3 November 2026 | EIT House, Brussels & Online
Join us for the RISERS Final Conference: How Europe Can Drive Cross-Sector Resource Efficiency: Upscaling Industrial Symbiosis through Standardisation.
This is an official World Circular Economy Forum Side Event.
The conference will bring together representatives of industry, research, policymaking and standardisation to discuss how Europe can accelerate the implementation of industrial symbiosis across sectors.
The event will present the key results of the RISERS project, including the Industrial Symbiosis Standardisation Roadmap, and explore the role of standards in bridging innovation and market deployment, supporting European policy objectives and reducing barriers to industrial collaboration.
The programme will feature keynote presentations, expert panel discussions and networking opportunities focused on:
- Policy and Regulation – What Must Change to Enable Industrial Symbiosis?
Looking at the evolving European policy framework and the role of standards in supporting the implementation of circular economy and industrial symbiosis initiatives. - Research & Innovation – Standards to Bridge Innovation and Deployment
Exploring how R&I projects can generate standardisation-ready results and how research outcomes can be translated into practical tools, guidance and standards that support wider uptake and replication. - The Business Reality – What Industry Needs to Scale Industrial Symbiosis
Examining the practical challenges and opportunities faced by companies, industrial parks and other stakeholders when implementing industrial symbiosis approaches.
Save the date: 3 November 2026.
Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Further information, the detailed programme will be announced soon.
Registration: Link
Preliminary agenda
Time
Session
09:30 – 10:00
Registration & Coffee
10:00 – 10:15
Opening Remarks and Conference Framing
- Toni Rönnberg, Baltic Sea & North Regional Director, EIT RawMaterials.
- Andrea Motola, Consultant and Project Manager, Enspire Science Ltd.
- Andreea Gulacsi, Director Policy & External Affairs, CEN and CENELEC
10:15 – 11:30
From a gap analysis to the standardisation roadmap for industrial symbiosis
- Andrea Motola, Enspire Science Ltd. – RISERS project coordinator
- Lieven Demolder, University of Ghent – RISERS academic lead
- João Santos, Researcher, ISQ – R&I lead
- Simone Wurster, Fraunhofer ISI – RISERS policy lead
- Christian Grunewald, DIN – RISERS standardisation roadmap
- Izabela Ratman-Klosinka, IETU – RISERS communication & dissemination lead
11:30 – 11:45
Coffee Break
11:45 – 11:55
Keynote — What’s brewing on EU level?
11:55 – 12:45
Panel 1 — The Policy Context: What Must Change?
- Dr. Simone Wurster, Project Manager Policy for innovation, Faunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung ISI
- Antonietta Pizza, Head of EU Projects – SYMBA Project Coordinator, ENCO srl
- Klaus H. Sommer, KHS Consulting, External Advisory Board RISERS as well as Former SVP at Bayer, Former President of A.SPIRE PPP, Former Chairman of Suschem ETP
12:45 – 13:45
Lunch & Networking
13:45 – 13:55
Keynote — Benefits of standardisation to facilitate industrial symbiosis
13:55 – 14:45
Panel 2 — R&I: Standards to Bridge Innovation and Deployment
- João Santos, Researcher, ISQ
- Dr. Rembrandt Koppelaar, Chief Product Officer – Eco Wise
- Rita Schulze, Scientific Staff at Institute for Technology Assessment and System Analysis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
14:45 – 15:35
Panel 3 — The Business Reality: What Industry Needs to Scale Industrial Symbiosis
- James Woodcock, Senior Project Manager, International Synergies Limited
- Marta Dal Farra, Industrial Symbiosis Facilitator
15:35 – 15:45
Wrap-up — Recommendations for the Industrial Symbiosis Community
- Andrea Motola, Consultant and Project Manager, Enspire Science Ltd
