Overview
Industrial Parks suffer from an image of polluters, but also from increasing energy costs and a lack of knowledge about the circular economy approach. ECOLE wants to change this to accelerate the transition to a circular and resource-efficient industry in the Alps. To achieve this, the project will establish a systemic thinking community model, including policy recommendations as well as action plans prepared by local communities to integrate circular economy in their local industrial sites. Ultimately, ECOLE will contribute to transforming industrial parks in the Alps into more circular, resilient and sustainable eco-industrial parks, better prepared to face climate and economic crises.
Factsheet
- 2021 – 2027
- Carbon neutral and resource sensitive Alpine region
- SO 2.2 - Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy
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- AG1 Research & innovation
- AG2 Economic development
- AG5 Connectivity & accessibility
- 11/2022
- 10/2025
- 2.591.200 EUR
- 1.943.400 EUR
Description
ECOLE will help to solve problems Industrial Parks (IPs) face to become integrated circular Eco- Industrial Parks (EIP), i.e for industries to introduce at all levels the principles of the circular economy (CE). Indeed, this challenge affects in particular industries, but also infrastructure providers, public authorities, sectoral agencies, business support organisations (BSO), which deal with and provide services to EIP (energy, waste/ sewage collection, development and support) in the Alpine region. In fact, IPs suffer from an image of polluters, but also from the increasing cost of energy/production inputs and lack of knowledge on integration of CE approach both in the value chain, and in daily activities.
To change this, cooperation is central because only a systemic change will speed up the transition to a circular and resource efficient industry in the Alps. This is why working together with industries, infrastructure providers, public authorities, sectoral agencies, BSO and universities, ECOLE will provide IPs a CE integrated approach both for their value chains and their support functions.
To achieve this, we will use the community approach and establish a systemic thinking community model (STCM), which will co-design action plans to implement collected tools in the pilot sites. We will start by delivering the community model for EIP after reviewing different frameworks, policies and tools. Local communities will prepare their action plans to integrate CE in their sites. We will then develop a set of solutions, promote them together with actualised action plans. Finally, we will recommend adaptation of policies and strategies to speed up the adoption of the CE principles in EIP.
In three years of cooperation we expect to transform industrial parks into more circular, resilient and sustainable EIP in the Alps, able to face climate and economic crises.
Partners
- Lead partner
- Italy
- Veneto (ITH3)
- Verona
- Alberto Milotti
- alberto.zai@qevr.it
- Italy
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia (ITH4)
- Trieste
- Alberto Cozzi
- alberto.cozzi@porto.trieste.it
- Slovenia
- Zahodna Slovenija (SI04)
- Škofja Loka
- Gašper Kleč
- gasper.klec@ra-sora.si
- Slovenia
- Zahodna Slovenija (SI04)
- Ljubljana
- Tina Pezdirc Nograšek
- Tina.pezdirc@rralur.si
- Austria
- Steiermark (AT22)
- Weiz
- Andrea Dornhofer
- andrea.dornhofer@innovationszentrum-weiz.at
- Austria
- Burgenland (AT11)
- Eisenstadt
- Germany
- Niederbayern (DE22)
- Landshut
- Astrid Heindel
- astrid.heindel@haw-landshut.de
- Germany
- Oberbayern (DE21)
- Munich
- Martina Agosti
- agosti@italcam.de
- France
- Rhône-Alpes (FRK2)
- Grenoble
- Guillaume Tournaire
- guillaume.tournaire@grenoblealpesmetropole.fr
- France
- Rhône-Alpes (FRK2)
- Bellignat
- Annabelle Sion
- Annabelle.sion@polymeris.fr
- Italy
- Lombardia (ITC4)
- Milano
- Mita Lapi
- mita.lapi@flanet.org
- Germany
- Oberbayern (DE21)
- Munich
- Georgeta Auktor
- auktor@tum-international.com
- 45.417040910.9270576
- 45.649648513.7772781
- 46.1639070514.306674164430577
- 46.0493114.460760009231374
- 47.215317515.630937950000003
- 47.830380316.53244757088359
- 48.5562781512.197818522803118
- 48.1299611.5309879
- 45.18874315.7391967
- 46.25058535.6313305
- 45.4892079.1936874
- 48.157175111.5513352
Outcomes
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A Systemic thinking community (STC) model for the integration of circular economy (CE) in industrial parks
The STC model will be based on the circular and smart city approach, structured in a way to enable industrial parks to face complex challenges and multiple interests/influences. Built upon the benchmark of different community models, it will combine elements taken from circular economy, smart city&EIPs development. It will also contain other projects’ outputs proven valid, integrated with fundamentals from policies & strategies in the Alps and in Europe, which impact CE and Eco Industrial Parks. -
