In 2022, we embarked on the CiRCLETECH project with a shared vision and enthusiasm. Our collective goal is to enhance the scientific excellence of our cooperating partners, the University of Miskolc, the Technische Universiteit Delft, and the Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology, in the field of sustainable circular economy research. Together, we aim to create a long-lasting research hub in Northern Hungary, the CiRCLETECH Hub. This hub will serve as the foundation for future collaborations, the operation of a regional excellence center that impacts the circular economy at the regional and national levels, and our participation in the Horizon Europe program.
After the preparatory works, the project was presented to the researchers at the University of Miskolc in January 2023. The research groups were established.
We had a great meetup in the spring of 2023 about EU funding opportunities. The gathered researchers and interested parties attended an excellent presentation on Interreg Central Europe and Interreg Europe by project manager Dr. István Nagy. Dr. Endre Dobos and his colleague shared their rich experiences in topics already awarded Interreg tender. The participants discussed their project ideas after the speakers asked questions and received answers.
The first CiRCLETECH Summer School was organized in Delft in May 2023. The participants attended lectures on the topic of Circular manufacturing. There were also speakers from the academic field and companies. They also worked on practical tasks as part of group work and in a workshop. The Summer School was a good opportunity to exchange ideas and build international partnerships. It was an excellent starting point for joint research and collaborations between colleagues from TUDelft, LUT, and the University of Miskolc.
The CiRCLETECH project and the Natural Resources Research and Utilization College (TEKH) student researchers and PhD students met in June 2023. It was a research partner-finding event with enthusiastic, dynamic young researchers: colorful ideas, discussions, and contact information with each other.
Six members of the Sustainable Energy Transition – Just Transition Research Group from the University of Miskolc, including Dr. Tekla Szép, Dr. Zoltán Nagy, Dr. Katalin Lipták, Dr. István Szunyog, Dr. Marianna Vadászi, and Mohammad Jaber, traveled to Lappeenranta University, Finland, to attend and participate in the 19th International Conference on European Energy Markets. Their active engagement in different activities related to the project, such as connecting with colleagues from LUT, networking, and presenting their research findings. This significant meeting identified three critical pillars for future cooperation in the energy transition field: joint research papers, publishing opportunities, and supporting Partner Universities’ Doctoral Activities.
The Research gap identification workshop was held on August 31, 2023, with the trainers of the Europe Media Training. This online workshop aimed to identify joint research ideas and opportunities for cooperation between UNIM, TU Delft, and LUT University. The event’s purpose was, on the one hand, to give the researchers a clear understanding of the funding opportunities within the framework of Horizon Europe and, on the other hand, to prepare them to develop and submit competitive proposals soon.
We filmed the first episodes of our podcast series at the end of 2023. The series, entitled Circular Thoughts—Researchers Around the Circular Solutions, provides a widely available platform for our researchers to present their research and motivation in the field of the circular economy, thereby addressing others.
In February 2024, the CiRCLETECH WEEK with researchers from LUT provided its participants with rich, experiential, and instrumental programs.
The week started with the Horizon Europe proposal writing training, which was conducted by Karthikeyan Natarajan, a funding advisor from LUT University.
During the three-session training, the participants could discover the secrets of proposal writing together. They presented their project ideas and planned collaborations on the final day.
The CiRCLETECH week was made colorful by the laboratory visits, discussions of joint publications and industrial visits, and last but not least, the “Innovation opportunities for forming the circular economy” workshop with academic and industrial speakers participants.
We had a brilliant online meetup in April 2024 titled Processing Technologies Input Waste Streams. The international participants participated in the inspiring, informative presentation by the keynote speaker, Dr. Sándor Nagy. He is an associate professor and the director of the Institute of Raw Materials Preparation and Environmental Technology at the University of Miskolc, Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Engineering. Last, but not least, he is the research group leader of the Processing technologies in waste recycling research group in the CiRCLETECH project.
The work continues; joint articles, conference presentations, and proposals are being written, the new podcast episodes are being prepared, and we are slowly packing for the Summer School in Lappeenranta.
“The incredible CiRCLETECH journey must go on. 😊”