Emerging food technologies such as cultured meat and seafood are often discussed from technological or regulatory perspectives. But what happens when consumers are actively involved in shaping these innovations? Within the FEASTS project, we are exploring how participatory approaches can support future food innovation across Europe.

How can consumers engage with food products that do not yet exist?

This question accompanied the CSCP throughout a series of participatory workshops conducted as part of the Horizon Europe project FEASTS. Together with partners from Denmark and France, the CSCP implemented consumer engagement formats focused on cultured meat and seafood, two emerging food technologies that are increasingly discussed as part of the transition towards more sustainable food systems.

The workshops brought together participants with different perspectives, expectations, and levels of openness towards innovation. Rather than aiming to validate concrete products or communicate final research findings, the formats focused on dialogue, reflection, and co-creation around future food innovation.

What we learned?

For the CSCP, the process highlighted the importance of involving consumers early on when discussing emerging technologies. Food choices are deeply connected to emotions, routines, trust, and social meaning — making consumer perspectives essential when exploring possible future food systems.

At the same time, the workshops demonstrated the opportunities and challenges of participatory approaches in this field. Discussing products that are not yet commercially available requires formats that are tangible, relatable, and capable of translating abstract innovation into meaningful consumer experiences.

“What stood out to me in the example of FEASTS is that there is no real innovation (beyond purely technological development) without co-creation and dialogue with prospective consumers”, says Kilian Braun, CSCP Project Coordinator.

This role of engagement and co-creation is also reflected in the broader FEASTS collaboration.

As Dr. Dwayne Holmes, Director of Responsible Research & Innovation – Europe at New Harvest, puts it:

“The FEASTS project brings together expertise from science, industry, policy, and civil society to better understand the potential role of cultured meat and seafood in future food systems. CSCP’s support in designing and facilitating stakeholder engagement and co-creation processes has been highly valuable for connecting these different perspectives and translating them into meaningful input for the project’s discussions and policy recommendations.”

Detailed scientific findings and outcomes from the workshops will be published separately within the FEASTS project consortium.

For additional questions, please contact Kilian Braun.

Building inclusive circular societies requires more than technological solutions: it depends on new skills, sustainable behaviours, and concrete local actions that empower communities to drive change. At the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform Annual Conference 2026, CSCP’s Rosa Strube hosted a session that centred around one core question: How can we make circularity work not only for systems and materials, but also for people?

The session “Building an inclusive circular society – new skills, sustainable behaviours, concrete actions” brought together perspectives on a topic that is central to much of our work: the human side of the circular economy.

“Circularity is often discussed through the lens of materials, business models, waste streams and value chains. All of these are essential. Yet the transition ultimately takes shape in daily routines, neighbourhoods, relationships and choices. This is where circular solutions become real — or remain out of reach. And that’s precisely why this topic is central to much of our work”, says Rosa, who leads the Sustainable Lifestyles team at the CSCP.

The circular transition happens locally

While discussing with key European actors, one aspect stood out: the circular transition happens locally. It happens when people find a repair café around the corner, a sharing initiative in their neighbourhood, a reuse option that is convenient, or a community space where circular solutions are not abstract ideas but practical, visible and accessible offers. Proximity matters. And when several circular services come together in one place, the impact becomes even stronger. Circularity becomes easier to understand, easier to try and easier to adopt.

Read how we are driving circularity on a local level by supporting the Bergisch city triangle in Germany to become the country’s first FAB region!

Information alone can’t change behaviours

The discussion at the ECESP Annual Conference 2026 echoed what we have seen in our work for the past two decades: sustainable behaviour change is not only about information. It is about trust. This is particularly important when working with vulnerable groups or communities that have been underserved, overlooked or asked too often to adapt to systems not designed for them. Trust grows through consistency, respect, participation and human relationships. It cannot be downloaded as a toolkit.

Find out more about our work in closing the intention-action gap with our flagship project, the Academy of Change!

