DECIDE – Digital Services for the Circular Economy – a Toolbox for Regional Developers & SME
The future holds many challenges that require us to act for a green transition. With the Circular Economy Action Plan of the EU Commission, the importance of business models for the circular economy was particularly emphasized in order to meet the goals of the Green Deal.
The circular economy is a production and consumption model in which existing materials and products are shared, leased, reused, repaired, refurbished and recycled for as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended, reducing waste and creating further value.
DECIDE aims to make sustainable products the norm in the EU; focus on the sectors that use most resources and where the potential for circularity is high, including batteries and vehicles, packaging, textiles, plastics, ICT, construction and buildings, food, water and nutrients; ensure less waste; make circularity work for people, regions and cities. The development and implementation of CEBM meets common obstacles in the DR such as local regulations contrary to the circular concept, lack of infrastructure for waste treatment, lack of recycling technology and especially a lack of adequately planned business models. This is where the project aims to intervene by providing methods and tools to SMEs.
Duration of the project: 30 months, starting from 01.01.2024.
The partnership with PA8 of the EUSDR was launched in April 2024 at the kick-off event for the European project DECIDE at the Zentrum für Digitalisierung Region Stuttgart (ZD.BB), where Dr. Claus Hoffmann stated that “our goal with the DECIDE project is to unite the two seemingly opposing poles of ecology and economy in promising business models”.
With a network of 16 international partners from 10 countries, the project focuses on improving cooperation and the exchange of best practices between stakeholders in the Danube region and addresses the challenges related to the development and implementation of circular economy business models (CEBM) in order to make the Danube region economy greener and more digital.
PA8 coordinators Carmen Hawkins, Nirvana Kapitan Butković, the State Secretary Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, State Secretary Dr. Patrick Rapp, Cristina Cuc awarded DECIDE with a certificate of the flagship project, on July 8th, 2024, in Ulm.
Dr. Claus Hoffmann was very pleased about the acknowledgment: “The recognition underlines the strategic importance of the DECIDE project and highlights the important contribution that the project makes to the circular economy and sustainable development of the Danube region.”
Websites:
Contact person:
Dr. Claus Hoffmann
Managing Director
Zentrum fur digitalisierung
Danziger Straße 6, 71034 Böblingen
E-Mail: ">
Tel: +49 7031 3048102
