The Remanufacturing Market Study prepared by the European Remanufacturing Network focuses on eight sectors where the implementation of Circular Economy may be relevant, on the other hand, the Ellen MacArthur foundation released in 2013 the report “Towards the Circular Economy” where eight sectors were also selected as having particularly high potential for adopting circular technologies. Among these, the furniture sector is the only traditional one included in both reports: Furniture pieces are normally purchased for replacement purposes, however the office and contract furniture subsectors work in a different way, since they are usually replaced due to aesthetic reasons and normally carried out on an entire basis. Which makes these sectors ideal for remanufacturing activities and thus take advantage of: -Creating new products and reach new markets aiming at securing spare parts. -Developing new business models focused on sharing, leasing, reuse, repair, refurbishment and recycling. Producing 1/4 of the world´s furniture, the European furniture industry employs more than 900,000 workers in approximately 126,000 firms, and production amounted to more than €84 Billion in 2012. However, these figures are 13% lower than in 2007, while the Asian market increased its production to 230% during the same period[1]. Under this context, the creation of new business models based on Circular Economy across the sector opens a wide range of new opportunities from an economic and social perspective. This change requires skills and competences for enhanced performance, specially focusing on[2]: -Entrepreneurship. -Strategy. -Innovation. -System Thinking. -Product design. -Sourcing and manufacturing. -Sales and customer value creation. -Product use and return chains. These should be revised so they could address the key elements of Circular Economy [3]: -Prioritize regenerative resources -Preserve what is already made -Use waste as a resource -Design for the future -Collaborate to create joint value -Rethink the business model -Incorporate Digital Technology FURN360 comprises six organizations: VET providers, Business Associations, experts in Circular Economy, Universities and one umbrella federation with the aim to develop a common curriculum and training content for implementing strategies able to ease the transition to a circular model within the addressed sectors, and therefore: -Strategies for design and re-design towards life cycle. -New services that industries can create (maintenance, spare components, etc). -New business models and opportunities that Circular Economy can bring to the sector: B2B (hotel and catering industry, private hospitals, clinics etc.), B2G (local, regional and national Government) or even C2C (sharing platforms). This will address those competences required to be revised for a Circular Economy as well as the key elements previously indicated. FURN360 encompasses the following activities: -Surveys, comparative analysis and evidence-gathering, studies of real life cases in order to provide a complete analysis of the current situation about how the concept of Circular Economy is being implemented within these sectors -Development of a joint curriculum, following the learning outcomes approach, according to the target groups needs having as a basis both the skills and competences required for closing the loop and the key principles of Circular Economy. -The development of didactic materials, tools and assessment methods. -The arrangement of five transnational meetings and five multiplier events. -Project management and implementation activities, quality and risk management and information, promotion and dissemination. The following results will be envisaged: - Analysis of the Situation and Evolution of the Circular Economy within the Furniture and Woodworking Industries: Current Knowledge, Skills and Qualifications needs. - A Joint Curriculum. - A training and collaborative Platform. - Didactic material. These will be freely available and broadly distributed. FURN360 will provide companies, workers, students and entrepreneurs willing to focus their careers in these sectors with innovative training tools aligned with the future needs and with the opportunities that the Circular Economy can bring within the furniture and woodworking sectors, and especially in those industries focuses on office and contract businesses. Furthermore, through project results and the activities carried out, partners will raise awareness among authorities, especially at local at regional level, about the importance of shifting the current linear economy into a more circular approach, and implementing these principles in VET and labor policies. - [1] CSIL data from official sources: Eurostat, UN, National Statistical Offices, Furniture manufacturers associations. [2] Accenture, Circular advantage (2014). [3] Making Sense of the Circular Economy. Circle Economy.
FURN360 (www.furn360.eu) is a European project providing companies, workers, students and entrepreneurs, innovative training tools aligned with the future needs that the Circular Economy can bring within the furniture and woodworking sectors. The project also raises awareness among authorities, especially at local at regional level, about the importance of shifting the current linear economy into a more circular approach, and implementing these principles in VET and labor policies. In the framework of the project, the following results and achievements were realised: - Production of the report ‘Circular Economy in the Furniture Sector: Overview of Current Challenges and Competence Needs: The report summaries existing literature around the furniture industry in the context of a circular economy. A set of interviews of key companies active around circular economy in the sector in European countries allowed us to highlight existing and expected skills and competencies necessary to develop sound circular business models in the industry. The skills and competences were then prioritised by importance by key stakeholders of the sector (companies, business federations/associations, VET institutes).The skillets are classified into specific capabilities: 1.transversal capabilities: systems capabilities, user-centred capabilities, entrepreneurship capabilities, sustainability capabilities, as well as front-end and back-end capabilities. The outcome of the report was used as a starting point to develop a joint curriculum. -Development of a joint curriculum: following a learning outcomes approach, the required knowledge, skills and competences to be able to integrate circular economy principles were defined and classified according to 7 learning modules, encompassing key aspects relevant to a transition to circular economy. Modules include introduction to CE principles, the state of affair of the furniture industry, circular business models, sustainability in the furniture industry, marketing and entrepreneurship, value networks and systems thinking, key enabling technologies supporting the transition to Circular economy. -The development of didactic materials, tools and assessment methods: Each module comprises a theoretical course book, a set of powerpoint presentations, introduction videos, animations and infographics, as well as additional reading resources. For each module an assessment method in form of a multiple answers quiz was developed. An additional module was also developed to put the trainees in a real life situation. A set of mini cases studies developed from real companies challenges was developed to invite trainees to apply acquired knowledge and skills into real life company strategy development. - A learning platform: http://training.furn360.eu, was developed to upload the various didactic materials, and provide a learning space to monitor and assess the trainees learning path. - A European webinar held in June 2020 with more than 100 EU participants involving as keynote speakers major actors of the Furniture industry and the circular economy (EFIC, Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation). At the completion of the project, more than 600 trainees were registered on the training platform. 30 dissemination events were organised with a total of 5542 attendants.