The CIRCNET Cluster
Circular Network of CSS-Sister Projects
Today’s environmental and economic systems face unprecedented pressure. The global economy remains overwhelmingly linear, exceeding planetary boundaries and driving waste generation, which is projected to grow by 70% by 2050. In response, the European Union has placed circularity at the heart of its green policy agenda — through the Circular Economy Action Plan, the European Green Deal, and the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) — recognising that systemic change is not just possible, but vital.
That is why four Horizon Europe projects, funded under the same call to develop and demonstrate Circular Systemic Solutions, have formalised their collaboration through a signed Memorandum of Understanding. CIRCNET (Circular Network of CSS-Sister Projects) is their joint commitment: a structured, bottom-up platform for knowledge exchange, coordinated outreach, and a shared policy agenda to accelerate the replication, scalability and mainstreaming of circular systemic solutions across Europe. Under the CIRCNET framework, CircSyst acts as Cluster Coordinator.
CircSyst drives the transition towards a circular economy through large-scale, replicable pilot systems. The project focuses on three key value chains from the EU Circular Economy Action Plan — water management, biowaste, and plastics and packaging — demonstrated through nine pilots across European regions. By fostering cross-sectoral and cross-border collaboration, CircSyst contributes to the CCRI and showcases how innovative, systemic solutions can drive regional economies towards greater sustainability.
FIC-FIGHTERS tackles one of Europe’s most persistent industrial waste challenges: phosphogypsum (PG) — a hazardous by-product of the fertiliser industry that accumulates in large stacks across European cities. The project works to transform PG waste into valuable raw materials for sectors including batteries, packaging, construction, detergents, and fertilisers. FIC-FIGHTERS demonstrates how even the most challenging industrial waste streams can be regenerated into circular resources, supporting cleaner cities and informing European policy on sustainable waste management.
CSSBoost accelerates Europe’s circular transition by bridging the twin challenges of digital and green innovation. At the heart of the project is the development of Circular Systemic Solutions — multi-actor models linking businesses, public authorities, researchers, and citizens around shared circular goals. CSSBoost designs, tests, and scales these solutions through five regional living labs, focusing on sectors such as food, water, plastics, and mobility.
SMILE CITY is reimagining urban infrastructure through circularity. The project demonstrates how construction rubble, end-of-life tyres, and used electric vehicle batteries can be given a second life in sustainable cycling infrastructure, without compromising performance. Across European cities, SMILE CITY aims to integrate circular solutions into up to 100 km of cycling paths, install 20 e-bike charging stations using recycled concrete and reclaimed solar panels, and much more. SMILE CITY shows how cities can become engines, not just consumers, of the circular economy.