Pexels Pixabay 236748
Project overview
Creative craft for industrial symbiosis in circular economies
Approaches to circular economy are often fragmented and inefficient. They suffer from a lack of cooperation and symbiosis across sectors. The SYMCRAFT project fosters collaboration between the craft sector and key industries like textiles, wood, furniture, and agri-food. The partners focus on the challenge of repurposing industrial waste from these sectors into innovative craft products. They pioneer eco-friendly business models tailored to the craft sector and pave the way for a more environmentally conscious and economically viable future.
-
2,17m €
-
Project Budget
-
80%
-
of the Budget is funded by ERDF
-
8
-
Countries
-
9
-
Regions
-
11
-
Partners
-
3
-
Pilots
Duration
Start date
End date
Project progress
About the project
SYMCRAFT project aims to advance circularity in the agro-food, textile, and wood/furniture sectors by designing resource-efficient business ecosystems. Through symbiotic craft practices, the project fosters sustainable economies across Central Europe.
The main objectives of the SYMCRAFT project are:
1. To promote the circular economy in Central Europe:
The project focuses on promoting the circular economy in Central Europe by utilising the craft sector (including craft SMEs and socially innovative craft practises) to foster industrial symbiosis.
2. Building bridges between crafts and industry:
SYMCRAFT aims to demonstrate how craft creativity can contribute to the circular economy, particularly in the textiles, wood/furniture and agri-food sectors.
3. Extending industrial symbiosis beyond industry:
SYMCRAFT expands the concept of industrial symbiosis to include other social practises and economic processes, promoting a holistic approach to the circular economy.
4. Addressing fragmented approaches to the circular economy:
The project aims to overcome the fragmentation of the circular economy, where medium to large companies apply formalised strategies while smaller production units rely on spontaneous, informal approaches.
5. Creating cross-border cooperation:
SYMCRAFT promotes strategic opportunities for cooperation between economic sectors that are territorially close to each other and that have previously had limited opportunities for co-operation.
Favouring different stakeholder groups:
• Medium to large industries: Gain creative solutions to implement circular practises.
• Craft SMEs: Discover sustainable ways to grow their business.
• Non-profit organisations, local authorities and citizens: Benefit from the expanded social networks fostered by the craft sector.
The project will deliver the following:
• 1 strategy and 1 action plan.
• 3 pilot actions focussing on reuse, eco-business models and cooperation agreements.
• 3 solutions for waste reuse, innovative business models and co-operation models.
• A cross-border network to continue co-operation after the end of the project.
Project partnership
Project partners
Lead partner
t2i - technology transfer and innovation
N/A
Project partner
N/A
Total partner budget
173,151 €
Enterprise Support and Human Resources Development
Total partner budget
128,547 €
Trenčín Regional Chamber
Total partner budget
101,208 €
N/A
Total partner budget
120,542 €
Entrepreneurship Support and Development, Coordination and International Cooperation Sector
Total partner budget
170,646 €
Total partner budget
229,222 €
Independent unit of the Federal Department of Trade and Crafts in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Total partner budget
240,721 €
N/A
Total partner budget
236,397 €
N(A
Total partner budget
249,667 €
Textiles Zentrum Haslach
Total partner budget
208,176 €
Roadmap
News
Events
Pilot actions
Outputs
SYMCRAFT Strategy
SYMCRAFT Strategy fosters circular economy by connecting craft enterprises with industry to creatively reuse by-products, creating sustainable, place-based collaboration models across Central Europe through co-design, shared governance, and practical tools.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
Action Plan
The SYMCRAFT Action Plan is a set of actions that will define follow-up and uptake activities for the SYMCRAFT Strategy. The plan will detail short- and medium-term actions at both local and transnational levels.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
In development
SYMCRAFT Solution 1: Turning Industrial Waste into New Products
SYMCRAFT Solution 1 is a practical methodology for connecting industries that generate residual materials with artisans, designers and SMEs that can turn them into new products. Developed and tested across eight Central European countries in the agri-food, textile and wood & furniture sectors, it guides intermediary organisations through identifying reusable waste streams, finding suitable partners, facilitating co-creation and developing prototypes, digital twins or feasibility studies. The approach has already generated more than 40 concrete industrial symbiosis collaborations.
Type of output: Solutions
SYMCRAFT Solution 2: Turning Industrial Waste into Business Opportunities
SYMCRAFT Solution 2 is a practical methodology for turning circular product ideas into viable eco-business models. Using the SYMCRAFT Circular Eco-Business Model Canvas, it guides intermediaries, industries, artisans and SMEs through matchmaking, business-model development and validation, helping define partners, value propositions, customers, costs, revenues and routes to market. Tested across eight Central European countries, the approach generated 46 documented applications in the textile, agri-food and wood & furniture sectors.
Type of output: Solutions
From Waste to a New Product - Replication Guidlines
Turn industrial leftovers into new possibilities.
Solution 1 helps companies, craftspeople and designers identify reusable industrial materials, match them with the right skills and co-create promising new product or service ideas. The result is a concrete prototype idea, digital twin or feasibility study ready for further development.
Type of output: Solutions
From Product Idea to Circular Business - Replication Guidlines
Turn a promising circular idea into a business opportunity.
Solution 2 guides craftspeople, businesses and their partners through defining customers, value propositions, costs, revenues and feasibility. Ideas are tested against real market and production assumptions, resulting in a validated eco-business model and an actionable implementation plan.
Type of output: Solutions
From Cooperation to Circular Partnership - Replication Guidlines
Turn material exchange into a cooperation that can work in practice.
Solution 3 helps industry and craftspeople define how residual materials can be transferred and reused safely and effectively. It provides adaptable cooperation frameworks covering roles, material requirements, logistics, costs, quality, responsibilities and other key conditions, with models tailored to agro-food, textile, and wood & furniture.
Type of output: Solutions
SYMCRAFT
The project lead partner is responsible for the content of this project website.
Project on social media
Project Contacts
Communication Manager
Elvisa Basailovic
Email: elvisa.basailovic@tp-lj.si
Phone: +386 (0)1 620 34 00