WHEN: 17 September 2026 I TIME: 14:00 - 16:00 IST (UTC+5:30) I Venue: The Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre (Seminar Hall 1)
wcef2026.com I Hyrbid event REGISTER HERE to join online I REGISTER HERE to join in-person
Background
This hybrid event is an accelerator session at the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 (wcef2026.com). WCEF2026 will gather forward-looking thinkers and doers and present the game-changers in the circular economy. The forum will be held from 15 to 18 September 2026 in Gandhinagar, the capitol of Gujarat, India. WCEF2026 is organised jointly by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), operating under the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change of India, together with global and local partners. Free of charge, open to all online.
The accelerator session aims to help move circular economy (CE) solutions from promising practice towards scale by connecting innovative Asian SMEs with the markets, business partners, technology, expertise and finance needed for expansion. It will position EU-Asia collaboration as an important pathway for accelerating circular business models, strengthening circular value chains and opening new market opportunities.
Session focus
The session will showcase innovative SMEs, followed by a discussion on what is needed to scale their CE solutions through market expansion, investment, technology and strategic partnerships in Asia’s fast-growing circular economy markets.
Asian companies developing circular solutions in agri-food, aquaculture and fisheries, construction, furniture and wood products, plastics and packaging, tourism and hospitality, waste management and recycling will have the opportunity to:
- Connect with peer SMEs and potential partners across Asian markets
- Explore business, technology and market-expansion partnerships
- Engage with EU organisations and companies seeking circular value-chain and supply-chain partnerships
- Connect with investors and organisations that can support their pathway towards scale.
For large EU companies, the session will provide insights into circular innovation ecosystems in key resource-intensive sectors and opportunities to identify potential suppliers, technology partners and business collaborations in Asia.
For investors and financial institutions, it will provide visibility into emerging circular businesses and financing opportunities linked to market expansion within Asia and between the EU and Asia.
The session will ultimately seek to translate the exchange into concrete connections and follow-up opportunities for business, investment, technology and capacity partnerships.
Speakers
Zinaida FADEEVA, Team Leader, SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component
Zinaida Fadeeva is the Team Leader of the Policy Support Component of the SWITCH-Asia Programme. Zinaida has over 25 years leading international professional experience in policy for and practice of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and Education for Sustainable Development, amongst others working with the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Studies of Sustainability (UNU-IAS). Her work has focused on diverse topics such as tourism, plastics, construction, small and medium enterprises, procurement and lifestyle. Zinaida has worked extensively with governments, private sector, international organisations and academia in East, South East, South and Central Asia.
Sonia PRASHAR, Secretary General, Federation of European Business in India (FEBI)
Mukesh GULATI, Executive Director, Foundation for MSME Clusters
Mr. Gulati initiated and contributed substantially to the institutionalization of cluster-based Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) policy and implementation framework in India. He also supported similar initiatives in several other developing countries. He coordinated a number of development projects on behalf of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) for 12 years (1996-2008) for MSME development. He represented UNIDO on several international forums and also successfully organized more than 25 international training programmes on cluster development over his career. Mr. Gulati has authored several books and publications in the area of MSME development. He also steered the setting up of the Foundation for MSME Clusters in the year 2005 and nurtured it to become a resilient institution that works with a number of multilateral & bilateral donor institutions besides national ministries and development institutions.
Tentative Agenda
Thursday, 17 September 2026 | 14:00 - 16:00 IST (UTC+5:30)
|
Time |
Session |
Content / Format |
Speakers / Contributors |
|
14:00– 14:15 |
Opening and Setting the Scene |
Welcome and introduction. Brief framing of the circular economy as a business and economic transformation. Sets out the central challenge: circular solutions are increasingly visible, but scaling remains difficult. |
|
|
14:15– 15:30 |
Scaling Clinics: Four Circular Businesses |
Four clinics × 15 minutes. Each business presents its circular solution, current implementation, scaling ambition, principal barriers, and what could unlock the next stage. Two matched experts respond to the specific scaling challenge, addressing finance, technology, markets/off-take, capacity, value chains or enabling conditions as relevant. |
Companies Commentators:
|
|
15:30– 15:50 |
Panel Reflection: What Does It Take to Scale? |
3-4 ecosystem actors draw lessons across the cases: common barriers; where finance can help and where it cannot; technology, off-take and value-chain partnerships; business preparation; and opportunities for EU–Asia partnerships. |
|
|
15:50– 15:55 |
Key Scaling Messages |
|
|
|
15:55– 16:00 |
Closing |
Closing reflections and emphasis on taking relevant partnerships and connections forward beyond WCEF. |
|
