Cradle-ALP – Circular Alpine Space community

This community is dedicated to advancing sustainable development and innovation in the Alpine region. It gathers enterprises, business support organisations, academics & universities as well as representatives from the public authorities from the Alpine Space region (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia & Switzerland) active in the 5 key industrial sectors of this region: polymers & composites, chemistry & materials, packaging, textile and wood & furniture. Moderated by the 9 Cradle-ALP partners thanks to their expertise on those industrial sectors, the goal is to encourage sustainable innovation and provide a plate-forme to exchange on circular businesses opportunities within the Alpine Space region.

Will begin on March 20th, 2025 - Online

Programme :

10.00- 11.15 : Conference

• 10.00 -10.10 : Welcome and presentation of services support offered by Cradle-ALP partners

• 10.10-10.20 : Brief overview of the regulation framework on Composites recycling – Dr. Florian Part from BOKU University

• 10.20 - 10.35 : Applicability of the "Safe and Sustainable by Design" (SSbD)-principle for SMEs : benefits and challenges - Christoph Olscher from BOKU University

• 10.35-10.55 : Composites circularity solutions

• 10.55 -11.15 : SMEs pitches on key circularity challenges and best-practices in the polymer, composites and chemistry industry

11.15- 16.00 : B2B meetings

Why should I participate?

This event is dedicated to promoting innovative solutions for composite circularity, bringing together stakeholders and companies from the Alpine Space region (Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Slovenia & Switzerland) facing similar challenges and fostering new circular value chains.

The conference will give an overview on the regulation framework and offer insights on circularity solutions for SMEs from the composite and polymer sector, based on the challenges for circualrity and solutions identified in the frame of the Cradle-ALP Composites Circular Transformation Roadmap developped in 2024.

The conference will be followed by a networking session open to all SMEs : if you are a company looking to showcase your circular solutions and products, find business or technological partners across borders, or explore circular initiatives and collaboration opportunities in the composite sector, this event is for you.

As part of our commitment to fostering cross-border cooperation, we organize matchmaking events across five key industrial sectors —Composites & Polymers, Chemistry & Materials, Textile, Packaging, and Wood/Furniture— to support SMEs in the Alpine Space in building strategic collaborations and advancing circular solutions.

The event will be held online on March 20th, 2025.

Value for Participants :

• Learn more about the principles of circular economy and industrial application cases (latest technologies, business models, best practices from other companies, etc.).

• Share their challenges, interests, and feedback so that you can integrate this into the project's activities:

• Develop a circular transformation roadmap for public decision-makers.

• Develop support services for businesses.

• Participate in working groups from the polymer sector in the Transalpine region to establish new partnerships and test circular economy measures.

The Cradle-ALP project, part of the Interreg Alpine Space programme, is dedicated to advancing sustainable development and innovation in the Alpine region. Its primary focus is on promoting a cradle-to-cradle approach within the Alpine area, with the overarching aim of reducing waste generation and resource consumption in the different industries.

Cradle-ALP advocates for the substitution of chemical, fossil or unsustainable materials with alternatives that are more circular, sustainable and biodegradable. This mission is driven by the support for research, the exchange of knowledge and the implementation of innovative solutions outlined in the project’s roadmaps, which are integral components of the project’s strategy for promoting sustainable development in the Alpine Space region. A comprehensive network of stakeholders, including businesses, research institutions and public authorities, will be responsible for implementing these roadmaps to facilitate the emergence of circular products and value chains and to foster the transition toward a more sustainable and resilient Alpine region.

The aim is to promote the emergence of circular products and value chains at the intersection of polymers & composites, chemistry & materials, packaging, textile and wood & furniture sectors within the Alpine region.