The cross-fertilization process, a series of workshops spanning the entire duration of the project, has been central in fostering collaboration and creativity within the consortium. In the early months of the project, the process facilitated the creation of an activity catalogue for training, knowledge gain, and policy loops, alongside peer-to-peer training and knowledge exchange within the consortium. The final cross-fertilization workshop held on-site in Budapest aimed to develop guidelines and recommendations based on the implemented activities in each hub.
Structured into three thematic blocks, the workshop allowed project partners and associated partners to explore the activities carried out in each hub in terms of training and skills development, innovative governance, and awareness raising and communication campaigns.
Training and skills development
In the training and skills development block, a needs analysis conducted in Finland in the earlier stages of the project indicated a need for fostering a circular, interdisciplinary, and collaborative approach across the entire packaging value chain to achieve sustainable innovation and development. Riitta Lehtinen, Principal lecturer in the Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, presented the course on sustainability in the packaging life cycle, developed and piloted as a solution to the identified need.
Awareness raising and communication campaigns
In the awareness raising and communication campaigns block, a total of 10 activities were developed and implemented in collaboration between CLIC Innovation and Metropolia UAS. A key need targeted by these activities was making the shift to sustainable packaging more understandable and desirable to consumer, through sharing fact-based information and concrete examples. Kaisa Simola, Communications Expert at CLIC Innovation, presented an overview of the Finnish hub’s activities, highlighting the results of the influencer campaign on sustainable packaging and sorting, which reached almost half a million views across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Innovative governance
In the innovative governance block, acceptance of fibre-based materials and jointly agreed-upon definitions for key terms were identified as key needs. Aila Maijanen, Head of Bioeconomy at CLIC Innovation, summarised the key achievements, including a multi-stakeholder workshop on value creation in Finnish food packaging, online events to share knowledge on timely regulatory developments at national and EU levels, and criteria development for sustainable packaging.
Following brief overviews from each hub, participants engaged in interactive sessions to explore one hub’s activities in more detail. This deep dive allowed partners to co-develop recommendations for policymakers and potential replicators based on the project’s activities.
As a final step, associated partners shared their insights and feedback on the activities and discussions, highlighting what surprised them, key takeaways and recommendations. Simo Karetie from Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council, along with other associated partners, congratulated the consortium on the high number and quality of the activities implemented across all five hubs. The Finnish hub’s influencer campaign, in particular, was highlighted as a major achievement in raising awareness and driving communication efforts.
Looking ahead, the next and final consortium meeting will be hosted by CLIC Innovation in Helsinki at the end of September 2025.
For more information, please contact Kaisa Simola, kaisa.simola@clicinnovation.fi.