Circular Valley Forum 2025: Circular construction in the focus of cooperation
31.10.2025The new partnership between Circular Valley and Krefeld Business will strengthen regional expertise in circular construction. The partnership will be officially sealed at the Circular Valley Forum.
How can the transition to a circular economy be achieved across industry and national borders? This is the core theme of the Circular Valley Forum 2025, which is being held under the motto “Action across borders and industries.” This year, the construction sector is providing a concrete example of such cooperation: Circular Valley and Krefeld Business are joining forces to establish a Circular Construction Hub in the emerging Krefeld start-up center. The new partnership will be officially signed during the forum on November 14.
State Secretary Viktor Haase will lead a panel discussion on circular construction at the Circular Valley Forum 2025
© Jan Turek/Circular Valley
A hub for circular renovation and construction
The Circular Construction Hub Krefeld is set to become the region's central location for circular renovation and construction. The start-up center, which is set to open by fall 2026, will be located in the former silk factory on Luisenstraße in Krefeld. Currently undergoing sustainable renovation, the factory is a demonstration project for circular construction. A new space is being created from an existing building in a resource-efficient and forward-looking way.
“The topic of building materials is particularly well suited to the Lower Rhine region as an area where gravel and sand are extracted,” says Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the non-profit Circular Valley Foundation. “In Krefeld, it is possible to demonstrate how sustainable renovation and circular economy can be implemented in practice. With its building stock, the city offers great potential for a real-world laboratory for circular construction – and it has the openness to actively promote the topic.”
Circular Valley and Krefeld Business have joined forces to promote sustainable business models, connect stakeholders from business, science, and urban society, and develop new solutions for the circular economy. Krefeld Business ensures local anchoring and networking, while Circular Valley contributes its extensive network of companies, startups, and scientific organizations, as well as its expertise in the circular economy. "For an industrial location like Krefeld, the circular economy is a highly relevant issue," says Eckart Preen, managing director of Krefeld Business. “Circular Valley provides innovative young companies with the technical expertise and contacts that are of great interest to small and medium-sized businesses in the region.”
The old silk factory on Luisenstraße in Krefeld is currently undergoing sustainable renovation
© Martine Ballinger/Circular Valley
Part of a larger whole: cross-border cooperation
The new partnership in Krefeld is part of a broader collaboration. At the Circular Valley Forum, ministers from North Rhine-Westphalia, Flanders, and the Netherlands sign a joint declaration of intent for trilateral cooperation. This establishes the political foundation for future joint initiatives.
The major circular economy meeting will feature a panel discussion on circular construction. State Secretary Viktor Haase will chair the discussion, during which representatives of the Building Materials Working Group will present the results of North Rhine-Westphalia's and Flanders' cooperation to date, as well as the future trilateral cooperation with the Netherlands. The discussion will include concrete examples, opportunities, and obstacles, as well as an outlook on which priority areas of future cooperation could provide the greatest overall benefits.
“Cooperation is the driving force behind the transition to a circular economy,” says Dr. Carsten Gerhardt. “The collaboration in Krefeld and the trilateral partnership between North Rhine-Westphalia, Flanders, and the Netherlands are creating strong alliances – both locally and internationally.”
