Circular Economy in the Ceramics Sector: International Cooperation

Kaleseramik participated in the "Circular Economy in Tile Production" workshop organized in Cairo, Egypt under the INNOVATILE Project supported by the European Union with a budget of EUR 2.5 million, sharing knowledge and experience on sustainability, low-carbon production and circular economy practices in the ceramic sector.

The workshop, financed under the European Union's Interreg NEXT MED Programme and aimed at promoting sustainable production models in the ceramic sector within the framework of the INNOVATILE Project, was held on 14 May 2026 at Hilton Cairo Grand Nile Tower. Kaleseramik, one of the project partners, actively contributed to discussions on technology transfer, resource efficiency and decarbonization efforts aimed at the future of the sector.

Sector representatives from the Mediterranean region gathered
Organized by the project partner Egyptian Center for Innovation & Technology Development (ECITD) in Egypt, the event brought together 85 participants from approximately 40 different institutions and organizations. At the workshop, experts from Egypt's ceramic tile value chain and the Europe-Mediterranean region exchanged views on circular economy, use of secondary raw materials, industrial decarbonization and technology transfer.

Half of the participants were manufacturing companies and industry representatives, while research organizations represented 30 percent. Regulatory bodies, standardization organizations and civil society representatives also participated in the event.

Solutions for the sector's future were discussed
The workshop covered circular economy applications in ceramic production, valorization of secondary raw materials, energy efficiency, advanced production technologies, environmental sustainability and lifecycle analyses.

The technical sessions focused particularly on the sourcing, characterization, traceability and integration of secondary raw materials into production processes, while evaluating feldspar substitution, pilot-scale validation studies and transition timelines to industrial applications.

Low-carbon production and technology transfer were on the agenda
One of the important parts of the event was the panel on "Advancing Circular Economy in Production: Research, Policy, Industry and Market Opportunities," which brought together technology providers, manufacturers, research organizations and regulatory body representatives.

The panel highlighted reliable supply chains for converting waste into economic value, certification procedures, dissemination of low-carbon technologies, preparation for compliance with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and mechanisms to support sustainable production investments as key topics.

HypocarbonTileTech Network expanding
At the presentation and registration session held at the end of the workshop, the participation process for the HypocarbonTileTech Network established within the framework of the INNOVATILE Project was shared. At the end of the event, 53 participants applied for network membership, expressing their willingness to participate in collaborations to be established in the field of low-carbon ceramic production in the Europe-Mediterranean region.

The network is expected to contribute to the development of new collaborations between companies, researchers, technology providers, standards organizations and public authorities.

Workshop outputs will direct new projects
The outputs obtained from the workshop held in Cairo are expected to contribute to policy development activities to be carried out within the framework of the INNOVATILE Project, networking efforts and new events to be organized in Turkey, Italy, Spain and Tunisia.

Kaleseramik continues to contribute to the dissemination of circular economy practices in the ceramic sector, the development of low-carbon production technologies and support for sustainable industrial transformation through its work within the framework of the INNOVATILE Project.