CIRCOLINK

Despite strong EU efforts to foster circularity, the furniture sector still faces persistent barriers to its transition. Regarding downstream, market barriers such as high costs for repair and storage, second-hand limited trust, lack of transparency, keep the dominance of fast furniture. These barriers, coupled by new regulatory pressures (EPR and DPP) may raise compliance costs and investor perceptions of risk, slowing circular business models (CBMs) adoption. CIRCOLINK aims to accelerate the circular transition of the EU furniture sector through an ecosystem approach. The project will pilot 7 innovative CBMs - named SHIFTERs - across 6 countries, co-designed with multiple stakeholders. Each pilot integrates experimental research to capture consumer insights (B2C SHIFTERs), studies on public procurement (CPP SHIFTERs), and inter-firms coopetition dynamics (B2B SHIFTERs), linking micro-level behavioural insights with meso- and macro-level systemic conditions. This integrated design will generate a robust, multi-layered evidence base to inform scalable transition pathways for the sector and beyond. The pilot will act as “SHIFTERs” of change, serving as laboratories where innovative CBMs are validated. Beyond their demonstration role, they will feed 1) evidence on barriers, behaviour and dynamics that shape circularity across the ecosystem 2) skills development/re-skilling programmes supporting a just transition by equipping workers and social economy actors with the competencies needed to access quality green jobs; 3) empirical basis for the development of an AI-based impact assessment framework 4) the design of scalability pathways, enabling the successful transfer to other regions and systemic uptake.