EnCircular, the Valencian Region’s circular economy platform developed by the ADCV with the support of the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), has launched a study that aims to find out the degree of knowledge and real integration of strategies and actions linked to the circular economy in the business fabric of the Valencian Region.

The research phase is being carried out in collaboration with the specialised consultancy firm GfK, which will conduct 450 surveys of a representative sample of companies belonging to the main industrial, trade, services and tourism sectors in the region.

The results of this first EnCircular study will provide a real information base on which to define innovation plans and strategies to move towards more sustainable models. To achieve this, the results will be available to all the agents involved in this evolution, from public administrations to academic and research entities, business and third sector organisations and associations, companies and citizens.

In line with this approach, the business survey includes a global vision of the circular economy, from the definition of corporate strategies to that of products and services; the supply chain of raw materials, water and energy; production; distribution; recycling, repair, reuse and recovery; the involvement of consumers; the role of design in innovation, and the degree of knowledge and use of public support systems for the circular economy.

Commitment to sustainable development

With this project, EnCircular addresses one of its strategic founding objectives: to generate its own knowledge linked to the circular economy in order to strengthen the innovative system of the Valencian Region. Sustainability experts Elena Galante and Arturo Jiménez have collaborated in this study.

“The ADCV is committed to the evolution towards circularity because design is the main driver for integrating it into our lifestyles and into the strategies and activities of our companies. It has been proven that projects in which circular design is applied are more innovative, more efficient, minimise their negative impacts and reinforce the positive ones, aspects that translate into competitiveness, sustainability and quality of life for all people. For this reason, public and private circular economy strategies should include design from the very beginning to ensure their successful development”, stresses María Navarro, manager of the association and head of EnCircular.

Incorporation of new functionalities

The EnCircular platform was created in November 2020 as a meeting point for all agents committed to the evolution towards more sustainable social and economic models. It provides access to information and knowledge on trends, regulations, projects, programmes and successful experiences in circular economy; resources and tools to facilitate its practical application; it allows to locate and contact agents (public and private) working in different areas, through an interactive digital map, and gives visibility to organisations, companies and institutions that are developing specific innovative projects around the circular economy.

This inclusive and collaborative approach has meant that, in just a few months, it has become a benchmark in the field of circular economy, both nationally and internationally. In Spain, professional and business organisations in other regions are working to replicate the model, adapting it to their contexts.

In terms of external projection, EnCircular is one of the projects that has led the ADCV to be the representative in Valencia of the Circular Economy Club, an international non-profit network with more than 6,000 members from 140 countries, as well as being named official partner of the New European Bauhaus.

EnCircular will soon incorporate new functionalities. Among its already active services, it has enabled a form open to all those organisations that want to share their initiatives, good practices and disruptive projects, so that other agents can take them as a reference or inspiration in their respective entities or research environments. (You can access it by clicking here).