The Hubs4Circularity (H4C) Community of Practice has concluded its two Horizon Europe projects – H4C Europe and H4C ECoP – with a final conference held on May 27, 2026, in Brussels. Around 150 representatives from industry, policy, research, and regional administration attended the event to review results and discuss the future of the initiative.
Over four years, the community grew to more than 1,750 practitioners and developed a range of resources to support the transition to a circular economy. These include sector guides for industries such as steel, cement, and pulp and paper, a stakeholder engagement guide, and a guide to the societal impacts of industrial-urban symbiosis. The initiative also contributed a white paper with the Processes4Planet partnership and inputs to an industrial symbiosis standardization roadmap.
Real-world case studies from across Europe document how industrial symbiosis can deliver practical results. Examples range from reclaimed water reuse for industry in Asturias, Spain, to cross-border carbon capture and storage between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway, as well as industrial heat recovery for aquaculture in Norway’s Nordland region.
The H4C Knowledge Platform, a digital hub consolidating tools and learning resources, will continue operating beyond the two concluded projects. Knowledge exchange activities will be carried forward within the Horizon Europe project United Circles, which the consortia hope will receive long-term support from the European Commission.
