Circular Valley Forum

On 13 November, the Circular Valley Forum will bring together policymakers and industry representatives, just days before the EU’s Circular Economy Act is expected to be presented. Eight industry panels, political perspectives and practical solutions will highlight what it takes to implement the circular economy.

Jessika Roswall, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, will be a special guest at the 2026 forum
© European Union, 2025

How can Europe strengthen the circular economy while safeguarding its competitiveness and resilience? This question is currently high on the European political agenda. At the Circular Valley Forum on 13 November 2026 in Wuppertal, the political debate will meet the experience and challenges of industrial practice. EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall will join the forum at a particularly timely moment, bringing one of the key figures in European circular economy policy to the event. The European Commission, with her involvement, is working on the Circular Economy Act, which aims to further develop Europe’s framework for the circular economy. The Act is expected to be presented just days after the forum.

Under the motto “Circular Valley – Succeeding together”, the Circular Valley Foundation will bring together key stakeholders from politics, business, science and society at the Historic Town Hall in Wuppertal. The central question is how political objectives can be translated into economically viable solutions. What framework conditions are needed to increase the use of secondary raw materials? How can investment in circular business models be facilitated? And how can companies across entire value chains be brought on board to advance the circular economy? The forum will provide a platform for discussing these questions from different perspectives and working together on practical approaches.

EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall will address the importance of the circular economy for Europe’s resilience and competitiveness. Her visit comes at a time when European circular economy policy is setting the course for the years ahead. Engaging directly with companies that are already developing and implementing circular solutions will offer immediate insights into both the opportunities and the challenges of this transformation. The government of North Rhine-Westphalia will also be represented: Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and Oliver Krischer, Minister for the Environment, will present the state’s circular economy strategy.

Several panels will take place during the event, with the progress made by the working groups also featuring in the discussions
© Jan Turek/Circular Valley

Eight industry panels addressing concrete challenges

A central feature of the forum will be its eight industry panels, where major manufacturers and their partners across the respective value chains will discuss how to make circular solutions economically viable. The participating companies represent a range of sectors: Audi for the automotive industry, Vorwerk for household appliances, Henkel for consumer goods, Tchibo for retail, GEA for mechanical and plant engineering, Holcim for the construction industry, Bayer for healthcare, and Telekom for communications and high technology.

The focus will extend beyond the technical feasibility of closing material loops. Economic considerations are equally important: How can additional costs be shared, investments enabled, and business models developed that work for companies across the entire value chain? The financial sector will also be involved in these discussions. As Europe’s regulatory framework continues to evolve, it is particularly important to identify the conditions companies need to advance the circular economy on an industrial scale.

Collaboration that extends beyond the forum

Alongside industry and policymakers, the forum will also feature perspectives from wider society. Dr. theol. Franz-Josef Overbeck, Bishop of Essen, will explore the responsibility to preserve creation through the circular economy. Japan’s Consul General, Yoshitaka Tsunoda, will examine how Japanese culture can inspire a more conscious approach to resource use. Both contributions will broaden the discussion to include the values and societal conditions needed for a successful circular economy.

The Circular Valley Forum will also provide an opportunity to bring existing partners together in person and advance their joint efforts to develop practical solutions. One example is the trilateral cooperation, whose working groups spend the year addressing specific circular economy challenges. The groups will meet in person again at the forum. Their topics range from circular solutions in the construction sector to battery recycling and mattress recycling, as well as chemical recycling. In this way, ongoing collaboration on concrete challenges will be complemented by direct, face-to-face exchange at the forum.

From new ideas to practical material loops

Further programme highlights will connect innovation with practical implementation. At Demo Day, the teams from the eleventh cohort of the Circular Economy Accelerator will present their approaches. Deep-dive sessions will also address specific challenges and potential solutions, including mattress recycling, chemical recycling, the PVC value chain, phosphorus recycling, the recycling of high-value metals, and CO₂ capture and utilisation.

“Europe’s circular economy is approaching a series of important political milestones. This makes EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall’s visit to our forum at this particular moment especially valuable. Just days before the planned presentation of the Circular Economy Act, European perspectives and industrial practice will come together directly here. For political objectives to become economically viable solutions, we need to understand the challenges companies face and work together to develop practical solutions,” says Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Circular Valley Foundation.

www.circular-valley.org