Circular economy is receiving increasing attention worldwide as a way to overcome the current production and consumption model based on continuous growth and increasing resource use. Sustainable Resource Management and Resource Efficiency are essential for Sustainable Development. Significant improvements on resource efficiency will be necessary to meet the aspirations expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Natural resources are linked to all 17 SDGs, including the reduction of inequalities (SGD 10)[1]. Construction sector has to contribute to circularity agenda, and exploit this challenge for the transformation of the sector, to become more innovative and capable of addressing regional and global challenges.

[1] Resource efficiency for sustainable development: key messages for the group of 20, International Resource Panel, 2018

Focus and ambitions

International Circular Construction Cluster`s (ICCC) focus is circular construction. Circular construction adopts the principles of circular economy along the life-cycle of buildings and other infrastructure development, from the extraction of building materials, design, production, construction, operation/maintenance and retrofitting to the demolition and recycling of materials. Construction sector uses enormous quantities of natural resources, energy and water to build buildings and other infrastructure. And it is a major generator of waste. Making construction more circular is a global challenge and responsibility.

Background

The idea for ICCC set-up was born within European Circular Construction Alliance, an EU COSME project bringing together a number of EU clusters and other organizations to accelerate the internationalization of circular construction and to stimulate international collaboration in this field. Construction Cluster of Slovenia initiated and coordinated this project.

One of the main lessons learned was that Circular Construction needs not only new mind set in the sector but also intensive international collaboration in innovation as a number of novel solutions and technologies have to bring to market, such as construction and demolition waste re-use, new technologies as Building Information Modelling and digitalization, used of renewable materials such as wood, new circular business models. All these needs sharing of ambitions and joint effort to make the sector circular.

Your support matters

You can support the ambitions of making construction sector circular globally with signing the letter of support and join those, who already did.

International cluster and members

Clusters have become one of the most successful subjects of innovation eco-systems on global scale (www.tci-network.org, www.clustercollaboration.eu). Modern clusters are going beyond traditional regional concept of supporting SMEs` innovation. Now this support and business collaboration goes across sectors and countries focusing on particular common vision, embracing collaborative, win-win approach.

ICCC is conceived as international cluster which means fully open to members in any country of the world supporting the ICCC mission of making construction more circular. In addition, being committed to support its implementation by active involvement. As cluster ICCCS implements triple helix approach and go beyond it, by activating financial stakeholders, international stakeholders, and end-users.

1. Key members of ICCC are clusters or cluster like partnerships and associations. They can extend their missions and activities on international scale and help their member to capture the opportunities of international collaborative innovation and business collaboration, for example by transferring circular technologies to other markets or exploit solutions developed in innovation ecosystem linked to ICCC.
2. SMEs, entrepreneurs, and large enterprises can join the cluster individually to gain access to innovation ecosystem focusing on circular construction. They keep update with the latest news and events in circular construction, promote their organizations, circular products, services, realized circular buildings, co-develop new circular solutions by joining to collaborative innovation projects. Their commitment for circularity in the sector is the key to the success of the cluster.
3. Members for academia and RTD organizations will find partners and clients for research and development in circular construction, options for demonstrations, pilots, and industrial partners willing to commercially exploit the results. They will actively contribute to circular competences development with training and curricula improvements.
4. Investors: find and support investment in new, green technologies, circular buildings and cities, assist in making the investment market focusing on circular economy as a global market opportunity.
5. Government and international organizations can access a broad community of stakeholders for innovation ecosystem and industry to improve the policies and support measured for accelerate transition to circular economy and to reach SGDs. They will be involved in awareness rising but also in removing different barriers for circular construction in regulation and standardization.