CURIOST – Design and Development of Sustainable Products in 4 Key Sectors of Central Europe in the Context of the Circular Economy
The ongoing transformation towards a circular economy is not only a demanding task for the manufacturing industry. It also offers opportunities for the development of innovative, sustainable products. The CURIOST project helps small and medium-sized enterprises in sectors such as mechanics, packaging, plastics, and construction capitalize on these potential benefits. It helps selected companies collaboratively develop prototypes of customized, innovative, sustainable, and circular economy-compatible products. The lessons learned are then aggregated to create a comprehensive strategy and action plans to accelerate the green transformation in the manufacturing industry.
On May 12-13, 2026, CURIOST project partners from seven countries, including the South Poland Cleantech Cluster, met for the fifth time, this time in Pécs, Hungary, to summarize the results achieved so far and plan the next stages of the project in individual regions.
In recent months, project partners have worked directly with 140 SMEs to support them in developing their own innovative MVPs and new business models based on the principles of a circular economy. National workshops were organized for each country, with four to five of the most promising companies selected in advance, as well as international workshops attended by 30 companies from all seven countries.
During these workshops, companies had the opportunity to present their business cases and receive feedback from the Creative Heads participating in the CURIOST project.
Work is currently underway to analyze the results and identify the most important factors influencing the transformation process. During the meeting, we developed a plan to develop useful tools, including methodologies for companies and recommendations for legislative institutions and the business environment.
During the visit to Pécs, the partners had the opportunity to visit the Acquacut production plant and learn firsthand about innovative solutions in the mechanical and mechatronics sectors.
A consortium meeting always brings additional benefits. Besides the substantive work in the conference room, each additional informal meeting, time spent together on a walk to explore the city, and dinner together, allows us to get to know each other better and exchange further experiences. We are planning our next meeting this fall in Turin, Italy.






