Across the Baltic Sea Region, makerspaces serve as hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship. However, many struggle to adopt sustainable, circular economy practices due to limited knowledge, resources, and support. Without a structured approach, valuable materials are wasted, and the full potential of these spaces remain untapped.

The “Circular spaces” project, which is part of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme, brought together municipalities, makerspace operators, and business support organisations across the region. The goal was clear: to turn makerspaces into sustainable, resource-efficient innovation hubs by embedding circular economy principles into their everyday operations.

The project focused on several key areas to ensure lasting impact:

• Training Program – practical training materials to educate makers on eco-design, material reuse, and sustainable prototyping.
• Digital Circular Collaboration Tool – connects makers and suppliers to share sustainable practices and materials.
• Guidelines for makerspaces to integrate circularity principles – elaborates on ten aspects for makerspaces to transition into circular makerspaces.
• Transformed makerspaces – incorporated all relevant solutions above, additionally adjusted the premises, introduced new equipment and materials to support makers in creating more sustainably and circular.

Among the most notable achievements:

• 5 makerspaces in the Baltic Sea Region now operate more sustainably, reducing waste and reusing materials efficiently.
• More than 360 people have been empowered with knowledge and tools to develop circular products by participating in the training program workshops across the Baltic Sea Region.
• Digital Circular Collaboration Tool is used by more than 100 users and reflects circular economy principles, ensuring continued progress beyond the project’s lifespan.
• 7 circular business ideas were piloted in the transformed makerspaces by international teams as proof of concept.

The true strength of the project “Circular spaces” lays in its transnational collaboration, which is supported by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme by providing funding and fostering the cooperation. Makerspaces across countries worked together to share experiences, exchange knowledge, and support each other in the transition toward circularity. This collective effort meant that no organisation had to start from scratch – what worked in one place became an inspiration for another.

By uniting policymakers, makerspaces, and business support organisations across the Baltic Sea Region, “Circular spaces” proved that cooperation knows no borders. The project's results will continue to shape sustainable innovation not just locally, but internationally, ensuring that circular economy principles become a cornerstone of makerspaces and their communities for years to come.