WE.Circular Project – Sixth Transnational Learning Event and Second Thematic Task Group Meeting Held in Maribor

WE.Circular Project – Sixth Transnational Learning Event and Second Thematic Task Group Meeting Held in Maribor

13-14.05.2025.

On May 13 and 14, key events of the EU project WE.Circular took place in Maribor – the partners’ meeting, the sixth Transnational Learning Event, and the second Thematic Task Group Meeting.

At the partners’ meeting, 15 project partners from 12 countries presented the progress and results of their national and international activities. Among them was Lija Stojković, project manager at the Association of Business Women in Serbia. Also in attendance was Tijana Sekulić, expert in digital and circular transformation and a certified AI manager, who contributed to the meeting by her valuable insights during the thematic working group session.

On the first day, best practices from Slovenia (ABC Entrepreneurship Program for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs, ADVANCE CIRCULAR, and AWE – Academy for Women Entrepreneurs) and Croatia (CITYCIRCLE, GREENPACT, and CircularDigiBuild) were presented. These initiatives demonstrate effective approaches to fostering women’s entrepreneurship and integrating circular business models. Through knowledge and experience exchange, partners from the Danube Region gained important insights into sustainable business practices that will shape the next phases of the project and guide future initiatives focused on digital and circular transformation.

As part of the first day’s agenda, WE.Circular partners and experts visited the Kovachnik estate and hospitality complex near Maribor – a successful example of sustainable tourism in Slovenia.

The second day was dedicated to the development and improvement of a comprehensive pilot training programme designed to equip women entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools necessary to succeed in the circular economy. The day began with a project progress overview presented by Mariya Zlateva, project coordinator from the lead partner organization RAPIV (Bulgaria). Her presentation focused on key activities, achievements, potential challenges, and upcoming steps in implementation.

Representatives of Varna Free University introduced the draft version of the innovative training programme. Divided into modules, the programme is designed to offer a flexible and accessible learning experience, covering a broad range of topics related to circular economy and digital transformation.

During the Thematic Task Group Meeting, each partner presented their draft module, including its structure, main content areas and challenges encountered during development. Later in the session, Lija Stojković (Association of Business Women in Serbia) introduced the Concept for conducting interviews, i.e., creation of video content with women entrepreneurs who will share their personal stories and practical experiences.

The final segment of the day was devoted to presenting the draft version of the self-assessment tool, developed by BWCON (Germany), MGFU (Hungary), ODA (Moldova), and UNSA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), followed by discussions and constructive feedback from all project partners.

This gathering highlighted the diversity of expertise within the consortium and the strong commitment to designing a high-quality, practical training programme that will support women in circular entrepreneurship across Europe.

As the host of the event, SPIRIT Slovenia welcomed partners from 11 countries: Bulgaria, Serbia, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, and Germany.