INNOMED-UP

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Promoting UPcycling in Circular Economy through INNovation and education for creative industries in MEDiterranean cities

About the project

Mediterranean cities face the issue of overwhelming waste production demanding effective and urgent actions. Circular economy principles may offer a solution to this problem. As it is generally recognised that a noticeable percentage of waste in city centres is produced by Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), their involvement in circular economy schemes is of great importance. Although there are disparities between cities in the North and the South of the Mediterranean area, they share common cultural characteristics. Therefore, by building on their common identity and by integrating into their productive schemes the principles of the circular economy, Mediterranean cities can create resilient urban environments and communities, establishing a supportive framework for CCI SMEs clustering. INNOMED-UP proposes to work with CCIs to shift local urban economies towards a circular production and consumption paradigm including optimal use of material resources, innovation enhancement for SMEs, knowledge transfer among cities, social inclusion and citizens’ engagement. The project will work at a cross-border level supporting both technological developments (such as modern procedures of upcycling, technological informative platforms, etc.) and traditional recycling practices.

Key information

Acronym:

INNOMED-UP

Full title:

Promoting UPcycling in Circular Economy through INNovation and education for creative industries in MEDiterranean cities

Thematic objective:

A.2 Support to education, research, technological development and innovation

Priority:

A.2.2 SMEs access to research and innovation

Countries:

Greece, Italy, Tunisia, Palestine, Jordan

Financial data

3.1 million

Total budget

2.8 million

EU contribution

10%

Project co-financing

Highlights

Project in numbers

Partners

Countries

Technical outputs

Project duration

Start date

01 September 2019

End date

31 August 2023

Partnership

News

Events

Library

Deliverables

Documents

Videos

What will be improved?

The adoption of circular economy procedures within Cultural and Creative Industries will improve waste management thanks to technological absorption and innovative knowledge transfer, consequently, transforming Mediterranean cities into more resilient territories. The implementation of these procedures, is expected to promote job contracts of scientific experts and technical staff and also SMEs will benefit of from research opportunities born from clusters and innovation vouchers to acquire equipment and mentorship support.

Who will benefit?

60 SMEs from the cultural and creative sector,
Unemployed and marginalized people (mainly young people and women)
Regional and local authorities
Over 3,000 citizens

Expected achievements

1 model to foster a circular economy in urban planning
60 CCI SMEs involved in training activities on circular economy
6 clusters of CCI SMEs established in selected Mediterranean historic cities
2 smart tools for waste collection (smart bike and smart garbage bin) developed
1 central information system to monitor waste collection
1 open source repository for sharing circular designs and eco-design toolkits
27 pilot innovative products and services
Official website
2 reuse open markets to foster the upcycling and creative use of waste or unwanted materials
€ 205,000 granted to SMEs as innovation and mentorship vouchers

About the project

Acronym

INNOMED-UP

Title

Promoting UPcycling in Circular Economy through INNovation and education for creative industries in MEDiterranean cities

Description

Med Cities face the problem of overwhelming waste production demanding effective management. Circular Economy (CE) may offer a solution to this challenge, as it changes the production/consumption model by reintroducing waste in the production cycle. The Med cities may thus benefit from embracing circularity principles in terms of creating resilient urban environments & communities, establishing a supportive framework for SMEs development & networking. Notwithstanding the current socio-economic, technological & environmental disparities between EUMC & MPC, Southern & Northern cities share common cultural & traditional characteristics. Also, it is generally known that the Cultural & Creative Industries (CCIs) present a remarkable percentage of the total Med Cities urban production. Therefore, building on their common identity by integrating into their productive schemes the circular principles could lead to the extrapolation of new added value for the local communities. Some of the main outputs of INNOMED-UP benefiting CCI SMEs and local urban communities are CCIs support services in terms of knowledge & innovation, networking at local and cross-border level, clustering methodologies & smart tools, services on building innovation capacity and better access to financing tools. The proposed intervention in CCIs is expected to shift local urban economies towards a circular production/consumption paradigm including optimal use of material resources, innovation enhancement for SME level, knowledge transfer among Med-cities, social inclusion and citizens’ engagement. In conclusion, the intervention will be based on cross-border collaboration, with the EUMC contributing with technological developments (such as modern procedures of upcycling, new technological informative platforms, new materials and innovative educational tools) & the MPC’s sustaining traditional organizational cooperation schemes, traditional techniques & recycling practices that the EUMC have abandoned.

Associates

Role

Name of the organisation

Country

Region

Contact

Lead beneficiary

National Technical University of Athens

Greece

Attiki

Partner 1

Environmental Planning Engineering and Management

Greece

Attiki

Partner 2

Municipality of Prato

Italy

Toscana

Partner 3

Center for Economic and Social Research for the South of Italy

Italy

Sicilia

Partner 4

Municipality of Tunis

Tunisia

Tunis

Partner 5

Birzeit University

Palestine

Partner 6

Future Pioneers for Empowering Communities’ Members in the environmental and educational fields

Jordan

Amman

Associates

Role

Name of the organisation

Country

Project news

05 September 2023

Bring your waste to your wardrobe: EU-funded INNOMED-UP helps entrepreneur turn discarded items into valuable pieces through creative upcycling

Camille Dupire, a journalist known with her articles that supports women empowerment in the Mediterranean…

Sustainable tourism

Technology transfer

Elderly care

Water efficiency

About the project

Key information

Financial data

Highlights

Project in numbers

Project duration

Partnership

News

Events

Library

Deliverables

Documents

Videos

What will be improved?

Who will benefit?

