies have had support and guidance from Business Developers and Business Coaches and had the opportunity to adjust their offering to increased sustainability and to find new businesses and markets. Interesting insights from the circular transition journey of each company was shared during the webinar.

Did you miss the opportunity to participate at the webinar? You can watch the full recorded session, accept for the break-out rooms discussion, at North Sweden Cleantech YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdh4E5vJX0o

*CEBANS, Circular Economy Business Accelarator North Sweden, is a knowledge platform to speed up and accelerate the transition towards a circular economy. CEBANS was founded 2018 and together with North Sweden Cleantech we are training and developing business coaches and business developers in circular business models. The target group for CEBANS is both business coaches and developers and also companies.
https://circularregions.org/initiatives/cebans/
Contact: Mikael Jalmby, Esam AB, +46 70 639 72 39, michael.jalmby@esam.se

Circular Regions
https://circularregions.org/
https://circularregions.org/region/umea-region/

Ostrobothnia in Transition - Roadmap for Sustainable Development and Circular Economy
https://www.vasek.fi/ostrobothnia-in-transition/
https://www.vasek.fi/assets/Sidor/4/3967/Fardplan-engelska.pdf

RENERGI
Circular Business Hub
https://www.renergi.fi/start/
Contact: Göran Östberg, Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK, +358 500 366 097,
goran.ostberg@vasek.fi

North Sweden Cleantech
https://www.northswedencleantech.se/en/

Photo: Laura Vidje, moderator and Circular Business Expert toghether with Göran Östberg, Project Manager, VASEK, in the studio at Let's Talk Circular Business