Industrial-urban symbiosis in Nordland: a circular economy workshop

The industrial-urban symbiosis in Nordland: A circular economy workshop is an interactive event aimed at identifying and generating industrial-urban symbiosis (I-US) cases to enhance regional circularity in Nordland, Norway. Industrial-urban symbiosis encourages the sharing of resources, energy, infrastructure, and services between industrial actors and urban areas. By rethinking how waste streams, energy surpluses, and underutilised resources are repurposed, I-US creates environmental, economic, and social value for regions.

Organised by the Arctic Cluster Team (ACT) and Kunnskapsparken Helgeland (KPH), in collaboration with SINTEF Helgeland and Nordland Fylkeskommune (NFK), this workshop is part of the EU-funded THESEUS project and connects with the H4C Community of Practice (h4c-community.eu). It fosters increased circular economy practices through industrial-urban symbiosis, supporting the transition to more sustainable and resource-efficient regional systems. This is the first in a series of workshops under THESEUS in Nordland, marking an important starting point for collaboration and action.

The objectives of the workshop are to facilitate the generation of new industrial-urban symbiosis cases tailored to Nordland’s context, bring together industries and stakeholders to collaborate on circular economy opportunities, and support THESEUS goals by identifying I-US cases for further development.

The target audience includes businesses and industries based in Nordland, research organisations, academia, policy advisors, public sector representatives, and other stakeholders interested in advancing circularity in the region.

The event features a series of activities. It begins with a welcome by Kunnskapsparken Helgeland (KPH) and the Arctic Cluster Team (ACT). This is followed by an introduction to the THESEUS project by SINTEF Helgeland, focusing on its relevance for I-US in Nordland. Nordland Fylkeskommune (NFK) will also present the Circular Nordland project, which maps the circular innovation projects and resource use potential across energy-intensive and marine industries.

The programme includes interactive workshop sessions to identify potential I-US opportunities, facilitated group discussions to explore synergies between industries, municipalities, and stakeholders, and a collaborative mapping exercise to prioritise identified cases. The event concludes by summarising key outcomes and outlining next steps for case development.