CHEERS4EU

Achieving the EU's environmental and climate objectives on time requires a wide range of measures. For example, in the field of circular use of materials. The CHEERS4EU project is in line with this. CHEERS4EU wants to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in Europe by focusing on Circular Hubs. By exchanging good practices, the structures of circularity in general and of Circular Hubs in particular in all EU regions can be strengthened. 

CHEERS4EU started on April 1, 2024 and will run until July 1, 2028. It’s the first Interreg Europe-project to focus on Circular Hubs. 

There are seven partners working together in this project. More detailed information about these partners can be found under 'Contacts'.

What is a Circular Hub?
A Circular Hub is a unique geographical location where talent, knowledge and experience, facilities and the necessary space are available to realize innovation and upscaling in the circular economy. 

Project approach 
In the approach of CHEERS4EU, the three building blocks of a Circular Hub are emphatically reflected:

• Multi-helix collaboration
• Circular value chains and business models 
• Social impact

The participating Circular Hubs and potential future hubs within the CHEERS4EU-project, are working together to find new solutions to challenges and issues related to these three building blocks. They do this by exchanging good practices and experiences with each other, at an interregional level. After all, transition problems that occur in one region may already be solved in another.

The project consists of two main phases (the core phase and the follow-up phase) and a short (3-month) project closure at the end.  

The core phase (April 2024 – April 2027) focuses on the building blocks mentioned above. These building blocks will be dealt with one by one, each time during one year. Each year, the same format is followed, consisting of several interregional and regional meetings. During these meetings, practical examples, issues and lessons are shared with each other, and at the regional meetings, input is also collected for the next interregional meeting. Each year will be concluded with an online workshop (the wrap-up).

This approach ensures a broad exchange of good practices, building blocks and conclusions. The online wrap-up results in a document summarizing the most important good practices and conclusions, which is shared with the stakeholder group. 

The main objective of the follow-up phase (April 2027-April 2028) is to monitor the initial effects of the policy improvements and to assess the results of the cooperation activities. Partners who have already achieved initial results in influencing their policy instruments monitor the impact of the implemented improvements. Partners who have not yet achieved initial results can learn from the other partners to develop a strategy to further work towards this goal.

Project goals
The aim is to identify what is key in forming and exploiting a Circular Hub in a specific regional context. This in order to influence local policy instruments to secure regional support. 

CHEERS4EU enables the participants to refine the concept of 'Circular Hub as an engine for circular development' and to successfully integrate experiences and policies from other regions into their own regional policies. In addition, other European regions and governments will also be able to use the knowledge and experience gained within this project to design a Circular Hub in their own region.

This approach strengthens coherence in a circular approach within the EU and contributes to accelerating the transition to a circular economy across Europe.