One Week until the Major Circular Economy Gathering

On March 11 and 12, 2026, the Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf will once again become the central meeting point for decision-makers in the circular economy. The Circular Valley Convention combines a conference, expo, and networking opportunities, bringing together international stakeholders from politics, industry, science, and startups to discuss and present concrete solutions for a resilient and competitive circular economy.

Under the guiding theme "Uniting Industries for a Circular Tomorrow," the program spans the entire product lifecycle – from early R-strategies such as Refuse, Rethink, Redesign, and Reduce, to life-extending approaches like Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, and Repurpose, and finally to Recycle and Recover as key strategies for securing raw materials.

On the Main Stage, high-ranking representatives from federal and state politics, as well as international top managers from leading companies, will discuss how the circular economy can become an industrial and location strategy.

Political impulses will be provided by Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, as well as NRW Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur and NRW Minister of the Environment Oliver Krischer. They will contextualize the role of the circular economy within the National Circular Economy Strategy, raw material security, and industrial transformation.

The perspective of industry will be represented by co-hosts BASF, Bayer, Evonik, and Henkel, along with other companies from NRW, Germany, and around the world. These companies will present their approaches to implementing circular business models on the Main Stage and in the Expo.

Together with political insights and contributions from science and research, these presentations demonstrate that the circular economy is far more than just an environmental or recycling issue – it is a strategic factor for innovation, value creation, and the competitiveness of Germany and Europe as industrial locations.

Another focus is on digitization, energy, and artificial intelligence as enablers of circular value creation. Representatives from industry, research, and technology will showcase how digital product passports, data spaces, and AI-supported recycling processes create transparency along complex value chains and enable new business models.

In parallel, more than 100 exhibitors – ranging from globally active industrial companies to international startups – will present concrete solutions in the Expo area. The Demo Day will provide insights into current innovations from the startup ecosystem and the latest funding round of the Circular Economy Accelerator Program by Circular Valley.

The Convention also places a strong emphasis on international collaboration. Cross-border cooperation between North Rhine-Westphalia, Flanders, and the Netherlands, as well as the participation of Austria, demonstrates how political coordination can lead to concrete industrial projects and how the circular economy is being approached on a European level.

A special highlight of the first day is the Circular Night with the program "Europe mon amour." The stage talk between the internationally renowned trash artist HA Schult and US scientist Channing Robertson from Stanford University will connect European cultural history, technological innovation dynamics from Silicon Valley, and questions of sustainability and consumption – setting an interdisciplinary accent to conclude the first day of the Convention.

 

Note: forum-readers receive a ticket disount!

Circular Valley is the international hotspot for the circular economy, based in the extended Rhine-Ruhr region. The non-profit Circular Valley Foundation brings together relevant stakeholders. Across industries and technologies, companies, startups, science, and politics jointly develop solutions for the transformation toward a true circular economy. Public relations, the world's first Circular Economy Accelerator, and policy recommendations are the foundation's key focus areas.