Circularity means different things to different people

People join circular initiatives for different reasons. Some come for the community. Others look for affordable access to products, more convenient local services, practical solutions to everyday needs, or ways to act on sustainability concerns. This diversity matters. Communication around circular offers should not assume one single motivation. Instead, it should speak to the many reasons why circularity can be meaningful in people’s lives.

Get inspired by our work in the CARE project, where we’re engaging 100 households across Germany, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Estonia on circular economy!

Rethinking circularity as social infrastructure

Many circular initiatives create significant social value, yet struggle to cover their costs. A shift in perspective should happen. Instead of asking every circular offer to prove a narrow business case, what if we treated circularity as part of a basic social infrastructure? What if access to repair, reuse, sharing and sustainable options were understood as a kind of fundamental right in a future-fit society?

How we’re moving the needle with partners and stakeholders

Our work often sits at the intersection of systems, organisations and everyday life — translating ambition into practical offers that people can trust, access and use.

“The session at the ECESP Annual Conference 2026 in Brussels confirmed one thing: circular systems need circular materials, yes — but they also need skills, trust, inclusion and people who feel invited to take part.”, concludes Rosa.

The CSCP is a third-term member (2025–2028) of the ECESP Leadership Group, together with with the Rediscovery Centre and Generation Climate Europe, we co-host the Leadership Group “Enabling an inclusive circular society”. Our aim: anchoring the social dimension at the centre of circular economy efforts.

Would you like to read more? Check out pur publication “Discussing the Social Impacts of the Circularity” or read about the social side of the circular economy!

Is this something that interests you, too? Connect with Rosa Strube and join the effort!

The transformation toward sustainable food systems requires more than just a vision. It demands a clear and actionable framework as well as implementation capacities. In the Flavours of Change Cup project, the CSCP is bridging the gap between strategy and action by equipping European project partners to lead transformations in their local food systems.

What’s the goal of the Flavours of Change Cup?

The Flavours of Change Cup project, which was launched in late 2025, aims to promote the social and professional inclusion of migrants (particularly women) in the culinary sector, and foster sustainable food practices and intercultural exchange. The CSCP has shaped the core methodology of the project: an international sustainable cooking competition inspired by our successful KochCup project.

Why building capacities is key to achieving this goal?

A CSCP-led Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop brought together five European partner organisations to explore practical ways for bridging the gap between project design and regional implementation.

The session was designed to equip facilitators with the necessary tools and strategic knowledge to effectively organise and host the upcoming cooking contests across their respective countries.

Drawing on CSCP’s expertise from the KochCup project, the workshop provided partners with best-practice insights into the different stages of a high-impact culinary competition. This included a deep dive into the methodology for the upcoming recipe submission phase, where partners aim to engage at least 20 participants per region to showcase the best in sustainable, migrant-led culinary talent.

Throughout the workshop, the CSCP presented a suite of tools designed to streamline the implementation process. By sharing proven strategies for participant engagement and professional evaluation, the CSCP ensured that each partner is prepared to manage the transition from digital submissions to on-site regional events.

Making complex topics tangible

The Training of Trainers workshop turned complex and often abstract concepts such as “Planetary Health Diets” into tangible, actionable approaches for the facilitators who will mentor participants.

While the flavours will vary across the participating countries—Spain, Italy, Greece, and Germany—the workshop helped align partners on shared standards for social inclusion and ecological awareness, while also equipping them with practical approaches for turning ideas into action on the ground.

The partners are now ready to open the doors to chefs with migrant background, paving the way for a unique European exchange centred on sustainable and inclusive food systems.

Does this spark an interest? Reach out to Jennifer Wiegard to learn more!

How can circular lifestyles become part of everyday routines at home? In our CARE project, together with partners, we are developing the Circular Academy and the CARE Toolbox, including creative formats such as a fashion magazine and a cookbook to mobilise action, not just raise awareness.

