The Regional Minister for Industry, Ecological Transition and Digital Business, Mikel Irujo, received the award presented by the European Association of Development Agencies (EURADA) at an event held in Brussels. The award specifically recognises the work that this public-private initiative is carrying out to help companies in the region to enter the new paradigm of revalorisation and reuse of resources. ‘The value of Navarra Zirkular lies in the fact that both the Administration and the private sector are working hand in hand to change our traditional manufacturing and consumption model for a more sustainable one’, said Irujo.
Navarra Zirkular, launched in October 2022, currently has 211 member companies, representing more than 61,000 workers involved. Thanks to this initiative, 71 R&D projects have also been carried out, 28 financed by the waste fund and three European programmes. ‘In short, just over a hundred proposals that show that the circular economy is not only necessary, but that it is a reality for a large number of companies in Navarre’, said Mikel Irujo.
The EURADA awards have been presented since 2015 and, in previous editions, two other projects from the Autonomous Community of Navarre were recognised: Sodena’s Open Innovation programme in 2017; and CEIN’s health entrepreneurship project in 2021.
In making their decision, the jury took into account criteria such as the context in which the action was carried out, the novelty of its practices, the impact it has had on society and the potential for transfer to other regions.
The award ceremony took place during the annual conference organised by EURADA, the European Association of Development Agencies. The aim of this event is not only to recognise the most important practices developed by EURADA partners, but also to serve as a meeting and discussion point for the common interests of the various development agencies in Europe.
This year the focus of the event was on high-impact investments and ensuring equal opportunities, two topics that are central to the daily work of development agencies. Also discussed was the UCORD project, a project that aims at collaboration between European and Ukrainian regional development.
Navarra Zirkular
Navarra Zirkular is a public-private initiative, promoted by the Department of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition; the Department of Rural Development and the Environment; the Department of Memory and Coexistence, External Action and the Basque Language; the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism; the public companies Sodena and GAN-NIK and the association of companies of the Estella-Lizarra region, Laseme.
Source: navarra.es