The Circular Materials Center is the research and training center for the plastics and textiles sector. It aims to support and encourage companies to do circular business by giving them access to expertise, machinery and training at the Circular Materials Center. To this end, we are joining forces in a partnership between knowledge and training partners, sector and employer organizations, and above all, many companies.
In a circular economy, numerous strategies are applied to keep materials and products in the economy at the highest possible quality. They are repaired, have a high second-hand value, can easily be taken apart and transformed into new products. The materials chosen are recycled or bio-based, and are fully recyclable or biodegradable at the end of life.
The Circular Materials Center wants to stimulate circular entrepreneurship with new materials, and at the same time be a showcase to demonstrate what this innovative sector has to offer. It also offers many creative opportunities to showcase circular materials and products.
The content vision for the Circular Materials Center rests on three pillars:
- Research and testing
- Education and training
- Meetings and events
The Circular Materials Center expands the Centexbel-VKC building with an innovation hall, an extensive training center and meeting and event facilities.
When decorating and furnishing the Circular Materials Center, circular materials and products were used as much as possible. For the production of the reception desk and functional seating, for the innovative floor coverings, for the eye-catching wall coverings, for the stylish curtains, and for the practical seat cushions, innovative products and materials were deliberately chosen that bear witness to a strong circular vision.
Partnership
The Circular Materials Center is the result of years of collaboration within the partnership of Factory for the Future New Materials. This partnership unites - under the coordination of POM West-Flanders and TUA West - the forces between all knowledge partners, training partners, companies - and sector organizations active in West-Flanders within the sector of Advanced Materials.
This partnership wants to continuously stimulate and support companies to do circular business with new materials. Through complementary cooperation between the partners, companies have access to a wide range of machines for research and testing, to expertise via the knowledge guide, to co-creation paths with knowledge partners, to quick wins between companies, to information sessions and networking opportunities, and to an adapted offer of education and training.
The four house partners of the Circular Materials Center are POM West-Vlaanderen, Centexbel, KU Leuven and PlastIQ. It was realized within the ERDF project Circularity In & With New Materials with financial support from Europe, Flanders and the province of West Flanders.