At a CARE meeting held in March 2026 in Helsingborg, Sweden research organisations, civil society actors, and municipalities from across Europe came reflected on their work with households and explored ways to transform these insights into practical tools that organisations across Europe can use to support circular living.

The CARE project explores how everyday practices such as food management and clothing care can become more circular and climate-friendly. Across several European countries, project partners are currently working directly with households through advisory services and pilot activities that aim to support more sustainable daily routines.

Understanding everyday practices in households

Partners exchanged insights on how households respond to advisory formats, what motivates behavioural change and which challenges arise when integrating circular practices into everyday life.

Turning insights into practical tools

Taking a holistic and creative approach, the project is translating the insights from these pilot activities into formats that can support organisations working with households, such as civil society organisations (CSOs), municipalities and advisory services, beyond the project.

Katrin Hüttepohl, Communication Manager at the CSCP, notes: “Our goal is not only to communicate results, but to translate them into formats that organisations can actually use in their work with households. Storytelling formats such as the cookbook and the fashion magazine make project insights tangible by combining practical guidance with real-life experiences from the pilots.”

Building capacity for circular living

The Circular Academy, which is currently being developed, will provide learning opportunities and resources for organisations interested in promoting circular living.

Jannik Schüürmann, Project Manager at the CSCP, explains: “With the Circular Academy, we want to make CARE’s results accessible to organisations working with households across Europe. Through short online modules, participants will learn about the project’s practical tools and benefit from the experiences of the circular clothing and food waste pilots to  support circular lifestyles in practice”

Through these activities, the CARE project aims to make the generated knowledge usable and impactful beyond its lifecycle.

Follow along and stay in touch with the CARE project, follow the project activities on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

The CSCP is the CARE lead partner on communication, dissemination, and capacity-building.

For further questions, please contact Katrin Hüttepohl.

How can we make products and everyday items last longer instead of throwing them away—by repairing a broken electronic device, mending a favourite pair of jeans, or giving old wardrobe pieces a second life?

At the same time, food is far too valuable to end up in the trash—yet it happens every day.

Across the value chain, from production and retail to our homes, significant amounts of food are wasted. In the process, valuable resources such as energy, water, fertilisers, and packaging are lost.

That’s why we need to ask a key question: How can we better value food and protect these resources?

Do you have ideas on how to extend the lifespan of products and give them a second life—be it through a lending shop, a second-hand department store, a repair café, or an open workshop? Or are you thinking about ways to reduce food waste, improve composting, or make food production more resource-efficient?

As part of the Kreislauf-WIRK-Statt project, we are looking for ideas for pilot projects in Aachen, Germany and the surrounding region that you would like to implement yourself.

Whether you have an initial concept or a fully developed idea—we will support and guide you on your journey all the way to implementation!

Event: Workshop Repair & Reuse
Date: 23 April 2026
Time: 17.00—19.30
Place: Aachen, Germany

Submit your idea in a few quick & easy steps!

For further questions, please contact Alexandra Kessler.

How can cities move from individual circular economy efforts to systemic change? In the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a new initiative is taking this question head-on. With the launch of the Community of Practice (CoP) Circular Cities NRW, a state-wide platform will connect key actors and turn shared ambition into collective action.

Funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Nature and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the CoP Circular Cities NRW builds on the strong momentum of the thematic working group on circular cities, initiated and co-led since 2024 by the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia together with the CSCP.

What started as a space for exchange quickly revealed a growing need: stakeholders were looking for more continuity, deeper collaboration, and practical formats to move from ideas to implementation.

The new Community of Practice responds to this demand by bringing together municipalities, businesses, research institutions, and civil society from across the state.

Its goal, simple but ambitious: to make existing circular solutions more visible, enable peer exchange, and scale what works.

