Meet the CIRC-2-ZERO Project Consortium

CIRC-2-ZERO brings together partners from across the Baltic Sea region with diverse expertise, working collaboratively to accelerate the shift to a circular, zero-waste future. By combining expertise in research, innovation, business development, and sustainability practices, the partnership creates a strong foundation for developing and piloting impactful circular solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Below, you can explore the organizations that form the CIRC-2-ZERO consortium and learn more about their roles, expertise, and contributions to the project.

Häme University of Applied Sciences, HAMK

Häme University of Applied Sciences, HAMK is a forward-looking higher education institution in Southern Finland, renowned for its expertise in applied research, innovation, and industry collaboration. HAMK’s mission is to foster innovation, strengthen both regional and global development, and deliver practical, future-oriented education that meets industry needs.

HAMK leads and coordinates the CIRC-2-ZERO Interreg BSR project, uniting 13 partners from seven countries across the Baltic Sea Region. At the core of the project is HAMK’s skilled, multidisciplinary team, ensuring effective coordination, strong partner collaboration, and impactful communication.

In addition to its overall leadership role, HAMK actively contributes to the development and testing of the Digital Twin Demo Platform, which supports SMEs in the engineered wood products and electronics manufacturing sectors in adopting circular economy practices. In Finland, the focus is placed on advancing circular solutions within the engineered wood products industry.

TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology

TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology is Estonia’s only technological university in the country. It provides education and research across engineering, technology, IT, economics, science, and maritime. As a leader in science, technology, and innovation, TalTech maintains constant interaction with universities around the world, bringing together scientists, students, and entrepreneurs.

In CIRC-2-ZERO, TalTech leads the technical development of the Digital Twin Demo Platform. TalTech designs and builds the platform’s architecture and infrastructure, ensuring it is scalable, interoperable, reliable, and user-friendly. TalTech integrates advanced circular manufacturing solutions, including circular product and value chain design, into the platform.

Beyond development, TalTech provides technical support to SMEs, conducts testing and validation, delivers training and workshops, and continuously improves the platform based on user feedback and emerging technologies.

Linna Business Development Ltd

Linna Business Development Ltd (LBD) is the business development agency of Hämeenlinna, located in the heart of Southern Finland. LBD supports local businesses, attracts new investments to the region, and drives key development projects in Hämeenlinna ranging from business parks to tourism and event management. LBD offers free expert services to companies at all stages of growth, including e.g. internationalization and access to funding. As part of its diverse business services, LBD organizes Linna Business Turnajaiset – a flagship coaching program that supports local companies in growth, renewal, and visibility, strengthening Hämeenlinna’s business ecosystem.

Linna Business Development is responsible for coordinating the recruitment of SMEs into the CIRC-2-ZERO project activities. In addition, the organization leverages regional expertise and SME networks to lead the Resilience Transformation Hub. LBD supports SMEs in adopting circular practices through mentoring and training, fosters regional collaboration, contributes to the exploitation roadmap, and facilitates testing of the Digital Twin Demo Platform.

K8 Institut für strategische Ästhetik

K8 Institut für strategische Ästhetik is a German research institute that supports cross-sector transformation processes using approaches from art and design. They are regionally anchored and active across borders. Founded in 2015 as the “Institute for Strategic Aesthetics” in a cooperation between HBKsaar and the Saar University of Music, as well as the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy, and Transport.

In CIRC-2-ZERO, K8 focuses on developing advanced manufacturing solutions through user research, market analysis, and circular design. They create design guidelines, moderate agile software development processes, support piloting of the Digital Twin Demo Platform, and provide user experience feedback. K8 also leads capacity-building through training on design thinking and user-centered innovation, while engaging stakeholders in co-creation and prototyping to advance circular economy practices.

Krakowski Park Technologiczny | Krakow Technology Park

Krakow Technology Park (KTP) is one of the most advanced science and technology parks in Poland, offering a complete one-stop shop for business development with more than 25 years of experience. Together with entrepreneurs, academic institutions and regional authorities, KTP works to develop and promote the Małopolska ecosystem and economy, leveraging the favourable conditions of the Polish Investment Zone to attract foreign investment.

Krakow Technology Park leads the Resilience Transformation Hub in Poland, serving as the main contact for Polish SMEs and stakeholders. It provides mentoring and training to support circular economy practices and the adoption of advanced manufacturing solutions. The team contributes to the exploitation roadmap and supports the piloting and uptake of the Digital Twin Demo Platform by seven Polish SMEs.

Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar!

Established in 1989, AFAS is an internationally oriented public art and design university. It offers hands-on, project-based programs such as Media Art & Design, Communication Design, Product Design, and Fine Arts, alongside master’s courses like Public Art/Public Design and Cultural Management
The Academy of Fine Arts Saar (AFAS) contributes expertise in regenerative design, data driven storytelling, and user-centered innovation.

It supports the development of the Digital Twin Demo Platform’s interface, evaluates the implementation of regenerative design during piloting, and analyzes user feedback for improvement. AFAS also develops training materials and practical guidelines to support companies in adopting circular design and sustainability transformation.

VMG Lignum

VMG Lignum is a wood industry company based in Naujoji Akmenė, Lithuania, specializing in the production of engineered wood materials for sustainable construction. They are part of the VMG Group, one of the largest wood processing and furniture manufacturing groups in Central and Eastern Europe.

