Month: September 2025

CURIOST – Circular Economy as a Development Opportunity for Local and Regional Resilience

The CURIOST project, funded under the Interreg Central Europe programme, supports the transition of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small mid-caps towards circular
product development and sustainable manufacturing. Coordinated in Croatia by the Development and Training Centre for the Metal Industry – Metal Centre Čakovec, the project gathers 11
partners from 7 countries and 10 regions. CURIOST focuses on strengthening the resilience of
local economies by promoting innovation in industrial sectors through circular economy principles, with particular emphasis on the metal processing industry.

RUCONBAR – Rubberised Concrete Noise Barriers

The RUCONBAR, developed by the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Civil Engineering, in
cooperation with Beton Lučko d.o.o. and Gumiimpex – GRP, represents a successful example of
industrial symbiosis and sustainable innovation in construction. RUCONBAR technology uses
rubber granules derived from end-of-life car tires as an aggregate in concrete production,
resulting in noise barriers that are both environmentally sustainable and functionally effective.

CELSA Group – Circular Steel Production in Europe

CELSA Group, headquartered in Spain, is one of Europe’s leading producers of long steel products
and a pioneer in circular economy practices in the steel industry. The company manufactures its
entire steel output using recycled scrap steel, avoiding the extraction of iron ore and drastically
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CELSA’s model is based on full circularity, combining
advanced electric arc furnace (EAF) technology with extensive material recovery systems to close
the loop in industrial steel protection.