Rather than relying on one-off meetings, the CoP offers a stable space for collaboration. A digital platform will support continuous exchange and shared learning, while in-person workshops, thematic working groups, and hands-on formats such as field trips or “lessons learned” sessions will bring participants together to tackle real challenges and co-develop solutions.

At the heart of the initiative lies a shift from dialogue to action. Participants will work together in thematic groups on topics such as circular procurement, governance approaches, or citizen engagement—turning their experiences into practical outputs that can be applied and adapted by others.

By linking these efforts to national and European initiatives, the CoP also opens up new opportunities for visibility and mutual learning beyond North Rhine-Westphalia, strengthening the region’s role as an emerging frontrunner in circular city development.

The official kick-off took place on 30 April 2026. Stakeholders from municipalities, businesses, research, and civil society took part to shape the future of circular cities in North Rhine-Westphalia.

For additional questions, please contact Dr. Shirin Betzler.

After nearly a year of intensive exchange and collaboration, the Community of Practice (CoP) of municipal waste companies has successfully concluded. Running from May 2025 to March 2026 as part of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) Communities of Practice, the group brought together experts from municipal waste companies and waste management representatives from cities and regions from across Europe to explore how municipal waste companies (MWCs) can unlock circularity at the local level.

MWCs are uniquely positioned at the interface between citizens, municipalities, and material flows. Building on this role, the Community of Practice focused on how they can evolve beyond traditional waste collection towards becoming strategic resource managers that actively enable local circular economies. It included participants from Turku (FI), Tampere (FI), Horsholm (DK), Skanderborg (DK), Geel (BE), Alcoi (ES), Castilla y Leon (ES), Valencia (ES), Izmir (TUR), Jerusalem (ISR).

Throughout the CoP, participants engaged in peer learning, sharing experiences and co-developing solutions to common challenges. The sessions created a trusted space for open exchange—grounded in practical realities and driven by the ambition to scale circular approaches across cities.

Discussions throughout the CoP highlighted that the transition towards circular municipal systems does not solely rely on technological fixes, but rather on governance, incentives, and collaboration.

Engaging citizens and creating transparent incentive structures emerged as essential to improving material quality and reducing costs. At the same time, clear sorting rules and consistent implementation were seen as critical enablers of effective systems.

Strengthening cooperation between municipal waste companies and producer responsibility organisations further supports more coherent and impactful Extended Producer Responsibility schemes.

Overall, the CoP underscored a broader shift: municipal waste companies are increasingly taking on the role of coordinators and facilitators of local circular ecosystems, enabling reuse, repair, and more efficient resource management.

To maintain momentum, the group agreed on a follow-up exchange within six months to assess how implementation efforts have progressed in their respective cities. The knowledge generated as part of the CoP, the connections built, and the practical insights shared will support participants in advancing circular initiatives within their cities and regions, driving future impact in regions and cities.

The CCRI CoP project runs until the end of 2026, with a second batch of Communities of Practice covering topics from circular water management to social impact. The role of the CSCP in the project is establishing a structured and scalable framework for all the CoPs and supporting their implementation.

For further questions and to engage with us, please contact Dr. Shirin Betzler.

Recent years have shown how quickly assumptions can be overturned: from the return of global pandemics to war on European soil to sudden shifts in geopolitical alliances. In parallel, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly more visible, with extreme weather events intensifying, sea levels rising, and ecosystems facing unprecedented stress.

These challenges and uncertainties impact people, businesses, and institutions. So, how are we supposed to navigate through this maze of a crisis? A starting point is through strengthening our resilience.

Resilience takes many forms, from individual mental strength and business continuity to the ability of supply chains to withstand disruptions and overall security. It’s about acknowledging and understanding challenges and the confidence and ability to act effectively when needed.

Circular economy to mitigate geopolitical limbo

Resilience does not operate in isolation—it is deeply intertwined with sustainability, biodiversity, and how we organise our economies.

