5th Interregional Meeting – County Bergstrasse DE (Dec 2024)
The 5th interregional KARMA meeting, held from December 3rd to 5th, 2024, in County Bergstrasse, laid a solid foundation for the ongoing project with a series of working sessions, updates on current work, and insightful study visits to Bürstadt and Heidelberg.
The three-day event started with a focus on the management of the ongoing project. Participants from Hungary, Flanders, and Hamburg shared valuable lessons, emphasizing both achievements and the challenges ahead regarding notably the organization of staff exchanges next year.
The second day continued with exciting learning sessions and workshops. Participants met the County Mayor of Bergstrasse and representatives from the Hessian Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, gaining insights on topics such as sustainable procurement in school construction, circular waste processing, and improving recyclable construction debris quality. Also, the "Circular Rural Regions" was introduced, giving insights on circular economy practices at the county level and tips on how to engage local stakeholders. Workshops were accompanied by presentations on Hamburg’s circular strategy and the CIRCuIT Horizon 2020 project, addressing circular economy from environmental, social, and economic perspectives. Participants further exchanged on mock-cases of circular economy implementation, including creating circular school infrastructures, concert halls, and repurposing department stores. These cases highlighted the importance of local engagement and strategic political action to drive long-term economic and environmental benefits.
A central part of the experience was the study visits, which provided hands-on knowledge of the projects ambitions. On the second day, participants toured the Bürstadt Sports Campus, where the local mayor shared the city’s journey in transforming the campus into a model of sustainability. An architectural tour of the campus showcased its circular features, such as the use of clay inner walls. On the final day, the participants also visited the research and development department of Heidelberg Materials, where the company’s circular philosophy, centred on the 3R principle—reduce, reuse, and recycle—was introduced. Sustainable innovations involved examples such as advancements in 3D-printed buildings. The trip also featured a tour of the Wave House, a prime example of innovative building practices.
Overall, the 5th interregional meeting continued to improve the project experience by knowledge sharing and valuable information sessions about the circular economy in the construction sector.
Author: KARMA's lead partner