Project overview

Objectives: To (i) develop an interdisciplinary conceptual and analytical framework (based on various disciplinary fields: sociology, economics, environmental science, philosophy, political science) for the analysis of intra- and cross-sectoral circular use of bioresources in agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture in the Baltic-Nordic region,(ii) address existing knowledge gaps and identify interdisciplinary approaches for exploring circular business models, collaborative arrangements, and policy frameworks, and (iii) establish criteria for assessing the impact of circular use of bioresources in terms of economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Objectives: To (i) map the variety of practices and initiatives involving elements of intra- and cross-sectoral circularity of bioresources in the Baltic-Nordic region, (ii) develop a taxonomy of cross-sectoral circular resource use and economic and social arrangements, and (iii) propose a measurement tool for assessing the business readiness to uptake the principles of circular economy.

Objectives: To (i) explore in-depth 12 cases (three in each partner country) of intra- and crosssectoral circularity initiatives in agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture, stemming from WP2 results, (ii) analyse circular business models and examine conditions and collaborative and governance arrangements that enable the use of bioresources in a sustainable and efficient manner, (iii) perform cost-benefit analysis of circular business models and assess their economic, social, and environmental sustainability impacts, and (iv) map consumer perspectives and attitudes towards circular business models and collaborative arrangements.

Objectives: To (i) examine the ethical implications of the implementation of the principles of circularity across and within sectors by grounding it in the existing scholarship in environmental philosophy, particularly in relation to ecological solidarity; (ii) use empirical evidence to explore how consumers engage with the cross-sectoral circular economy in their behaviours and how they understand the concept as it is presented in the media and policy debates. The goal is to identify potential overlaps between policies and innovations (in business, technologies) related to the cross-sectoral circularity and locally existing, historically embedded practices, the latter part bringing a consumer perspective to the multi-level analysis of the circular economy.

Objectives: To explore institutional strategies and policies, including the role of collaborative governance for developing synergies between sectors to create a place-based circular economy. Sub-objectives are to (i) synthesise the results of WP1-WP4 regarding governance arrangements and policies for circularity in agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, (ii) identify and analyse enabling frameworks conducive to intra- and cross-sectoral circularity, (iii) develop tailored future scenarios for facilitating financial and collaborative arrangements, and (iv) elaborate policy and practice recommendations for supporting business models and collaborative
governance of intra- and cross-sectoral circular resource use.

Objective: To enable and foster communication, stakeholder involvement and joint learning throughout the project. This will be achieved through (i) efficient communication and engagement with relevant stakeholders for collaboration and effective implementation of project tasks in WP1-WP6, (ii) preparation of research results in user-centred formats and their wide dissemination to relevant actors and stakeholders engaged in the circular economy, (iii) training of early-stage researchers.