The circular economy illustrates this well. By keeping valuable materials in circulation, businesses—particularly those reliant on critical minerals, rare earths, or metals—can achieve a meaningful degree of self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on fragile global supply chains. Likewise, the transition to renewable energy strengthens independence from geopolitical uncertainty.

Where biodiversity meets resilience

Sustainability and biodiversity agendas also increasingly overlap with this risk logic, not only because ecosystems and their services shape exposure and vulnerability, but also since “working with nature” can deliver measurable co-benefits for natural disaster risk reduction and adaptation. This is not merely an environmental argument: biodiversity has found its way into National Security and Defence Strategies, where it is categorised as a systemic risk capable of triggering a whole web of threats—from the loss of raw materials to outright conflict over resources.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services are now treated as material to human well-being and policy choices in major science–policy syntheses. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment, for example, positions nature’s contributions as a decision-relevant knowledge base rather than only a conservation concern. In disaster risk reduction, this becomes concrete through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based approaches: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) documents that NbS can provide multifaceted benefits, including biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation/adaptation, and enhanced disaster resilience, and links this “working with nature” logic to implementing the UNDRR Sendai agreement on disaster risk reduction alongside other global frameworks.

Resilience and preparedness as key factors for business continuity

On the business side, continuity planning institutionalises resilience by turning disruption into a managed operating condition, which is why ISO 22301 is framed as a security-and-resilience standard for business continuity management systems. Companies rely on public infrastructure and public services, while governments and communities rely on private operators for critical functions, requiring coordination and cooperation of public services, military, emergency service organisations and communities.

Business continuity also depends on social stability—when employees cannot perform their duties because they are torn between navigating imminent threat and having to provide for their families, companies begin to falter. This, in turn, can lead to further instability, and the system enters a vicious cycle.

Resilience requires systems thinking

When resilience is treated as a system property (not as the mandate of a single agent), investments that improve the continuity of essential functions—whether through infrastructure design, governance arrangements, or ecosystem restoration—can simultaneously strengthen security, civil protection, and societal resilience and preparedness. In times of crises, it is crucial to work hand in hand—this requires trust and trained routines.

We’re in it together, and that is how we become resilient

Resilience is strongest when actors jointly reduce exposure and vulnerability while strengthening response and recovery capacity.

At the CSCP we have been thinking systems for 20 years. Working with diverse stakeholders, including those who start at very different positions, has become one of our unique strengths. This is an essential setting for achieving resilience: building bridges that help people, no matter their perspective, come together to find solutions that benefit all.

Would you like to engage with us on enabling resilient societies? Reach out to Dr. Esther Heidbüchel to start the conversation!

Jannik Schüürmann’s expertise spans neuroscience, applied psychology, and business information systems. He has joined the CSCP as a Project Manager, with a focus on designing and implementing behaviour change interventions that promote sustainable practices.

In this interview, he talks about the moments and experiences that shaped his career and life, and discusses the motivations that drive his work today.

Thinking back, what defined the first years of your career path?

Sustainability wasn’t always the conscious driver in my life, at least not at first. My early curiosity was much more “hands-on”: as a teenager, I took computers apart, compared components, and helped people in online forums put together the right setup. That interest naturally led me to study Business Information Systems. And honestly, it was also driven by where I come from: I grew up in a working-class environment, and choosing a path that I thought promised stability and a secure future mattered to me.

How did your interest evolve from technology to people?

My focus shifted over time. I was still fascinated by technology, but less by the hardware itself and more by the people it is built for. I found myself increasingly drawn to questions like: Why do people decide the way they do? What shapes behaviour in everyday life? What makes change feel possible for some and overwhelming for others? In consulting, I gradually moved away from IT topics and toward the “human side” of transformation. A particularly formative step was working at the neuroscience institute, where I got a close look at how strongly our decisions are influenced by context, emotions, and basic psychological needs. It made me realise how surprisingly simple we humans often are, much more driven by instincts and basic needs than we like to admit.

