Project information

Project Title
Establishment and Operation of the Slovenian Circular Economy Centre – for a Green, Creative and Smart Development

Acronym: SCKG

Project Duration: 9 December 2024 – 30 June 2029

Approved Funding: EUR 3,499,856.00

The project is co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. It is implemented under the European Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027 in Slovenia.

Project Description

The Slovenian Center for Circular Economy (SCKG) is a national project established with the aim of accelerating Slovenia's transition to a circular economy. Its activities provide systemic support for the green transition, improve resource efficiency, and promote sustainable and innovative business models in the Slovenian economy.

What is the Slovenian Center for Circular Economy?

The SCKG brings together various stakeholders from the economy, research institutions, the public sector, and civil society, and carries out activities to support policy-making, technology development, and knowledge transfer.
It was established with the aim of encouraging companies to introduce sustainable business models and providing support to other stakeholders in the transition to a circular economy and society. It achieves this by organizing and conducting consultations, training, and workshops for companies and local communities, and by preparing awareness-raising activities for residents. It supports research into the development of environmentally friendly technologies and participates in the formulation of circular economy policies.

Project Objectives

• Strengthening knowledge and skills for the green transition through the development of competencies across various economic sectors, supported by SRIPs and initiatives for entrepreneurs, craftspeople and vulnerable groups.
• Enhancing economic stability by developing industrial symbiosis and promoting repair, reuse and product circulation in small enterprises, crafts and the municipal sector.
• Increasing the competitiveness and social responsibility of companies through training on new EU legislative requirements, digital product passports, sustainability reporting, and the introduction of innovation and research-and-development solutions.
• Promoting a low-carbon circular economy by improving resource management, preventing waste generation, increasing recycling and material traceability, and supporting digitalisation and the transfer of new technologies into practice.

The main activities of SCKG are:

• Establishing physical and virtual entry points to provide training, information, and advice to small and medium-sized enterprises and public institutions.
• Connecting stakeholders through industrial symbiosis, networking, and the development of circular value chains.
• Monitoring and analyzing trends in the circular economy and supporting innovation.
• Educational and awareness-raising activities for various social groups to promote circular values.
• Supporting research and development of new technologies and business models.
• Establishment of an online platform accessible to all stakeholders, with an advanced knowledge base (library, SCKG academy, toolbox) and a virtual assistant for circular transition.

Key Project Results:

• established virtual and physical access points and a mobile agent
• established database of infrastructure providers and stakeholders in the circular economy
• established virtual knowledge platform (library, academy, toolbox)
• delivered trainings, workshops and educational activities, with stakeholders actively involved
• prepared analysis of the state of the circular economy in Slovenia
• delivered expert and in-depth consulting and mentoring for companies
• conducted testing of circular solutions with infrastructure providers
• prepared project proposals supporting the green transition
• delivered consulting for the preparation of sustainability strategies and sustainability reporting

Which organisations form the project consortium?
The SCKG project consortium is composed of organisations that contribute their expertise, resources and experience to achieving the project’s common goals. The partners represent various sectors—industry, research institutions, the public sector and non-governmental organisations—and have extensive experience in circular economy, innovation, research and development, and knowledge transfer into practice.

SCKG brings together eight partners with diverse professional expertise. The project is led by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, together with the consortium partners:

• Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia,
• Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute,
• Pomurje Technology Park,
• E-zavod,
• Centre for Reuse,
• Consensus and
• Arctur.