The New Built Environment Circular ClimAccelerator Programme, in association with Tangent, Trinity College Dublin, Luvent Consulting GMbH(Berlin), EIT Climate KIC and the GreenTechHQ Innovation Hub, is currently looking for talented entrepreneurs to drive the circular economy transition. The programme accelerates advanced start-up teams with innovative solutions fostering the circular economy.

Built Environment Circular ClimAccelerator

The Built Environment Circular ClimAccelerator offers grants for start-ups combined with the tailor-made accelerator programme. It connects start-ups with the largest climate-focused community in the world powered by EIT Climate-KIC ClimAccelerator, as well as investors, partner cities, corporates and ecosystem partners.

Over the past 10 years, the EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator Programme has supported climate-positive ventures in 32 locations across Europe along with 33 EIT Climate-KIC partners, Trinity College Dublin foremost among them.  It has supported the climate-relevant work of over 2,000 start-ups with technological and commercial development, helping them to mature into scalable, sustainable businesses achieving impact and change in the world.

Recent examples of outstanding start-ups developed by the programme at Trinity College include Kollect, Hexafly, Mimergy, Bounce Back Recycling, Thriftify, Terratonics, Concrete 4 Change and Recycleye. All are making a significant contribution to effecting positive change in the circular economy.

Global Innovation Hub

This programme edition also aims to support the implementation of the Global Innovation Hub at Enniscorthy Technology Park in Ireland, particularly in the sector of built-environment, construction for high-performance buildings and renewable energy technologies.

Construction Accelerator programme

Irish organisers have been asked by Climate KIC to run a new supplementary accelerator programme in late 2022. A central pillar of the proposed programme will be a focus on one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, the construction industry, which is responsible for a vast amount of inefficient and wasteful resource management.

Applying circular economy principles in practice is challenging and requires systemic change. But it can be done, and the benefits for businesses, the environment, the economy and society are substantial – the circular economy is a $4.5 trillion opportunity.

Areas of innovation that the programme would like to explore include:

• Urban mining and reverse cycles – the reuse and recycling of materials
• Extending building life through transformation, refurbishment and retro-fitting, with use cases from Europe’s housing agencies
• Designing for disassembly and flexible/modular construction to make reuse, recycling, transformation and refurbishment easier with industry practitioner insights.

Intelligent design of circular systems

The key to circular economy thinking is the intelligent design of circular systems. For example, in 2020, IMS, an Irish construction waste management and resource recovery company, collected over 3,000 tonnes of concrete waste from a Dublin Airport critical runway taxiway project. They used the waste in the production of Greenstone, an NSAI-certified aggregate made from recycled construction waste. Following a detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) and independent verification, Greenstone recycled aggregate has been certified to have a carbon footprint of only 5% of virgin aggregates (Source: Irish Green Building Council).

To learn more or apply for inclusion in the programme, visit www.circular-accelerator.com

The Application window closes on 19 September 2022.