Between April 15 and 18, the World Circular Economy Forum in Brussels will showcase the success story of the Basque Circular Hub centres in training newly qualified professionals on the circular economy

Ihobe, the Basque Government's Public Environmental Management Company, will have an exhibition stand alongside the other fifty or so delegations selected by the organisation from among the most important projects from all over the world. The Euskadi Basque Circular Hub exhibition area details the activity of its centres in providing education and training on the circular economy, an initiative developed as a result of a public-private collaboration between all of the universities and vocational training centres in the Basque Country and Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz city councils, where the two offices of the Basque Circular Hub are located.

The World Circular Economy Forum believes that the Euskadi Basque Circular Hub's advanced circular economy service centres are an initiative that can be replicated in other regions of the world to develop a model where, by reducing waste, an economic activity based on additional value is consolidated by extending the life cycle of products. Ihobe's track record in educational collaboration is a model of reference and inspiration for other regions, while creating new opportunities at the same time, thanks to similar initiatives in other countries that have made mutual exchange and learning possible.

The World Circular Economy Forum is a global initiative organised by the Finnish Innovation Fund, Sitra, and promoted through a partnership with dozens of circular economy organisations from all over the world. Over the course of 4 days, around 10,000 people are expected to attend, both in person and online, to learn about the world's leading circular economy solutions through presentations made by business leaders, policy makers and experts. At this year's World Circular Economy Forum, the focus will be on the circular economy “as a key source of future well-being and the main line of investment after fossil fuels”. According to the promoters, the circular economy approach can help companies seize new opportunities and gain a competitive advantage, and contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

About the Basque Circular Hub

Ihobe currently manages the advanced circular economy service centres in Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz, in collaboration with the city councils, as a result of the public-private alliance with universities and companies

The Basque Circular Hub is an initiative aimed at providing advanced circular economy services in the Basque Country and integrating the circular economy into the secondary and higher education system, thereby accelerating the process of producing new qualified professionals. The Basque Circular Hub is a benchmark in Spain and Southern Europe, and is unique in that it provides market forecasting services, advanced training, trend analysis and creates expert knowledge in the field of the circular economy. It currently has two offices in Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The network of centre is managed by the public company Ihobe, and is the result of a public-private partnership between the Basque Government, Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz City Councils, the University of Deusto, the University of the Basque Country UPV-EHU, Mondragon University, the University of Navarra, the Euskadi-Tknika Centre for Applied Research in Vocational Training and the Novia Salcedo Foundation.