The ERDF program has the ambition to implement the Regional Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization (S3) priorities and thus harness and strengthen the regional economy, entrepreneurship and innovation, with social and economic impact as a goal. This means: contributing to innovative solutions to five major social transitions that play a role in the south of the Netherlands and globally and enabling market parties to exploit (inter)national market opportunities. The 5 transitions – under which raw materials – are in line with the Green Deal and European and national innovation policy. Technological knowledge is important to achieve breakthroughs, but as such not enough. The challenge is to capture technological and non-technological power through cooperation within the region but also across regional borders. The program has two policy objectives, this project focuses on PO 2 (greener Europe). The program works with tenders two times a year where specific themes in the transitions are prioritized.

The task is to develop circular business models, eco-design and greater involvement of SMEs to stimulate behavioural change. At the same time, there are also opportunities; for example, the part of the country has a strong position at the intersection of materials technology and Agrifood. The potential is also great in the transition to a smart industry. In addition, initiatives in the field of circular design and construction play a role.

Skive Municipality has developed a climate action plan, which is supported by the DK2020 framework. The DK2020 initiative supports municipalities in their planning for actions to fulfil the Paris Agreement’s targets of 70% reduction in CO2 emission by 2030 and climate neutrality in 2050. Furthermore, the climate action plan aims to fulfil the international obligations of the European Green Deal. Almost all Danish municipalities (including Skive) and the five Danish regions have joined DK2020.

There are 13 priorities in the action plan: 1) sustainable industries 2) Decline in CO2 emissions from land 3)Climate sustainable animal production 4) Plant production with a focus on circular, bioeconomic symbiosis 5) Blue biomass from the fjord to circular bioeconomic symbiosis 6) self-sufficient with renewable energy by 2029 7) Green Mobility in the Skive area 8) Climate neutral waste sector in 2030 9) climate considerations about waste water 10) Empowerment of children, youth and adults within sustainable formation 11) Skive Municipality as a sustainable group 12) Climate considerations in city planning 13) A climate resilient municipality in 2050.

The action plan is developed according to the international standard C40 "The Climate Action Planning Framework" (CAPF) and is approved by C40 and the local politicians. The initiative is based on a standard, developed by C40 Cities, a network of almost 100 world leading cities using their power to deliver urgent climate action.

The Tyrolean sustainability and climate strategy "Living with a Future" sets goals and priorities for action to address the complex and urgent challenges such as climate change, social inequalities or the depletion of natural resources. It will be implemented until 2030. The Tyrolean provincial government sees this strategy as the basis for decision-making and action on circularity. The strategy represents the province's contribution to achieving the goal proclaimed by the Republic of Austria of being climate-neutral by 2040.

The Tyrolean sustainability and climate strategy comprises six fields of action: Energy and climate protection, Mobility and infrastructure, Buildings and spatial planning, Economy and regional development, Climate change adaptation and Provincial administration as a role model.

In this project Tyrol focuses on economy and regional development. The ambition is to take the chance to transform to a climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy. The objectives include the mobilisation of companies and the orientation of research towards the circular economy, as well as the efficient use of regional resources. To this end, stakeholders are activated to participate in developing a circular economy. An integrated and cross-sectoral approach will be pursued in the further development of the networks. Open cooperation and vertical governance (EU-national-regional-local) will be sought in order to bundle forces.

HSY Strategy 2030 was adopted in October 2022. The ambitious vision of the strategy is to make the Helsinki Metropolitan Area the world’s most sustainable urban region. The strategy has four strategic focus areas: Environmental responsibility, Changing work, Sustainable finances, and Resident experience. The programme “At the centre of Circular Economy” is part of this HSY Strategy (as one of ten HSY strategy programmes) and its focus area “Environmental responsibility”.The objective is to strengthen the region’s circular economy both by improving the efficiency of HSY’s own processes and by promoting regional cooperation. According to the strategy, HSY is committed to enhancing regional cooperation. In this project, HSY will focus on promoting regional cooperation specifically within the Ekomo concept.

The RIS3 Strategy of the Pardubice Region contains areas and activities of research, development and innovation that have a strong background and great potential within the region. It deals with 7 areas, some of which are relevant to circularity: intelligent chemistry for industrial and bio-medical applications, production of means of transport and their components, advanced materials based on textile structures, and engineering and modern production technologies. Specifically, the strategy also entails 7 priorities. The relevant priorities for circularity are: increasing the innovative activity of companies in the Pardubice Region, increasing business activity in the Pardubice Region, and improving environment for business development.

Centro 2030 aims to promote the competitiveness of the economy, economic growth, job creation, the improvement of quality of life, environmental sustainability and enhancement of the territory and people in the region. The Programme is the main instrument available to the Centro region to operationalise the development strategy and sub-regional strategies of the Intermunicipal Communities. Centro 2030 has 2.2 billion in European funds to finance investments in the Centro region in the programming period 2021-2027.

Centro 2030 aims to contribute to the European Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and economic, social and territorial cohesion; and contribute to the implementation of the Regional Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization (RIS3) priorities defined for the Centre Region of Portugal.

Centro 2030 is an opportunity for the region to reduce economic and social disparities and to respond to the demographic problem and the challenges of climate change emergency and decarbonisation. It strongly focuses on territorial policies, reinforced by the ongoing decentralisation process.

This proposal is aligned with the 2nd specific objective – Greener CENTRO region - investing in sustainability, the circular economy, energy transition and sustainable urban mobility, particularly in the measures associated with the promotion of Circular chains and conception of new business models.

The Asturias Paradise Hub 4 Circularity is a work programme that smoothens the transition to a carbon neutral and circular industry in Asturias, through regional collaboration. The programme is built around 3 pillars: 1. Industrial and industrial-urban symbiosis; 2. the Scaling up of technologies; and 3. the Network of public and private R&D infrastructures to promote cooperation in research. The Hub's goal is based on the need for Asturias to specialise in waste recovery technologies and the deployment of residue-technology-market(industry) value chains.

The programme has four tools to support the Hub’s goals. The first is an inventory of public and private pilot plants for the valorisation of material residues, considered as technological node of the Asturias Paradise Hub 4 Circularity.
The second tool is a programme of study visits to pilot plants in the network Comprehensive valorisation circuits, complementing teaching activities in university master's degree programmes.

The third tool is circularity R&D grants, in order to face the challenges of the circular and carbon neutral industry.
The fourth tool is a new investment aid programme aimed at the adaptation of processes to incorporate resource efficiency and energy efficiency measures under competitive conditions, with a special focus on initiatives resulting from collaborative models of industrial symbiosis or urban-industrial symbiosis.