They bring industry expertise in engineered wood products, co-creating and validating advanced manufacturing solutions. They pilot and test the Digital Twin Demo Platform in real-world settings, providing feedback for improvement. VMG supports new circular value chains, fosters collaboration, participates in capacity-building, and promotes circular economy practices among manufacturers.

Luleå University of Technology (LTU)

Luleå University of Technology (LTU) is a leading public technical university in northern Sweden, renowned for combining cutting-edge research with strong collaboration between academia, industry, and society. With over 18,000 students and 1,500 staff, LTU is committed to driving innovation in sustainability, circular economy, digitalization, and advanced manufacturing.
Within the CIRC-2-ZERO Interreg BSR project, LTU contributes its expertise in advanced manufacturing, circular product and value chain design, and environmental impact assessment. The LTU team develops best practices for disassembly, modularity, and recyclability – supporting the transition toward more sustainable industrial systems.

LTU also leads Work Package 2: Piloting and Evaluating Solutions, which focuses on developing, testing, and refining circular and digital manufacturing practices for SMEs. The work includes selecting use cases and preparing SMEs for piloting, deploying and testing the Digital Twin Demo Platform, monitoring and supporting pilot implementations, and refining advanced manufacturing solutions and the Digital Twin based on pilot findings. The goal is to produce optimized value chain models and transferable solutions that strengthen SME competitiveness across the Baltic Sea Region.

Through these efforts, LTU also supports training on sustainable product development, eco-design, and life cycle assessment – helping SMEs adopt innovative, circular, and resilient business models.

Ventspils High Technology Park

Ventspils High Technology Park (VHTP) is an organization helping SMEs in Latvia embrace circular economy practices and integrate advanced manufacturing solutions.

VHTP is a foundation and specialized industrial park located in Ventspils, Latvia. Established in 2005, it plays a vital role in developing the regional innovation ecosystem by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure, business support services, and access to networks for high-tech and manufacturing companies. Its mission is to attract and grow knowledge-intensive businesses, foster innovation, and facilitate the transition towards sustainable industry practices.

In the CIRC-2-ZERO project, VHTP is responsible for coordinating the recruitment of SMEs into project activities. It supports SMEs through tailored mentoring and training programs that promote circular product design and value chain optimization. Its work includes organizing workshops, webinars, and peer-to-peer learning sessions. VHTP also contributes to the project’s exploitation roadmap and pilots the Digital Twin Demo Platform, ensuring that at least one innovative solution is adopted by seven Latvian SMEs.

Tartu Science Park 

Tartu Science Park serves as Estonia’s first and leading science and technology park, based in Tartu, home to deeptech startups and research-driven ventures development. Founded in 1992, it fosters innovation ecosystems and supports the transformation of scientific ideas into scalable businesses

Tartu Science Park leads the Resilience Transformation Hub in Estonia, serving as the main contact for SMEs and stakeholders. It provides mentoring and training to help SMEs adopt circular economy practices and advanced manufacturing solutions. Tartu Science Park contributes to the exploitation roadmap and supports piloting of the Digital Twin Demo Platform, aiding adoption by seven Estonian SMEs.

Vizulo

At Vizulo, they design and manufacture energy efficient LED lighting solutions for streets, architecture, and urban spaces, but their role in CIRC-2-ZERO goes beyond lighting. They bring hands on experience from electronics manufacturing to help shape the Digital Twin Demo Platform, a tool that will support SMEs across the Baltic Sea Region in making smarter choices about materials, production efficiency, and product longevity.

By testing the platform in real manufacturing environments, they provide insights that bridge digital innovation with real world needs. For Vizulo, the circular economy isn’t just a concept, it’s part of how they build technology that lasts.

IUC Norr – Industriellt utvecklingscentrum Norr

IUC Norr is a regional development company for the industry in northern Sweden (in the counties of Norrbotten and Västerbotten). They work closely with companies and individuals to advance and become more competitive. In strategic collaboration with regions and municipalities, IUC Norr work to create growth for industrial companies. They take leadership in the development of industry towards a sustainable future. Also, IUC Norr is part of the network IUC Sweden, a national resource for enhanced competitiveness in Swedish industry.

IUC Norr leads the Resilience Transformation Hub in Sweden, acting as the main contact for SMEs and stakeholders. They provide mentoring and training to support circular economy adoption and advanced manufacturing integration. IUC Norr contributes to the exploitation roadmap and supports piloting of the Digital Twin Demo Platform and manufacturing solutions. IUC Norr is leading the establishment and coordination of the Resilience Transformation Hub in Sweden, serving as the primary point of contact for SMEs and stakeholders in the region.

They develop a comprehensive support and mentoring program for SMEs, helping them adopt circular economy practices and integrate advanced manufacturing solutions into their operations. They organize training workshops, webinars, and peer-to-peer learning sessions to build SMEs’ capacity in circular product design and value chain optimization. They contribute to the development of the exploitation roadmap, identifying opportunities for scaling up the adoption of advanced manufacturing solutions and promoting their long-term sustainability. They participate in the testing and piloting of the Digital Twin Demo Platform and advanced manufacturing solutions.

Riga Technical University (RTU)

RTU is the oldest and largest technical university in the Baltic countries. It educates over 13,000 students in engineering, materials science, energy, transportation, ICT, and architecture across multiple faculties
Riga Technical University (RTU) contributes expertise in advanced manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and simulation for the Digital Twin Demo Platform. It supports research on circular product and value chain design, process optimization, and automation. RTU also leads training on manufacturing technologies and data analytics, and shares project outcomes through publications and conferences.

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