Walking the innovation path with Carmen Sillero

In November we spoke to Carmen Sillero Illanes – facilitator of the Achieving Circularity Experimentation Journey from the Joint Research Centre. This journey brings along the experience of 8 EU regions: Central Macedonia (EL), Dalarna (SE), Järva (EE), Kanta-Häme (FI), Navarra (ES), Normandie (FR), East-North Region (FI), and the region of Murcia (ES).

Carmen, you are facilitating the experimentation journey on the challenge of achieving circularity. How do territories strive to achieve it locally, with a place-based approach? Could you give us some examples from the regions you have been working with?

First, I would like to mention that Astrid Hannes, an ERRIN expert in circularity, is co-facilitating this journey. We are also supported by Annekathrin Jäger from ERCEA and an excellent team from ERRIN, Climate KIC and EURADA.

Achieving circularity, in terms of fostering continuous cycle where materials and products are reintroduced into the system for reuse instead of following a linear 'take, make, dispose' model, is crucial for both European sustainability and competitiveness. Circularity has a significant territorial dimension because that's where environmental impacts and opportunities arise. Circularity involves all of us as citizens and consumers, as well as local, regional, national, and European administrations, each with their regulatory layers. For the business sector, managing waste and having a market for new circular products are the main drivers for innovation and investment. We must not forget the importance of recovering critical materials for our economy, especially at a time when strategic autonomy is vital.

All these dimensions are present in our Experimentation Journey, where regions aim to make circularity a prominent element of their industrial transition, developing business models and environmental conditions to make it competitive by fostering demand for circular products as a driving force for innovation and territorial transformation.

For instance, Dalarna, is promoting public procurement processes that generate demand for circular products, encouraging horizontal and vertical coordination among administrations and involving businesses. Normandie is deeply committed to improving circularity in the plastics and packaging industry, which is one of its major sectors. In addition, Navarra pushes for the creation of transition teams among administrations for better coordination on transforming circularity, while Murcia and Kanta-Häme closely collaborate with companies, particularly SMEs, to create ecosystems with start-ups and exploring new AI opportunities. East-North Finland looks into working on circularity in mining and bioeconomy, and Central Macedonia aims to develop its own regional circularity strategy.

Thus, among all involved regions, we explore the experimentation of circularity as a systemic, multidimensional process with significant territorial transformation potential, requiring the participation of all stakeholders and a strong commitment to alignment across all administrations. 

With the European Circular Economy Act (CEA) under way and to be adopted in 2026, what is the link between the work you’re doing on the preparatory action and the CEA?

The EU Circular Economy Act is poised to become a cornerstone of Europe’s new clean industrial policy. This Act aims to transform the way European industries operate and stands as one of the key pillars of the new Clean Industrial Deal. It aspires to drive systemic change by fostering leading markets for circular products, cutting through regulatory complexities, and unlocking investments in the technologies and infrastructure that will fuel Europe’s green transition. 

Our journey aligns perfectly with these ambitions. Its outcomes will be made available to legislators, as our Journey is part of the Preparatory Action 'Innovation for place-based transformation', supported by the European Parliament. 

The Circular Economy Act aims to create one single market for secondary resources. Based on your exchanges with territories so far, what do you think are the main benefits of interterritorial collaboration?

The creation of markets for circularity products is the central theme of our Achieving Circularity Experimentation Journey, and expanding this market at the European level is crucial for enhancing competitiveness. Through interterritorial cooperation and by sharing our local toolkits for market creation—such as procurement processes—and identifying both internal and mutual market barriers, our regions will be well-equipped to propose recommendations and collaborative approaches for practically implementing measures that overcome these market challenges. 

Lastly, could you share with our readers what impact do you expect from the Achieving Circularity journey and what are the expectations of territories?

This journey operates on two levels, and our impact aims to be double as well. 

At the local level, each region aims to develop its own local experimentation process, fostering collaboration and learning from others and creating their “transition teams” to guide the circularity process across administrations and local ecosystems. At the Journey/European level, drawing from the collective experiences of regional practitioners, collaboration with colleagues from JRC and external experts, the journey aspires to influence and drive change. We aim to make circularity a reality by offering insights to the legislators, policymakers and territorial stakeholders that can contribute to remove the identified barriers and reinforce circularity in the European Union at all levels. 

We are convinced that this dual approach ensures that both local initiatives and broader European ambitions are advanced, enhancing the overall impact of our efforts in promoting circularity.