In a global context where sustainability and the fight against climate change are priorities, the circular economy has become a key approach to transform industrial sectors, especially the construction sector. Therefore, the Technology Centre of Catalonia, Eurecat and the Eurochile Business Foundation are developing the project “Articulation and development of sustainable business models led by MSMEs, offering sustainable products and services in the Chilean construction sector in its transition to the circular economy”.

This project is part of the AL-INVEST Verde programme, a European Union initiative that aims to promote economic, social and environmental integration between Europe and Latin America. This is achieved through the promotion of projects that favour sustainable business development. The programme focuses on strengthening the capacities of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt sustainable practices and green technologies. With a duration of 30 months, the programme aims to benefit more than 300 MSMEs that supply products and services related to the construction sector.

One of the key tools of the project is the self-diagnosis that allows companies to assess their level of circularity. This assessment is based on four main dimensions: design and planning, value chain processes, value use and recovery, and organisational culture. Depending on the level achieved, MSMEs receive specific recommendations to improve their sustainability performance.

Within the framework of the project under development, the agenda is divided into six sections, in which various topics have been discussed in depth, such as: Circular Economy Models and their applicability; Roadmap references; the Law 20. 920 ‘Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)’; Circularity Strategies in the construction sector; axes of the Action Plan applied to Principals, Designers, Architects and Engineers; European Mentoring, which attendees can access through the Enterprise Europe Network; and finally, the types of Environmental Certifications and Indicators related to the project.

The project focuses on 8 links: Client, Design, Manufacturing, Logistics, Construction, Operations, Demolition and Recycling. Its objective is to strengthen and improve the linkage of MSMEs and their business organisations, so that they have or aspire to have a supply of sustainable products, promoting, training and implementing sustainable practices and circular economy, inspired by successful experiences in Europe.

This project has achieved important advances, such as the delivery of the “Guidelines for environmental and circularity certifications and indicators”, as well as the successful completion of 5 workshops addressed to 5 groups of beneficiaries. These groups were divided as follows:

1. Group of principals, design and engineering in the Metropolitan Region.
2. Group of manufacturers and suppliers of goods and services in the Metropolitan Region.
3. Group of principals, design and engineering in the Los Lagos Region.
4. Manufacturing group and suppliers of goods and services in the Lake District.
5. Other value chain actors, specifically the target groups (design and manufacturing) in the Metropolitan Region.

Currently, according to the project’s action plan, visits to the beneficiary companies are being carried out, as well as the scheduling of two seminars: one in the Metropolitan Region and the other in the Los Lagos Region.

In short, Eurochile and Eurecat highlight the importance of training companies in circular and sustainable business models. To this end, in addition to the workshops and seminars, mentoring will be carried out with European companies through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), a support network for MSMEs in Europe whose mission is to boost their competitiveness through internationalisation and technology transfer. It should be noted that Eurochile is the only node of the EEN network in Chile and a pioneer in Latin America.