Expected achievements

About the project

Associates

Bring your waste to your wardrobe: EU-funded INNOMED-UP helps entrepreneur turn discarded items into valuable pieces through creative upcycling

6th INNOMED-UP newsletter highlights activities concerning Circular Economy and Cultural & Creative Industries in Mediterranean cities

INNOMED-UP project appears in The Greek national newspaper ''Kathimerini''

INNOMED-UP is looking for a specialized company in order to print and distribute the project guidelines

INNOMED-UP: Athens will host the Final Conference by the title ''City Creative and Circular Clusters: Towards a new Mediterranean Model''

INNOMED-UP: tender for design and production of packaging units in Jordan

INNOMED-UP organized Open Market in Tunis, an event to promote creativity through the use of recycled materials

Jordan: INNOMED-UP launches third and last call for sub-grants to support circular economy in creative industries

5th INNOMED-UP newsletter highlights activities concerning Circular Economy and Cultural & Creative Industries in Mediterranean cities

Italy: INNOMED-UP installs smart bins to promote circular economy in the city of Prato

INNOMED-UP assigns sub-grants to support circularity and creativity in the municipality of Prato, Italy

INNOMED-UP announces re-opening of the call regarding sub-grants to promote Circular Economy for Creative Industries in the city of Prato, Italy

Greece: INNOMED-UP extends the deadline for sub-grants submission

Tunis: INNOMED-UP project launches an extension of the deadline for the sub-grants submission

Palestine: INNOMED-UP extends deadline for submission of sub-grants applications

INNOMED-UP launches sub-grants supporting circularity and innovation through Creative Industry in the historic center of Athens,

INNOMED-UP launches call to support circular economy and innovation in the cultural and creative sector in the city of Palermo, Italy

INNOMED-UP announces grants to promote Circular Economy for Creative Industries in the city of Prato, Italy

INNOMED-UP: SMEs are celebrating their sub-grants in Jordan

Jordan: INNOMED-UP announces grants to support environmental and circular practices in the handicraft and creative industries

Circular economy: INNOMED-UP Consolidation Workshop and the 5th Steering Committee took place in Prato, Italy

INNOMED-UP - Postponing deadline for sub-grants applications

Save the Date - INNOMED-UP CONSOLIDATION WORKSHOP - Circular Economy in Mediterranean Cities

INNOMED-UP project launches sub-grants call to boost circular economy and innovation in the cultural and creative sector

Tender notice - INNOMED-UP Project Partner Municipality of Prato is searching for the assignment of a service for the regeneration of waste materials

The INNOMED-UP Info Point in Palermo, Italy is on! A key opportunity giving special attention to boost environmental sustainability in cultural and creativ

Supporting Cultural & Creative Industries SMEs interested in adopting Circular Economy principles in their business: The Info Point in Irbid, Jordan is on!

Draft clustering road map for Irbid city, Jordan under the INNOMED-UP Project.

Socio-Urban Circularity and Community Awareness in Hebron, Palestine under the INNOMED-UP Project

Socio-Urban Circularity and Community Awareness in Nablus, Palestine under the INNOMED-UP Project

Launch new distinctive products: ‘Ecole de la Propreté’ for Medina’s circular economy under INNOMED-UP training activities

Co-working with the Civil Society in Palermo in the context of the INNOMED-UP Open Workshop for civil society

Planting the seeds of a more sustainable future in Prato: The INNOMED-UP Circular Economy Course in Prato, Training Activities for SMEs

Circular Economy and the 4th Industrial Revolution: INNOMED-UP promotes Circular Economy in local scale in Athens

Eco-sustainable design through training activities in Athens. A 20 hour training program by INNOMED-UP

“Athens circles of creativity”: INNOMED-UP Socio-Urban Circularity Workshop in Athens to explore further the concept of Circular Economy

The INNOMED-UP Living Lab: creating networks of circularity within the urban environments

Structuring the necessary steps to create networks of circularity within the urban environments

Guiding craftsmen and local community to adopt environmentally friendly practices of production, during the 1st INNOMED-UP training workshop in Nablus

Adopting the idea of joint work to create professional and environmentally friendly products during the 2nd INNOMED-UP training workshop in Hebron

Palestine: Stressing the importance of protecting local handicrafts from imitation during the 1st INNOMED-UP training workshop in Hebron

Third INNOMED-UP newsletter highlights activities concerning Circular Economy and Cultural & Creative Industries in Mediterranean cities

INNOMED-UP project launches info points to boost Circular Economy in Mediterranean cities

INNOMED-UP highlights linkages between Cultural & Creative SMEs and the Circular Economy

Re-specialisation, Re-design, Re-creative: INNOMED-UP identifies strategy for the revitalization of Mediterranean cities

INNOMED-UP 2nd newsletter is now available!

Circular economy in cultural and creative industries: INNOMED-UP first newsletter

INNOMED-UP pilot study area: Prato, Italy

INNOMED-UP Project’s implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic

INNOMED-UP pilot study area: Nablus & Hebron, Palestine

INNOMED-UP pilot study area: Irbid, Jordan

INNOMED-UP pilot study area: Medina of Tunis, Tunisia

INNOMED-UP pilot study area: Athens, Greece

INNOMED-UP contribution to the European Circular Economy Action Plan

INNOMED-UP project celebrates Earth Day!

Projects view

INNOMED-UP: Athens will host the Final Conference by the title ''City Creative and Circular Clusters: Towards a new Mediterranean Model''

Collaboration, networking, innovation, education and know-how for the revitalization of Mediterranean Cities historic centers through Circular Economy. The 2nd INNOMED-UP Conference shared experiences.