The European Commission’s Competitiveness Compass, published on January 29, 2025, outlines several key legal initiatives that may have an impact on the promotion, upscaling and standardisation of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) – central themes of the RISERS project.
The Competitiveness Compass highlights the role of the circular economy in enhancing the EU industry’s competitiveness and decarbonisation efforts while strengthening economic security. This aligns closely with Industrial Symbiosis, where waste, by-products, and secondary materials from one industry become inputs for another, reducing overall resource consumption and environmental impact.
A prime example of this potential is the European remanufacturing sector, which currently contributes €31 billion to the economy, with projections to triple to €100 billion by 2030, creating 500,000 new jobs. Achieving this growth will require a fully integrated single market for waste, secondary, and reusable materials, improving industrial efficiency and scaling up closed-loop systems.
To drive this transformation, the Circular Economy Act, set for adoption in late 2026, will enhance investment in recycling infrastructure and incentivise EU industries to replace virgin raw materials with secondary resources. These measures directly contribute to Industrial Symbiosis by also minimising landfill and incineration while keeping valuable materials in productive use.
Furthermore, the EU’s Standardisation Regulations are set for revision by 2026. By actively participating in global standard-setting processes, the EU seeks to shape regulatory frameworks that enhance industrial competitiveness in critical sectors, including 5G and 6G telecommunications, artificial intelligence, accessibility, and the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as renewable energy and electric vehicle charging. These areas, alongside digitalisation, are recognised by the RISERS project as high-priority and high-impact for upscaling industrial symbiosis.
The Clean Industrial Deal initiative aims to provide strategic support for clean-tech supply chains and secure the EU as a competitive manufacturing hub, including for energy intensive industries. This initiative is expected to encourage the adoption of new circular business models, promote sustainable practices, and reduce waste, potentially introducing regulations that encourage resource-sharing and symbiotic collaboration among industries.
These commitments resonate deeply with the mission of the RISERS project, dedicated to building a roadmap for the standardisation of Industrial Symbiosis. The RISERS IS standardisation roadmap will focus on priority synergies and resources as well as horizontal aspects such as digitalisation, data, and IS standardisation in general. Currently, no harmonised standard exists for Industrial Symbiosis, and our work seeks to address this gap. It will also consider standardisation aspects of End-Of-Waste criteria as one of the key challenges in demonstrating legal compliance.
More about the communication: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/10017eb1-4722-4333-add2-e0ed18105a34_en