Guideline for Circular economy principles in Eco Industrial Parks in the Alps: pilot actions report
The output will relate the pilots' experimentation in the selected industrial parks (10). Action plans prepared by the local STCs will be implemented using the relevant toolkit chosen in WP1. Specific key performance indicators (KPI) will be set for the different pilot actions types integrating the CE approach such as governance, digitisation, energy efficiency, value & supply chain. They should be all kept in the systemic, circular & resilient thinking approach. -
Alpine set of jointly developed solutions for industry stakeholders combined with policy and strategy recommendations to boost the circular economy transition in Alpine industry
The Alpine set of solutions and the updated actions plans will provide concrete solutions based on pilot actions (WP1 & 2) for EIP but also sectoral agencies, supporting SMEs & enterprises in their transition. They will be directly targeted to the industry stakeholders, while the recommendations on CE and industries will be directed to policy makers at different levels (from local to transnational). They will focus on the upscale CE in industries in a systemic approach supported by STC network.
Pilots
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CRAISS Generation Logistik
Download1. CRAISS Industrial Park, WEIZ
General description: The whole industrial area has a size of about 100,000 square meters and is surrounded by agricultural fields and a small village with about 30 households. Currently 50 % of the industrial area is established and a company is acting there, the building project took place between 2020 and 2021. The remaining 50 % are partly planned for future projects and partly green field.
Existing Companies and Infrastructure: The CRAISS Generation Logistik Austria GmbH & Co KG is currently the only tenant in the industrial area. The company acts as a logistics service provider and handles the inbound logistics for a major German technology company, which has an already existing production plant in Weiz, where large-scaled systems for the power supply are manufactured. Around 300 companies are active in the surroundings of the pilot park, which together offer around 15,000 jobs and are crucial network partner for the pilot park area. The region benefits from traditional leading companies in the energy, automotive, construction, food and electronics sectors. Well-known companies here include, for example, Siemens, Andritz, Knill, Weitzer Parkett, Magna, Lieb-Bau, Wollsdorf Leder, ELIN-Motoren, Rondo, Strobl-Bau, frisch-saftig-steirisch, Steirerkraft, Alwera, Matzhold, Klampfer and Triotronik.
Downloads
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Download now the first Newsletter of the project ECOLE! In the newsletter you can find information about the project, past events and project activities that were carried out by the projects partners.Download
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Report on closing production circle in industrial parks and implementation success at economic, environmental, operational and governance level including fruitful interactions with tenants and surroundings.Download
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Paper on EIPs that conserve resources, reduce production in and outputs, increase energy and operating efficiency, peolpe wellbeing, public image and provide opportunities for sustainable development.Download
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STC model as a way towards circular economy by actively interacting with stakeholders from private and public sector, academia and representatives of citizen communities around the industrial parks.Download
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Scientific paper on EIPs STC model and different factors of their success such as the active participation of the park tennat companies, associations of entrepreneurs/employers, local and regional actors.Download
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Set of Infographics witth main facts and figures on structures, infrastructure, operations, services, management, governance and benefits related to EIPs and CE approach for dissemination purpose.Download
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Written and recorded statements for news and media with focus on technology testing and knowledge transfer on circular approach in industrial parks and benefits for surrounding communities.Download
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