Tools

The first basic tool of the project aims at selecting relevant examples to be pointed out and marked in an interactive atlas (a navigable digital map ) that will collect best practices. The smart map visualized in the digital atlas will gather in particular data on new trends in startup creation that will be analyzed by selecting some best practice concerning innovative startups in the field of waste-related business using principles of the Circular Economy. The map will allow a geographical assessment of the state of the art of the startup and business environment in the field of circular economy with a special focus on everything that is concerned with waste business. The map is not a mere repository but an interactive tool where it will be possible to add and remove entries, find contacts and exploit the built-in community system to get in touch with “circular” entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial trainers/experts.

The output is the foundation ground for a community based repository of available info, teaching and training material, articles, papers and guidelines in the field of Circular Economy with a focus on waste related business. it is really not a simple library where to put documents and simply filter them until the research is done. Each Item will be linked conceptually to others, giving to the user the possibility of creating independent paths for their own knowledge. It will be possible to involve a larger community of practitioner or merely interested subjects by giving them the opportunity to enlarge the knowledge base of this tool. The tool is designed to be fully versatile. It can contain a full spectrum of material typologies, allowing the enlargement toward different thematic focus inside and outside the vast world of circular economy.

The output will be the core activity of the scientific partners of ENFORCES who, along with the VET provider, will design and elaborate the training materials concerning Circular Economy for startup coaches / Entrepreneurial trainers. The teaching/training materials will not focus on students or potential entrepreneurs (even if both categories will indirectly benefit by it) but it will give a different take on who is the main target of the teaching/training effort by training the trainers, empowering their ability to grow startups and help startup owners from the very beginning to the potential accession to markets. The Output will be structured in area of interest, namely: 1) Ability to Self Assess 2) Management of Intellectual Property 3) FOCUS: Waste and Circular Economy, opportunities and challenges 4) Ideas and models to train and help entrepreneurs.

This tool is the final component of the ESSENCE online platform and will be disseminated in particular during the final conference looking for an audience of relevant policy makers. It will be composed of 1) Searchable collection of relevant policy in the field of Circular Entrepreneurship, Circular Economy and waste related policies for business. 2)A very important issue concerning waste and waste processing is the legal frame in EU and the specific objectives set by the Union. The second part of this tool will be a guideline doc to easily navigate the EU legal framework with a specific “ pathfinding ” methodology. It will be possible to involve a larger community, especially of policy makers or relevant stakeholders ( i.e. pressure groups) by giving them the opportunity to enlarge the knowledge base of the online repository of policies. The tool is designed to feature additional kind of entries, for example to collect EU Funding opportunities for businesses that follow the principles of circular economy, both from direct and structural funds.