Project title: Establishing a cross-border network of companies and joint development of competencies for managing transformation manufacturing companies into the circular economy.

    Project acronym: Circular Net

    Program priority: A more resilient and sustainable region

    Specific objectives: 1.2: Promoting the transition to a circular economy,

    resource-efficient

    Project type: cross-border

    Project duration: 1.1. 2024 – 31.12.2026

    Total project value: 660,328.00 EUR

    Financing:  European Territorial Cooperation, INTERREG SLOVENIA Cooperation Programme  AUSTRIA 2021–2027 – JPublic call – Interreg Programme Slovenia – Austria (si-at.eu)

    Partners:  

     *  Studien- & Technologie Transfer Zentrum Weiz GmbH –  leading partner

    *  Ptuj School Center, Vocational College –  project partner

    *  College in Ptuj  –  project partner

    Main objective of the project Circular Net are professional associates and companies who want to use new competencies to secure a personal and corporate future. The most important beneficiaries are undoubtedly our nature and our future.

    Project summary:

    The Circular Net project partnership was created at a cross-border workshop on the topic of business location and education, which took place as part of
    INTERREG SIAT Innovative Location project. At that time, representatives of the Study Center in Weiz (Studienzentrum Weiz) and the Ptuj University of Applied Sciences met. The two institutions were established at the initiative of a local technical school to offer graduates
    continuing technical education at the higher education level in the same city. With the help of the Circular Net project, the two institutions want to work together towards this goal.

    On 11 March 2020, the European Union adopted an action plan for a circular economy. The sharp increase in resource consumption and climate pollution has led to radical changes. The action plan stipulates that any emissions into the air, soil or water that are harmful to nature must be prevented in the future. These pollutants are currently innumerable. The action plan is a framework plan that will lead to numerous laws and regulations in the coming years and will radically change the way production is done in Europe, especially for companies in the manufacturing sector. Most small and medium-sized enterprises (Interreg VI-A) Slovenia-Austria SIAT00040 – Circular Net Version 2.0, 2024-07-083 in Europe are not yet aware of the radical changes and are not adequately
    ready.

    The areas around Weiz, Graz, Maribor and Ptuj have an above-average share of companies in the fields of manufacturing, automation and disposal. These are the companies that are particularly affected by the change to a circular economy. New ways can be a great opportunity for growth. At the same time, they can also be a reason for the closure of a company. It all depends on the response to the changes.

    The overall goal of the Circular Net project is to support companies in acquiring competences on the topic of the circular economy. Circular Net provides
    appropriate knowledge and skills so that companies can initiate the necessary changes in a timely manner and continue to successfully participate in the European market in the future.

    To successfully support companies in the region in their transformation towards a circular economy, we are planning three core activities. Companies will:
    cross-border cooperation on the topic of circular economy, professional workers from companies will receive high-quality third-level education (circular economy manager). Together, the company and the worker will test the acquired competencies in concrete entrepreneurial problems. We invite companies from all regions and countries of the program area to participate.

    Concrete results are cross-border cooperation of 3 educational institutions to promote competences in the field of circular economy, cross-border
    a network of companies and extensive in-service training for at least 20 participants from all relevant areas of the circular economy.

    The result is companies and educational institutions that, after the completion of the project, cooperate across borders to continue the entrepreneurial solutions and education models developed as part of the project, thus accelerating the transition to a resource-friendly circular economy.

    Cross-border cooperation is necessary and important for the Circular Net project, because without such cooperation, the partnership and consequently the current plan would not exist.

    Education is possible because the study center in Weiz, Ptuj College and Ptuj School Center optimally complement each other and can thus offer a new form of education with all the necessary modules.

    The main reason for cross-border cooperation is the extremely strong intertwining of companies in the area between Weiz, Graz, Maribor and Ptuj.
    Many products cross borders multiple times during the manufacturing process. Networks and education that are limited to just one region in such spaces do not
    they lead more to the goal.

    Circular Net is the first circular economy training that can be delivered on-the-job for professional employees of manufacturing companies in
    in Austrian Styria, the first in Slovenia and the first cross-border education in this form. It is developed and implemented in cooperation with companies and is being tested on
    specific business tasks. 

    Project activities:

    • Building a network of companies
    • Increasing production efficiency
    • Establishing sustainable cooperation