On Wednesday, 23 October 2024, the National Institute of Chemistry hosted an on-line roundtable “Can production residues be a new source of raw materials for your company?” organized by the Interreg Central Europe TeBiCE project. The roundtable was attended by representatives of the project, representatives from scientific research institutes and from companies that use circular business or are involved in the introduction of circular economy in companies. The roundtable was held in a spirit of initiatives to promote the circular economy and to find new ways of making beneficial use of residues from food processing and primary agricultural production.
Katja Makovšek (National Institute of Chemistry) presented the TeBiCE project and the possibilities for companies to participate in the project, Gasan Ilja Osojnik Črnivec (National Institute of Chemistry) presented “Opportunities for circularity and decarbonisation in agri-food sector“, and Luka Juvančič (Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana) highlighted “Potentials and challenges for increasing circularity in primary agricultural production”. Mitja Krajnc (Director of Žipo Lenart d.o.o. and KGS Krajnc d.o.o.) follow with presentation entitled “Circular solutions in Žipo Lenart d.o.o. and KGS Krajnc d.o.o.”. presenting their activities and products and impressing with the innovation and circular solutions of the companies. Finally, Miha Škrokov (VCG.AI) presented the possibilities offered to companies by the VCG.AI platform with his lecture “Value Chain Generator: an AI platform for the valorisation of by-products and waste”.
The roundtable focused on promoting the circular economy and exploring innovative ways to effectively utilize residues from food processing and primary agricultural production. Mitja Krajnc addressed a key question: Does the circular economy pay off in the long run? He explained, “It does require an initial investment, but if you choose the right product and plan it well, it will definitely yield benefits over time. However, it’s important for companies to conduct a thorough economic evaluation beforehand to determine if producing such a product is financially viable.”