3D-CIRCULAR Brings Digital Circular-Economy Education to the UNESCO Chair Conference

The European 3D-CIRCULAR project will participate in the International UNESCO Chair Conference 2026, held at TU Dortmund University from 30 September to 2 October.

Under the theme “International Cooperation in Higher Education and TVET – Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice of the SDGs,” the conference will bring together researchers, educators, policymakers and practitioners working on international education, vocational training and sustainable development. 3D-CIRCULAR will contribute its perspective on how higher education can combine circular-economy principles with advanced digital technologies and practical industrial needs. LinkedIn Skills for the green and digital transitions

Europe’s transition towards a circular economy is changing the competence profiles required in industry. Professionals increasingly need to understand not only resource efficiency, lifecycle thinking and circular business models, but also the digital technologies that make these approaches operational.

Data analytics can reveal where materials and energy are lost. Artificial intelligence can support process optimisation and lifecycle decisions. Digital product passports can make product information accessible across organisational boundaries. Digital twins can help users analyse how products, production systems and buildings perform under different conditions.

These subjects are often taught separately. 3D-CIRCULAR addresses the resulting skills gap by developing an educational ecosystem that connects circular-economy knowledge with deep-technology competencies.

The project brings together 32 organisations from 14 European countries, including universities, research centres, industrial organisations and technology providers. It is developing postgraduate programmes and shorter certification pathways for students, researchers and experienced professionals. The project has received the European Commission’s STEP Seal and is funded under the Digital Europe Programme through Grant Agreement No. 101226256. 3D-CIRCULAR Connecting academic education with industrial practice

The UNESCO Chair Conference provides an appropriate setting for presenting this approach. Its focus on cooperation between higher education, technical and vocational education and training, and the practical implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals reflects the central challenge addressed by 3D-CIRCULAR.

Circular-economy education must be technically rigorous, but it must also remain connected to the decisions faced by companies and public organisations. Learners need opportunities to work with realistic problems, industrial data and examples drawn from actual value chains.

The project is therefore developing teaching formats that bring together academic knowledge, digital tools and industrial experience. Its online programmes are intended to make advanced training accessible across national and disciplinary boundaries.

ATB’s role in the shared digital campus

ATB Bremen contributes to the development of the unified digital campus that will support the 3D-CIRCULAR programmes.

The campus will provide a common point of access to learning materials, courses and collaborative activities delivered by different members of the European consortium. This requires more than a conventional document repository. Educational content, user information and services must be integrated in a way that supports different institutions, learning pathways and participant groups.

ATB brings experience in interoperable software platforms, knowledge management and the integration of distributed digital services. Its work will help establish the technical environment through which learners, educators and industrial contributors can use the project’s educational offers.

The digital campus is also intended to support the transfer of research and industrial knowledge into teaching. This can make newly developed methods available to students and professionals without waiting for them to become part of conventional curricula.

International cooperation as part of the solution

The skills required for a digitally enabled circular economy cannot be developed by a single university or country. Materials, products and value chains cross national borders, while specialised expertise is distributed across Europe.

3D-CIRCULAR uses this diversity as a resource. Its consortium combines different educational systems, industrial sectors and technical specialisations. The UNESCO Chair Conference offers an opportunity to discuss how such cooperation can produce learning offers that are academically credible, industrially relevant and accessible to a wider European audience.

Following the conference, ATB and the 3D-CIRCULAR partners will continue developing the digital campus and the project’s education and certification pathways.

Event details

1. Event: International UNESCO Chair Conference 2026
2. Dates: 30 September–2 October 2026
3. Venue: TU Dortmund University, Germany
4. Theme: International Cooperation in Higher Education and TVET – Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice of the SDGs
5. Project: 3D-CIRCULAR – Digital Deep Tech Driven Circular Economy