Keynotes
Two keynotes will be given during Pomaa 2025, by professor Mariafrancesca Sicilia, and by professor Hervé Corvellec
Professor Mariafrancesca Sicilia, University of Bergamo
Professor Hervé Corvellec, Lund University
The governance of public circular projects - what, where, when, who, why, and how
In addition to the growing interest at corporate and national levels in the circular economy as a framework for industrial policy and sustainable development, an increasing number of cities and regions are engaging in circular economy projects to contribute to what is imagined to become a circular transition. These projects aim at inversing the extraction-production-consumption-waste rationale of the linear economy. Grounded in an ambition to close material loops, reduce dependence on new resources, and prevent waste production, circular projects are typically oriented toward increasing product reuse, improve recycling and generating resources from waste.
The City of Helsingborg, Sweden, is a notable example of municipality with circular ambitions. Initiatives such as the House of Resources and Recolab in the Ocean Harbor district illustrate the city's efforts to enhance resource efficiency. The House of Resources ambitions to become a hub for reuse, repair, and recycling. Recolab develops circular practices in water, phosphorus, and biogas management through a 3-pipe system. Recopark intends to be a national competence center for the production of biochar.
Seen in the light of the 5W & 1H interpretative model – what, who, where, when, why, and how – these initiatives bring forth key lessons for advancing the circular economy. A focus on materials, space, time, collaboration, and innovation is crucial for transitioning from a linear model to a circular one. Ultimately, the circular economy is about moral responsibility—preserving resources for future generations and fostering sustainable material use in society.
However, these projects also raise yet unattended questions, such as how to scale up circular pilots, how the circular economy can phase out the linear one, and how circular can the existing stock of man-made materials and artefacts be.