The Howest University of Applied Sciences (Howest) is organising the RUN-EU Innothon ‘Circular Economy: Textile Lab to Drive Change’ on 12 March 2025 at the Mind and Makerspace in Bruges, Belgium.

Bringing together pre-university and university students from different disciplines in an environment of innovation and collaboration, the event aims to encourage creativity and teamwork to find innovative solutions to the current challenges of the circular economy in Bruges.

Circular economy is one of the pillars of the Bruges Climate Plan BrugesTowards Tomorrow. We want to create a context in Bruges that makes circularity an automatism, from design to reuse, from education to every company. This way, every inhabitant of Bruges will meet circular initiatives. Through this circular transition, Bruges aims to reduce emissions, use raw materials more efficiently, promote local circular activity, social cohesion, and employment.

Together with Circular Hub, we want to inspire and activate young people to maximise their commitment to circularity. Through a Design Thinking methodology, we will think with them about possibilities of the Textile Lab opening in Bruges in September 2025. In this way, we make them think about the challenges concerning circular economy in the textile sector. We also want to connect young people and the organisations committed to circular economy.

Participants work in mixed teams and use the Design Thinking methodology to develop concrete proposals to solve the challenge set.

This practical and collaborative approach also enables them to improve key workplace skills such as problem solving, effective communication and team management.

RUN-EU Innothon
Circular Economy: Textile Lab to Drive Change

Date
12 March 2025

Mode
Face-to-Face, in Bruges, Belgium

Target group
Pre-university and university students

Previous knowledge required
No previous knowledge/experience is required.

It will focus on:

• Understanding Circular Economy
• Applying Design Thinking
• Developing Innovative Solutions
• Enhancing Teamwork & Communication
• Strengthening Problem-Solving
• Engaging with Experts