Dr. Lina Dagilienė, Principal Investigator at the Circular Economy Research Group at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), participated in the EURAM 2026 Conference held in Kristiansand, Norway. The paper was co-authored with Jessica Balest and Chiara Pellegrini from Eurac Research.
At the conference, Lina presented their joint paper “Inclusive Circular Economy Innovation in Practice: The Role of Alternative Organisations.” The social dimension of the circular economy (CE) is increasingly acknowledged, but remains underexplored, raising concerns that the CE practices may not ensure social inclusion and justice. This study addresses this gap by examining the social dimension of the CE, with a focus on alternative organisations that support marginalised social groups. Drawing on empirical evidence from four institutional contexts (Italy, Lithuania, Portugal and Sweden), it was employed an abductive methodological approach based on semi-structured interviews and relevant secondary data. The findings suggest that these organisations fulfil three interconnected roles, such as resource facilitator, educator, and labour market integrator, through innovative CE activities.
The research was carried out within the ECLECTIC project, funded under the European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions (DUT), project No. S-DUT-24-1.
