Circular spaces newsletter #2

March 2024 - May 2024 Edition #02

NEWSLETTER

CIRCULAR SPACES Transforming makerspaces to circular economy principles

TOP NEWS OF THE PROJECT

PARTNERS MEET IN STAVANGER, NORWAY This circular training program is designed to empower makers with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration to infuse circular principles into their projects, fostering a community of innovators committed to both creativity and environmental responsibility.

Read more about the training program on Page 2

From 28 to 30 May, project partners met in Norway. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the latest developments in the implementation of the project activities, activity leaders presented the plans to implement the planned activities within the timeframe set.

Special attention was also paid to the communication activities of the project by organising a group workshop.

TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MAKERS DEVELOPED

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AVAILABLE TRAINING PROGRAM 'CIRCULAR MAKERSPACES: TRAINING PROGRAM' Within the 'Circular spaces' project's consortium has developed a training program 'Circular makerspaces: training program'. The aim of the training program is to provide makerspace communities with a comprehensive view of circular economy principles, promoting sustainable innovation, resource efficiency and a circular mindset.

The training program includes nine themes that closely complement each other. Themes 1 to 4 and 9 focus on building trainees' theoretical knowledge on different aspects of the circular economy, while themes 5 to 8 focus on the practical application of the lessons learned.

The training program includes 9 topics: 1. Circular Economy and Sustainability 2. Waste as a Resource in Circular Economy 3. Circular Value Chains, Ecosystems, and People 4. Circular Business Models 5. Life Cycle Thinking and Environmental Footprint 6. Design Thinking for Circular Products 7. Reusability, Repairability, Recyclability 8. Integration of Circular Approaches into Everyday Work Life 9. Circular Economy Policies across the Baltic Sea Region Countriesthe trainees benefit most from learning all the topics, the trainer can decide individually how to Although structure the training using the different topics chosen.

Each topic starts with methodological notes to guide trainers in preparing and organising the training.

These notes include a summary of each topic, the outcomes to be achieved, the defined learning benefits for the different target groups, the learning plan and other information needed to conduct the training. In addition, each topic is accompanied by a presentation that can be used to present the content when organising the training.

The training program is being piloted by organising workshops and trainings. The feedback gained from the participants will be collected and evaluated.

The training program is available on the project's website under section 'Solutions'

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FIRST RESULTS OF THE PROJECT INTEREST GROUPS GAIN KNOWLEDGE ON CIRCULAR ECONOMY On April 29, the event about first results in the project 'Circular Spaces' took place. Valmiera Development Agency project experts Ilze Eglāja and Liene Krūmiņa informed about what has been done so far and what activities will happen in the near future.

Representatives of makerspaces, NGO’s and public organizations of regional and local importance attended the event. As well as businessmen and businesswomen, creative enthusiasts (makers) and other interested parties who care about environmental issues and are interested in current affairs of the circular economy in Valmiera, Latvia and the Baltic Sea region were present.

During the event, the participants were informed about the developed guidelines, which will help makerspaces, including Valmiera makerspace DARE, to become more environmentally friendly and introduce circular economy principles into their everyday life.

One of the most extensive results of the project, which will be available to anyone interested, is a training program created by all project partners, which aims to educate creators, makers, creative enthusiasts and interested parties! The training program includes nine topics – circular economy and sustainability, transformation of waste into resources, product life cycle and ecological footprint, as well as design thinking and reuse of materials.

So far, 85 participants have successfully completed the program, 62 of whom have given very positive feedback.

The participants of the training program highly appreciated its theoretical and practical content. After the training, the majority of participants report a significant improvement in their knowledge.

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9

average level of knowledge before training

average level of knowledge after training

61%

46%

Participants claim that the training inspired them to learn more about the circular economy

Participants committed to changing their habits to create less waste and live a “greener” lifestyle

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WCEF2024 STUDIO ORGANISED BY PROJECT’S ‘CIRCULAR SPACES’ CONSORTIUM On Wednesday, 17 April, Valmiera Municipality Government in cooperation with the partners of the project ‘Circular Spaces’ organised a webinar "Circular makerspaces to build circular businesses" in the framework of the World Circular Economy Forum 2024. More than 30 participants attended the event, both from nearby countries of Latvia and from further afield, such as the UK, Lebanon, Malaysia and others.

The main aim of the webinar was to introduce the concept of makerspaces and how, through the activities of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project ‘Circular spaces’, we will introduce circular economy principles in these makerspaces and how we will educate the visitors of the makerspaces. Speakers from Germany, Lithuania and Latvia dived deeper into the topic.

Makerspaces are places where prototypes and ideas for new businesses are developed. It is important that the principles of the circular economy are introduced right from the start. This not only reduces the company’s environmental impact, but also makes it more competitive.

More and more customers are paying attention to what products an operator offers and whether the goods they buy are durable and recyclable.

The project provides an opportunity not only to develop concrete solutions to the defined problem, but also to cooperate with partners in other countries within the Baltic Sea Region. Cooperation with organisations and people experienced in different fields provides an opportunity to arrive at the best solutions, to learn from each other and to share the solutions developed in the project with a wider audience.

After the partner presentations, the webinar continued with the World Circular Economy Forum discussion “The people driving change today”. The discussion highlighted the importance of the role of people in implementing the circular economy. The discussion concluded that if consumers are educated about the circular economy and its principles, they will also start to demand products or services from producers that are designed according to these principles. The training program developed by the project ‘Circular Spaces’ is specifically aimed at strengthening people’s skills on the circular economy, both theoretically and practically.

RECYCLING WASTE IN MAKERSPACE Creator Makerspace has a 3D filament maker and recycler.

Makers begin by sorting 3D material leftovers by plastic type. The sorted plastic is then shredded. To create new filament for 3D printing, a blend of approximately 50% recycled material and 50% virgin material is used. This new filament is subsequently utilized for new creative projects.

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'MAKERS 5.0' SPRING SCHOOL ORGANISED IN LITHUANIA From a game to raise awareness about climate change to a robot that improves emotional well-being, these are the prototypes developed during the “MAKERS 5.0” Spring School, which took place in Vilnius, in April.

Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LIC) had the unique opportunity to be a part of the initiative organised by the VILNIUS TECH “LinkMenų fabrikas”.

During the first week of remote learning, project manager Karolina Kužmarskytė gave students a presentation on sustainable product design, as well as introduced them to the training program “Circular makerspaces”, which was created on the basis of the Circular Spaces project.

In the second week students met in person and began implementing their created projects, aiming to apply theoretical knowledge practically.

The Spring School “MAKERS 5.0” culminated in the final event, where students presented their projects, while a jury, which included LIC representative Karolina, evaluated the prototypes the teams created.

WANT TO TAKE PART? Keep up with all project related activities on our project's website https://interregbaltic.eu/project/circular-spaces/ Look for section 'Events' to find the upcoming workshops and events.

Training 'Circular Value Chains, Ecosystems, and People' in makerspace DARE, Valmiera

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