Countries and companies alike face an increasing need to make their activities more environmentally friendly and sustainable. The sharp and costly rise in resource consumption calls for circular economy solutions and enhanced cooperation. 

“Circular economy is an essential direction for the future - there is simply no alternative. It is important to learn from one another, share experiences, and create plans that are greater, more impactful, and more powerful through collaboration. The Baltic Circular Hotspot was created precisely for this purpose - as a regional connector for researchers and organizations - and is crucial both for us and all our partners,” said Erik Puura, Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship at TalTech.

Allan Niidu, Head of the Circular Economy Core Lab at TalTech, emphasized the urgency of sustainable resource management. “We are facing an existential question: how to use the planet’s limited resources in a way that allows humans to thrive sustainably. Circular economy is key, as it enables more efficient and conscious resource use while fostering innovative and effective solutions,” Niidu said.

According to Niidu, the Baltic Circular Hotspot symbolizes our joint efforts to bring the Baltic States to the same level as our northern  neighbors by creating a platform to promote innovation and circular economy solutions in repsonse to our shared environmental challenges.

The Baltic Circular Hotspot (BCHS) is a collaborative platform for the NewNordics region, aiming to strengthen cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic countries in the field of circular economy. BCHS’s mission is to raise awareness about the potential of circular economy, disseminate information across the sector, initiate impactful projects among partners, and support policy development and legislation, leveraging the best practices of the Nordic countries. BCHS is an integral part of the Nordic Circular Hotspot initiative.

The initiative is backed by several leading public and private institutions from the Baltics and Nordics, including Tallinn University of Technology, the Corporate Social Responsibility Platforms of Latvia and Estonia, Kaunas University of Technology, BA School of Business and Finances, Nordic Circular Hotspot, Natural State AS, LAVA, Rimi Baltic, and CleanR Grupa JSC.

The Circular Economy Core Lab (RMTL) serves as a unified contact point for accessing TalTech’s circular economy expertise and services, facilitating smooth collaboration in various forms. RMTL’s goal is to support industry and society at large in addressing major challenges associated with the transition to a circular economy, which demands technological innovation and synergy.