The Waste Cluster of Catalonia (CREC) has held a new edition of its Summer Networking event, which has become a key meeting point for bringing together companies, clusters and ecosystem stakeholders around innovation, circularity and new opportunities for collaboration.
Held at the Molí Paperer de Capellades, the event brought together professionals from a wide range of sectors with a shared goal: to build meaningful connections, exchange experiences and demonstrate that collaboration across ecosystems is a key driver in accelerating the transition towards a more circular economy.
The event opened with welcome remarks from Elisabet Alier, President of CREC, and Victoria Rabal, Director of the Molí Paperer de Capellades, who welcomed attendees and highlighted the importance of creating spaces that encourage dialogue, innovation and cooperation between companies and organisations.
One of the highlights of this year’s edition was the round-table format, which brought together three clusters and three companies from a wide range of sectors to share experiences and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of the circular economy. This combination provided complementary viewpoints and demonstrated that circularity is a cross-cutting challenge that can only be addressed through collaboration.
The first round table featured Joaquim Solana, Cluster Manager of AMBIT – Living Spaces Cluster, and Xavier Rius, Director of CITYSENS, who shared their experience in developing solutions related to sustainable design, urban green spaces and innovation for the built environment.
The second discussion brought together Andrea Padré, Cluster Manager of CICAT – Catalonia Lighting Cluster, and representatives from LAMP, who reflected on the role of innovation, ecodesign and business collaboration in developing more efficient and sustainable lighting solutions.
The third round table featured Clàudia Parera, from the Barcelona Clúster Nàutic, and Armand Sendil, from V de Bravado, who shared insights from the nautical sector and presented initiatives aimed at integrating sustainability, innovation and circular economy principles into their activities.
Despite the diversity of the sectors represented, all the discussions conveyed a common message: the need to work together to address environmental challenges and turn them into opportunities for transformation and competitiveness. Throughout the sessions, participants explored topics such as circular strategies, resource valorisation, knowledge sharing and collaborative project development, highlighting that exchanging experiences across sectors is a powerful source of innovation and new opportunities.
Following the discussions, attendees had the opportunity to visit the Molí Paperer de Capellades, an iconic site of Catalonia’s industrial heritage that has preserved the tradition of papermaking since the 18th century. The visit offered valuable insight into the history of paper, its traditional manufacturing process, and the connection between heritage, industry and sustainability.
The event concluded with a networking lunch, providing a relaxed setting for participants to continue the conversations started during the morning, establish new connections and explore future opportunities for collaboration between companies, clusters and institutions.
The event concluded with closing remarks from Albert Planell, Director of the Waste Agency of Catalonia, who highlighted the importance of promoting initiatives that bring together different sectors and foster collaboration as a driver of innovation and the transition towards a more circular economy.
At CREC, we would like to thank AMBIT – Living Spaces Cluster, CICAT – Catalonia Lighting Cluster, Barcelona Clúster Nàutic, as well as CITYSENS, LAMP and V de Bravado, for sharing their knowledge and helping to enrich the discussions throughout the event.
This new edition of the CREC Summer Networking once again demonstrated that the challenges of the circular economy require a shared vision and cross-sector collaboration. By bringing together three clusters and three companies from very different industries in a single event, CREC created a unique space for knowledge exchange, new connections and collaborative thinking. The diversity of perspectives not only inspired fresh ideas but also laid the foundations for future projects with real impact, reinforcing the message that collaboration across ecosystems is essential to accelerating the transition towards a more circular economy.
