3FOOD

Third Industrial Revolution Consulting Group
(HPC and BDA) to help power the engine of a knowledge-based economy. This public
commitment has attracted top-flight researchers. A February 2016 review by the European
Commission highlighted the fact that Luxembourg’s “scientific performance of the public
research system has progressed very rapidly and is now above the EU average.” 299
RDI and the Greater Region
Luxembourg is strategically located to foster circular economy innovation in material and
resource advances. Over half of the nation’s public R&D funding supports companies in applied
research on materials, and there is solid co-operation on materials with the Greater Region. The
Greater Region can be leveraged as a Circular R&D Community for Materials development. The
IntermatGR university consortium engaged in research on materials is a case in point. Research
areas include biobased additives and composites designed for circular cycles; Designs for
disassembly, as well as robotic-assisted disassembly; 3D additive manufacturing and demanufacturing;
Adapting Life Cycle Assessment to measure positive impacts; and joint progress
in revalorization processing (e.g. concrete recycling). Luxembourg also consistently ranks
among the top EU Innovators, as indicated in the annual Innovation Union Scorecard. 300
The circular economy is already “a competitive imperative for Luxembourg,” according to the
conclusion of the 508-page commissioned study entitled Luxembourg as a Knowledge Capital
and Testing Ground for the Circular Economy, National Roadmap for Positive Impacts. 301
Luxembourg’s industry sector is singled out as demonstrating leadership on circularity.
Companies, including ArcelorMittal (steel), Eurofoil and Norsk (aluminum), Guardian Industries
(glass), Tarkett (flooring), and Tontarelli (plastics) are among the industrial leaders in
implementing circularity across their value chains.
299 EC (2016) Commission Staff Working Document, Country Report Luxembourg, European Commission, Brussels,
February 26, 2016, SWD (2016) 84, http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/making-it-happen/country-specific
recommendations/index_en.htm
300 EC (2015) Innovation Union Scoreboard 2015, by Hugo Hollanders, Nordine Es-Sadki and Minna Kanerva
fromMaastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) as part of
the European Innovation Scoreboards project for the European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal
Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.
301 Katja Hansen, Douglas Mulhall and Markus Zils (2014) Luxembourg as a Knowledge Capital and Testing Ground
for the Circular Economy, National Roadmap for Positive Impacts. Tradition, Transition, Transformation,
prepared for Ministry of the Economy Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, byEPEA Internationale Umweltforschung
GmbH in association with Returnity Partners, December 18, 2014.
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