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.