- The projects selected will be incubated in TheCircularLab, the innovation center that Ecoembes will open in Logroño next May.
- The invitation is directed towards projects focused on the circular economy, recycling and environmental sustainability.
- The startups selected will be able to stay at least one year in the innovation center, where they will have free resources and services such as physical space, mentoring and business advice.
Ecoembes, the non-profit environmental organization that promotes the circular economy through the recycling of packaging, in collaboration with the Government of La Rioja and ADER (Economic Development Agency of La Rioja) through the Emprenderioja Plan, has launched this process, which is open to startups. The goal is to select those projects that will be accelerated in TheCircularLab, the innovation center that Ecoembes will open in Logroño next May.
The invitation is open to those startups that, under the banner of the circular economy, are involved in areas related to recycling, sustainability and environmental protection. Specifically, the process is aimed at entrepreneurs whose proposals focus on eco-design and improving the recyclability of packaging, on the search for new materials and methods to reuse waste, and on improving waste management through, for example, the development of smart containers or new industrial sorting equipment. Those ideas that seek to improve the level of public awareness and involvement through new business or awareness models will also be eligible.
The projects selected must relocate to Logroño, where they will enjoy a one-year incubation process, subject to renewal, during which, in addition to having a physical space, they will receive business and technical advice. Training will also be provided to help the projects selected develop their own business plan through support in the search for clients, financing and investment.
On May 17 , an initial ceremony will take place in which pre-selected startups will have to publicly present their candidate projects for incubation. However the invitation will remain open permanently.
Startups interested in participating in this process may register by sending an email to thecircularlab@ecoembes.com. To apply, they must send a dossier containing their business idea, a technical description and the innovation it offers, its market accessibility as well as its financial capacity, a profile of the partners and a project canvas. In addition, it must be accompanied by a presentation video in which the entrepreneurs provide a first-hand explanation of their idea. More detailed information on this process is available on the Ecoembes website.
TheCircularLab, a pioneering initiative in the field of circular economy
TheCircularLab is a pioneering project in Europe that was created in an effort to bring together all those proposals that seek to promote all the best innovation in the field of packaging and its subsequent recycling. To do this, TheCircularLab will emphasize all phases of the packaging life cycle, from conception, through eco-design, to its reintroduction into the consumer cycle through new products.
Based in La Rioja, it is the only laboratory focused on this subject, and soon it will turn this region into a great center of experimentation, providing a full-scale setting in which to test the results of its activity.
The project, which has institutional support from the Government of La Rioja and the European Commission’s Directorate General for the Environment, will entail an investment of close to 10 million euros over the next four years. It will bring 40 jobs to the region and more than 200 in all through the open innovation programs and the integration of various companies and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
