Wallonia (Belgium)
Introduction
Wallonia is a post-industrial region located in the south of Belgium, with a strong industrial heritage and a strategic ambition to strengthen its competitiveness, resilience, and innovation capacity. The RECEBA project is fully aligned with Wallonia’s new circular economy strategy, Circular Wallonia 2.0. Through its vision “Towards a Circular, Competitive and Resilient Industry”, Wallonia aims to move from pilot initiatives to the large-scale deployment of circular business models and resource-efficient industrial practices.
The strategy focuses on four priority value chains with high economic potential: metals and critical raw materials, construction, agri-food and bioeconomy (including water), and chemicals and plastics. By accelerating resource efficiency, strengthening strategic autonomy, and supporting industrial transformation, Wallonia seeks to reinforce the long-term competitiveness of its economic fabric.
Circularity is also a key pillar of Wallonia’s Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3), where it is recognised as a major driver of innovation, industrial renewal, and sustainable economic growth. In Wallonia, the circular economy is seen as a powerful lever to create more value from resources, develop innovative and competitive business models, strengthen regional value chains, and support the creation of high-quality, locally anchored jobs while reducing environmental pressures.
Regional Contact Name
Manuel Mengoni
Regional Contact Email
Regional Circular Business Lab Focus
- Identify the skills that companies need to strengthen their competitiveness, resilience, and capacity for innovation in response to resource-related challenges and evolving value chains.
- Develop and test innovative training solutions that are directly aligned with business needs and emerging job profiles : competitiveness, business models accelerating value creation, and resilience of the local industry are keys for Circular Economy deployment.
- Build stronger connections between training providers, employment services, and businesses to facilitate skills development and knowledge transfer in real-world settings.
- Through developing skills around circularity, the project will create value for businesses, especially SMEs. : support companies in adapting their practices and business models through practical, work-based learning approaches and tailored skills development initiatives.
- Creating new, sustainable, non-relocatable quality jobs in Wallonia