Was there a moment that clarified your direction toward sustainability?

Yes, the biggest shift happened after the Coronavirus pandemic. That period created space to pause and ask uncomfortable but important questions: What does the world actually need right now? Where can I contribute in a way that feels meaningful? At the same time, climate change and sustainability moved even more into the public spotlight – not just as another topic, but as the existential condition for humanity’s future. For me, that mix created clarity and momentum: this is the arena where I want to invest my energy.

How do these experiences shape the work you do now?

Today, I’m bringing these threads together in my research. I’m interested in how basic psychological needs influence sustainable attitudes and behavior, and how sustainability can become a relevant factor in daily decision-making processes. Not only something people agree with on paper. The question I keep coming back to is simple: how do we make sustainability part of real decisions, including the ones we make quickly, automatically, and without much reflection?

Where do you see the biggest emerging challenges for sustainability right now?

One area that feels nowadays especially important is the influence of AI on decision-making. Tools such as large language models and, increasingly, AI agents, are becoming everyday companions. They shape what information we see, the way we perceive problems, and which options feel reasonable. That influence is massive, and it comes with responsibility. What worries me is the broader direction we’re seeing globally: rising autocratic tendencies, and the growing power of tech oligarchies over public discourse and decision spaces. From a European perspective, this raises a very practical question: how do we find a way forward that protects European values as of democracy, human dignity and accountability, while we integrate AI into daily life?

So, how do we?

For me, this is where sustainability, psychology, and AI come together in a very concrete way. If AI increasingly co-pilots our choices, then sustainability cannot be an afterthought. It needs to be built into how systems support decision-making – so that we can work, collectively and responsibly, toward a good life within planetary boundaries. I advocate a human-centered approach to sustainability. This approach takes psychology seriously, acknowledges how people really behave and uses this knowledge to guide the transformation to a good life for all.

For further questions, please contact Jannik Schüürmann directly.

Few things have the power to connect people like food does. At the Flavours of Change Cup kick-off in Verona, Italy project partners came together to shape a competition that empowers migrants, celebrates cultural culinary heritage, and advances sustainable food practices—showing how kitchens can be a catalyst for positive social and environmental change.

Across Europe, migrant communities bring rich culinary knowledge rooted in sustainable, resource-conscious traditions—but these skills are often overlooked, even as the hospitality sector struggles with staff shortages and sustainable food practices are urgently needed.

Drawing on our successful KochCup project, the Flavours of Change Cup (ChangeCup) project aims to turn this challenge into an opportunity, using cooking to empower migrants, promote inclusion, and support sustainable food and cultural exchange.

At the kick-off meeting, the CSCP led a co-creation workshop where partners from Spain, Italy, Greece, and Germany shared experiences from local cooking practices and migrant initiatives. Through hands-on exercises, they jointly defined the competition framework—including many valuable learnings from the KochCup project on how to integrate sustainability and create an inclusive and oriented atmosphere.

“Together with the partners, we now have a shared framework that truly reflects our values of inclusion and sustainability. The competition format has previously worked very well to engage people and bring them together around common goals. I am sure that the Flavours of Change Cup will be another inspiring experience for everyone involved.”, says Jennifer Wiegard, CSCP Project Manager.

Looking ahead, in autumn 2026, regional pre-competitions will take place in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Germany, with the top three candidates from each country advancing to the final tournament, which will be held in Germany in 2027.

Alongside the competitions, participants will take part in workshops and learning activities focused on sustainable nutrition and professional entry into the culinary sector. The project will culminate in a recipe book featuring inspiring participant stories and innovative, sustainable recipes.

Through CSCP’s facilitation tools and the partners’ expertise, the Flavours of Change Cup combines social impact, professional empowerment, and ecological awareness, creating a unique platform where culinary talent, cultural diversity and sustainability meet.

For further questions, please contact Jennifer Wiegard.