CURIOST – Circular Economy as a Development Opportunity for Local and Regional Resilience
Summary:
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.
Main description:
Croatian coordinator, The Development and Training Centre for the Metal Industry – Metal Centre Čakovec, is a Croatian institution dedicated to research and development in metal industry technologies and processes. Established to enhance scientific excellence and competitiveness in Northwestern Croatia, the Centre focuses on creating applicable knowledge, supporting innovative startups, accelerating technological development, and facilitating knowledge transfer between the research and business sectors.
CURIOST is implemented in two main phases:
1. Phase 1 – Strategy Development: at least 140 companies from across Central Europe are engaged in identifying sector-specific needs, mapping circular opportunities, and co-creating a transnational strategy for circular product development. The process includes thematic workshops, consultations, and the creation of a methodology and knowledge base tailored to sectors such as mechanics and mechatronics, packaging, plastics, and construction.
2. Phase 2 – Pilot Action: 30 companies will be selected based on their motivation and innovation potential to participate in practical pilot projects. These companies will: co-develop tailored and sustainable product prototypes using circular design, test and validate their solutions in collaboration with research institutions and innovation support organizations, apply digital tools, improve material efficiency, and explore circular business models, and share experience with a transnational learning framework.
Resources needed:
n/a
Environmental benefits:
Reduction of industrial waste through circular product design and reuse, decreased material intensity and carbon footprint in selected manufacturing sectors, better resource management through digitalisation and closed-loop systems, protection of natural resources by reducing reliance on virgin materials, long-term contribution to the EU Green Deal and sustainable development goals (SDGs)
Economic benefits:
Enhanced competitiveness of regional SMEs through innovation and sustainability, development of new, market-ready circular products and services, strengthening local and regional economies by reducing resource dependency, creation of collaborative value chains across countries and sectors, capacity building with companies for long-term circular transformation
