Nordic Circular Summit
How can the circular economy benefit from the Nordic way of thinking, living and working?
The Nordic Circular Summit is a two-day event hosted by Nordic Circular Hotspot and Nordic Innovation, with a mission to explore the tremendous circular opportunities that the region has to offer. The 2020 summit was spread over 10 different sessions—with topics including circular cities, ocean solutions, fashion and furniture, finance, energy, the food sector, manufacturing and more. Nordic Circular Summit 2020 was a milestone event with over 1,000 delegates from around the world, comprising of two engaging days of interaction, inspiration, and information sharing.
Impressive roster of speakers
Our fourth official WCEFonline Side Event this year presented a roster of over 40 leading speakers, including Børge Brende, President, World Economic Forum, H.E. Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir Minister of Tourism, Industry and Innovation of Iceland, H.E. Paula Lehtomäki, Secretary General, Nordic Council of Ministers, Ladeja Godina Košir, Chair of the Coordination Group, European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) in Brussels, Raymond Johansen, Governing Mayor of Oslo, and Prof. Flemming Besenbacher, Chairman, Carlsberg Group and Carlsberg Foundation.
“We aim to be enablers of the circular economy in the Nordics,” says Elin Bergman, Vice-President, Cradlenet Sweden and one of the 11 Managing Partners of the Nordic Circular Hotspot from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and The Netherlands. “By joining forces, we are able to accelerate the transition to a just and regenerative economy built on values and principles that are engrained in the Nordic model. In essence, the circular economy is an integral part of the new economics for the 21st Century.
Unique opportunities in the Nordic market structure
The market structure in the Nordics is quite unique, with increasing collaboration among governmental, academic. business and the region’s more than 27 million citizens. The Nordic model is built on trust, transparency and collaboration, which enables the sharing of knowledge across businesses, sectors and industries. Circular value creation is dependent on openness and co-operation both horizontally and vertically, across value chains, in order to succeed.
Marthe Haugland, Nordic Innovation
Making the Nordics a pioneering region for sustainable growth
“With a mission to explore the tremendous circular opportunities that the Nordic region has to offer, the Nordic Circular Summit is an idea whose time has come,” says Marthe Haugland, Senior Innovation Adviser, Nordic Innovation. “We aim to make the Nordics a pioneering region for sustainable growth and works to promote entrepreneurship, innovation and competitiveness in Nordic business.” The Nordic Circular Hotspot forms part of Nordic Innovation’s Nordic Sustainable Business Transformation programme, which aims to take the circular economy from strategy to business.
“The circular economy is one of the cornerstones of our mission at Festa – Centre for Sustainability,” says Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, Managing Director of the non-profit organisation with over 120 associated members in Iceland and Managing Partner, Nordic Circular Hotspot. ”We need to aim towards business models that are not just circular, but also regenerative. With strong Nordic-wide collaboration, we can create great sustainable value, not just for us in the region but also for the whole world.”
The Nordic Circular Summit marked the beginning of a grand journey towards a circular economy. This is the decade in which the Nordics will be leading the circular transition regionally and internationally. Acting as a role model, the Nordic region has the ability to lay the foundation for increased collaboration and dialogue between the private and public sectors, between industries and segments, and across borders.
Get access to valuable insight and discussions
In case you missed any interesting session(s), we have some good news for you: the entire summit has been recorded. Sign for free at the Nordic Circular Summit Platform on myOnevent, to get access to hours of presentations and discussions on the circular economy in the Nordic region.
