DeCo Project: International Collaboration for Advancing Sustainable Design

Design Forum Finland is participating in the Design Collaboration for Sustainable Business project, which promotes regional and national sustainability practices with a particular focus on circular economy design, production, and manufacturing. As part of the Interreg Europe-funded project, partners met in Belgium on March 11–12, 2025.

In March, we visited Belgium as part of the project, hosted by our partner organization, Wallonie Design. The two-day program provided a comprehensive overview of the region’s circular economy and design initiatives through company visits and expert presentations. The first day was spent in Liège, while the second took place in Namur. The meeting featured a broad range of circular economy projects. Geneviève Halin (EcoRes) introduced the Eco-Design Checklist, and Laetitia Zacheo presented the CIRCO methodology. Chloè Hanin (Service Public de Wallonie) provided insights into Wallonia’s Circular Wallonia strategy, while Yaprak Hamarat (EU Policy Lab) discussed the integration of design methodologies into public administration workflows. The presentation addressed the harmonization of recycling labels at the EU level as a case study. 

During the meeting, we visited several companies in the Wallonia region. The development of sustainable business practices was showcased by the industrial design agency iol, the outdoor lighting manufacturer Schréder, and the fireplace manufacturer Stûv.

The project brings together partners from seven European countries: Croatia, Spain, Greece, Poland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Finland. The participants include regional business development organizations, educational institutions, and design promotion organizations. In total, nearly 40 participants, including project partners and their stakeholders, explored circular economy implementations in Wallonia, Belgium.

Round table discussions 26.3.2025 

Design Forum Finland’s role in the project is to organise round table discussions. The second discussion session focused on the theme: “How can policymakers effectively contribute to fostering sustainable business development in the region?”

The keynote speech was delivered by Eero Jalava, Leading Specialist at Sitra, who explored the collaboration between the public and private sectors in accelerating the circular economy. He presented Finnish best practices and concrete examples of how businesses can be supported in transitioning to circular economy models.

After Eero Jalava’s presentation, the discussion continued in breakout rooms facilitated by Matter Advisory. Participants reflected on the key themes of the presentation and delved into how public organizations can effectively support sustainable transformation and business development.

What is DeCo? 
The project’s main objective is to influence local and regional decision-making and policies, embedding sustainability and circular principles into these processes. This will be achieved through the exchange of experiences and capacity-building, especially in design, production, and manufacturing. While many impactful projects are underway across Europe, awareness of them remains limited. This makes information sharing essential, allowing participants to learn from one another, potentially form new partnerships, and even initiate new projects. 

Read more of the project.