In the photo from left to right: Richard van der Laken (What Design Can Do), Daniel Chan (HK Design Institute), Viveca Chan (HK Design Centre), Barbara Wolfensberger (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science), Simon Ng (BEC), Pieter van Os ( CIRCO).
Pieter van Os, Program Manager at CIRCO International, and Simon Ng, CEO of the Business Environment Council (BEC), expressed their mutual commitment to establish a CIRCO Hub in Hong Kong in the near future during the Business of Design Week. This announcement is part of a broader collaboration between Hong Kong and the Netherlands in the field of (circular) design.
According to van Os is:”Hong Kong a vital hub in global business, and that’s why we are particularly proud to introduce our program here. We are confident that it is in good hands with BEC.”
The plan is to train an initial cohort of eight to ten trainers in Hong Kong in the CIRCO methodology in the first quarter of 2024. This will empower BEC and these trainers to effectively apply design knowledge and tools, enabling them to facilitate circular innovation in local businesses.
Pieter van Os is excited about the collaboration, which was facilitated in part by the Dutch Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau: “With the Business Environment Council (BEC), we have found a partner already engaged in sustainable innovation, with a powerful business network, and committed to facilitating the circular transition in Hong Kong.”
Merlin Lao, partner Business Environment Council
BODW 2023
The announcement took place during the Business of Design Week (BODW) 2023, Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation, and brands. This year, the Netherlands was the partner country for the prestigious event. The BODW 2023 Summit collaborated with the Netherlands, CLICKNL, and CreativeNL to bring policymakers, entrepreneurs, and creative leaders together to stimulate innovation contributing to a sustainable future. Dutch speeches and panel discussions at BODW 2023 focused on circular design. The event resulted in dialogues and long-term relationships between Hong Kong and the Netherlands at both business and academic levels, specifically targeting areas within the circular economy. The CIRCO and BEC initiative serves as a powerful example of this collaboration.
The collaboration in Hong Kong aligns with the ambition to make the CIRCO approach internationally accessible. CIRCO has already established a network of 18 international Hubs in 16 countries with approximately 150 certified trainers. As a result, CIRCO was recently recognized by the European Commission as one of the top three sustainable transition programs in Europe during the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA).
