On 21 May 2025, the ASSET Final Conference took place in Brussels wrapping up over one year of exploring spatial implications of circular economy in the built environment and exchanging experiences and innovative practices within the EuroDelta.
Experts, researchers, urban practitioners, industry representatives and students were present and fully-engaged during a full day dedicated to circular economy, the built environment, spatial planning and showcasing how transnational and cross-border collaboration in the EuroDelta can significantly boost the transition to a Circular Built Environment (CBE).
This event was also the official launch of the EuroDelta Alliance – a collaborative, mission-driven network that will advocate for the recognition, funding and promotion of the EuroDelta megaregion at the European, national, and regional scales. The ASSET partners signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) as the founding members of this Alliance.
Moderated by Cé cile Houpert from perspective.brussels, the itinary of the final conference is as follows:
- Opening words by officials from Brussels and Amsterdam (Kurt Custers from Brussels Environment, Antoine de Borman from perspective.brussels, Jos Mandema from the City of Amsterdam) as well as Matthew Thompson representing the Interreg North-West Europe Programme.
Image credit: Bas Horsting
- A keynote speech by Professor Christa Reicher from RWTH Aachen which focused on circularity as a challenge and a new dimension of urban and regional development. Preliminary remarks were made on the necessity of setting out future paths; principles & scales of circularity; EuroDelta & ASSET.
- A presentation on ASSET by Dagmar Keim, the project lead from the City of Amsterdam in which she talked through the storyline of ASSET including the approach, key aspects, activities, deliverables and final outputs (including latest version of inspirational maps and the formation of the EuroDelta Alliance).
Image credit: Bas Horsting
- The signing ceremony for the EuroDelta Alliance, in which representatives of ASSET partners signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) as founding partners of the alliance, establishing these organisations' commitment to further work and collaborate on the scale of the EuroDelta.