CIRCUIT – Integrating decarbonisation and circularity actions in industrial sites to achieve climate-neutral and sustainable cities

CIRCUIT, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, brings together 32 organisations from 12 countries, including research institutes, cities, companies and other operators working to promote sustainable development. Espoo is participating in the project as part of a Finnish pilot initiative focusing on zero-waste construction and urban renewal. The pilot is being carried out in cooperation with Lotus Demolition, Spolia Design and SRV.

The project develops and pilots solutions that support the reuse of construction materials, reduce emissions from construction and improve the circulation of materials in urban areas. In Espoo, the focus is particularly on the reuse of building components and the development of operating models for circular construction. The aim is to demonstrate in practice how existing building components can be dismantled, repaired and reused, while developing operating models that can be applied in other cities.

Co-creation with local operators

In the CIRCUIT project, the city, companies, research organisations and other local operators work together to develop solutions. Espoo will build on its existing cooperation networks and local development projects as part of the project. Events organised during the project will bring together companies, landowners, experts and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for circular construction and develop new operating models that support low-carbon urban development.

Five themes for a sustainable transition

The CIRCUIT project is based on five main objectives:

1. empowering citizens and communities to make sustainable choices
2. bringing together different operators to identify challenges and develop solutions
3. developing new circular economy solutions across the value chains of construction, food, water and nutrients, vehicles and batteries, and textiles
4. testing solutions in real-world settings across Europe
5. developing long-term operating models, business solutions and policy recommendations.

The project solutions will be developed and tested in eight pilots across Europe. In addition to Finland, the participating countries are Portugal, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Slovenia and Greece. For Espoo, the project provides an opportunity to develop and pilot new circular economy solutions together with European partners and to strengthen the city’s work to promote a carbon-neutral and resource-efficient built environment.

Project duration: 1 June 2026–31 May 2029
Read more about the project: www.circuit-horizon.eu(external link, opens in a new window)
Funding: European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, project no. 1+358 12 69889

You can find all news and publications related to the project below.

Can an old building component get a new life? Espoo develops circular construction through European cooperation