The event kicked off with a presentation of the Interreg DEGREN PLUS project by Prof Victor Ferreira, president of Cluster Habitat Sustentável. With this presentation, participants had the opportunity to learn about the project’s partners and objectives, the activities to be carried out and the results to be obtained, which will contribute to improving the participation of the business fabric in the EUROACE Region (Alentejo, Centre and Extremadura) and the promotion of innovation processes with a focus on Ecodesign. Finally, the different forms of support for the project by companies and other organisations were highlighted.
Cristina Rocha from the National Energy and Geology Laboratory (LNEG) then spoke about Ecodesign and Circular Business Models, where she emphasised the importance of companies adopting an integrated approach to the design of their products, focusing on the reuse of materials, resource efficiency and the durability of materials and products as fundamental principles. He also explored how circular business models can help companies reduce waste and increase their competitiveness, presenting some practical examples that are already being implemented.
The panel ‘Thinking Circular: Integrating Ecodesign into Companies’, moderated by Cristina Rocha (LNEG) and Victor Ferreira (Cluster Habitat Sustentável), made it possible to highlight and discuss some ecodesign solutions that the companies involved are implementing.
In this panel Xavier Silva, from Concexec, shared the company’s experience in integrating the principles of circularity into the UNUSHOUSE Prefabricated Modular Construction System, which has been patented in several countries around the world. Among the topics covered, he highlighted the definition of a circular business model, with implications for products and services, as well as the definition of the necessary changes in the organisation resulting in an action plan carried out by Concexec in the training action carried out by the CIRCO HUB Portugal project.
Daniel Soares and José Ventura (Revigrés) then presented the concept developed at CIRCO Hub Portugal, as well as some examples of circularity already underway at the company. The eco-design concept explored involved a system for fixing ceramic floor and wall tiles with the flexibility needed for reversibility when renovating spaces, allowing the material to be reused.
João Areias, from Secil Portugal, addressed the challenges facing the cement sector in the transition to decarbonisation, highlighting the company’s efforts to promote energy efficiency and the use of alternative materials in the manufacture of cement, as part of a series of major investments the company is making between now and 2050 in order to achieve the sustainability and decarbonisation targets it has set itself.
Susana Arrais, from Vista Alegre, spoke about the company’s various Ecodesign and Sustainability initiatives and the projects it is taking part in as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan: Decarbonisation of Industry, PRODUCTECH R, INOV.AM, New Generation Storage and ECP, giving specific examples of existing good practices and others that are being developed.
Finally, José Ávila e Sousa, from Volcalis, emphasised the company’s work in producing mineral wool insulation with a focus on sustainability. He emphasised the excellent properties of this product, such as the fact that it is non-combustible, of high quality, ecological and functional, obtained through advanced production technologies, which offer thermal and acoustic efficiency as well as high fire resistance.
The event ended with a networking session, which allowed those present to exchange ideas and explore future collaborations, consolidating the commitment to continue moving towards a more sustainable and circular economy.
Find out more about the DEGREN PLUS Project here: www.degrenplus.eu