Simultaneous Sustainable, Circular Economy & Urban Development Days | 13–15 October 2026 | online

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Why this event matters?
Sustainability, the circular economy and urban development are central to Europe’s green transition and to the long-term resilience of our economies, cities and communities. Organised within the ARTEMIS project, co-funded by the European Union, this three-day event brings together researchers and educators from European institutions to share knowledge, present practical solutions and strengthen cross-border collaboration between higher education and society.

You are invited to take part in three days of online sessions:

13 October – Sustainable Days: the clean energy transition, sustainability as an economic strategy, and the interactive GreenEDU workshop
14 October – Circular Economy Days: circular business models, inclusive mobility futures, and environmental sustainability in the EU
15 October – Urban Development: green campuses, reconnecting fragmented territories, mobility, and hydrogen

To join the event, Register using the link below and join via the link in your email:

REGISTRATION PAGE

DAY 1 | Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Sustainable Days

Exploring sustainable energy systems, institutional transformation, responsible business strategies and the integration of sustainability into higher education.

10:00 | Welcome and Introduction to the Three Days

Organising Committee

Opening remarks and an introduction to the event.

10:30 | The Role of Power Grid and Energy Storage in the Clean Energy Transition

Linda Barelli – University of Perugia (UniPG)

Exploring the importance of electricity grids and energy storage technologies in supporting the transition towards cleaner energy systems.

11:30 | The VIVES Green Office: Capacity-Building for Sustainable Transition

Valérie Vandenbussche – VIVES University of Applied Sciences

An insight into the VIVES Green Office and its role in building institutional capacity and encouraging sustainability initiatives within higher education.

12:30 | Break

14:00 | Sustainability as an Economic Strategy: Resource Independency, Security of Supply and Competitiveness

Prof. Thomas Andorfer – OTH Regensburg

Examining how sustainability can strengthen business competitiveness, resource independence and long-term economic resilience.

15:15 | GreenEDU: Greening Education – Interactive Workshop

Dr. Bram Pynoo – VIVES University of Applied Sciences

An interactive workshop exploring approaches to embedding sustainability into teaching, learning and institutional practices.

DAY 2 | Wednesday, 14 October 2026

Circular Economy Days

Rethinking traditional economic models through circular business practices, sustainable mobility, environmental research and data-driven approaches.

09:00 | Parallel Sessions

Session 1 – From Linear to Circular: Rethinking Business Models

Prof. Sophia Schepers – OTH Regensburg

Exploring the transition from linear to circular business models and the opportunities for resource efficiency, innovation and sustainable value creation.

Session 2 – LivingLab: Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility Futures

Prof. Wendy Guan Zhen Tan – Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)

Exploring inclusive mobility planning and living lab approaches to developing more sustainable and accessible transport systems.

10:30 | Environmental Sustainability: Definition, Level of Implementation in the EU, and Ongoing Research

Francesco Di Maria – University of Perugia (UniPG)

An overview of environmental sustainability, its implementation across the European Union and current research developments.

12:30 | From Ragpickers to Algorithms: Reimagining the Circular Economy

August Wierling and Valeria Jana Schwanitz – Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)

Exploring how data-driven approaches and computational methods can contribute to new perspectives on circular economy systems.

13:45 | End of Scheduled Sessions

Afternoon reserved for working groups.

DAY 3 | Thursday, 15 October 2026

Urban Development

Exploring sustainable urban environments, territorial connectivity, mobility behaviour, biodiversity and emerging energy solutions.

09:30 | Green Campus: Participatory Design of a Green Space to Promote Biodiversity, Improve Outdoor Experiences for Students and the Campus Microclimate

Prof. Petra Liedl – OTH Regensburg

Exploring participatory approaches to campus greening, with a focus on biodiversity, outdoor comfort and climate-responsive design.

10:30 | Reconnecting a Fragmented Territory: The Case of Assisi and Its Plain

Matteo Lanfaloni – University of Perugia (UniPG)

A case study examining territorial fragmentation and approaches to improving spatial connectivity in the Assisi area.

11:30 | Break

12:15 | The Mobility Paradox: Why People Keep Driving?

Dr. Diego Volckaert – VIVES University of Applied Sciences

Exploring the behavioural and practical challenges behind continued car dependence, despite growing awareness of sustainable mobility alternatives.

13:00 | Break

15:15 | Hydrogen: Seriously?

Steven De Tollenaere – VIVES University of Applied Sciences

Examining the potential and practical challenges of hydrogen technologies in the transition towards cleaner energy systems.

16:15 | Closing Remarks Across the Three Days

Organising Committee

Concluding reflections on the event’s main themes and opportunities for continued collaboration.

Connecting Knowledge, Research and Practice Across Europe

The ARTEMIS Sustainability Days demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary and international collaboration in addressing complex sustainability challenges.

By bringing together expertise in energy, business management, education, circular economy, spatial planning, mobility and urban development, the event creates opportunities to exchange knowledge and explore new perspectives across academic disciplines and institutional boundaries.

The programme is particularly relevant to researchers, academic staff, students, sustainability professionals, businesses, public authorities and anyone interested in advancing sustainable transformation.

Join the ARTEMIS Sustainability Days

Dates: 13–15 October 2026
Format: Online, with parallel sessions
Language: English
Time zone: CEST (UTC+2). Participants in Romania, Estonia and Greece should add one hour.

Registration and event access:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/ab4ac8e7-aacc-452b-b96c-312df7fe0b0d@8f44c4cf-1330-4c1a-b203-c2e402f799ae?source=copyLinkOneEventsShareDialog

Participants are invited to register for the event and use the joining information provided in their confirmation email.

Explore, exchange and connect with the ARTEMIS community as we work towards more sustainable and resilient futures.