Home » Research and Innovation » UNITA Research Hubs » Circular Economy and Environment
The Circular Economy and Environment (CEE) hub covers a wide variety of research fields, ranging from chemistry and engineering to law and economics.
The hub’s activities fall under two categories:
- Developing technical and innovative solutions for environmental sustainability and circular economy.
- Identifying social, economic, and legal challenges for environmental sustainability and circular economy.
The area of application encompasses, but is not limited to, the following sectors: housing, agriculture, farming, food, packaging, tourism, construction, transport, and logistics.

Socio-economic dimensions and impacts assessment
Sustainability of economic activities in rural and mountain areas
Circularity and sustainability in water management
Waste materials: prevention, recovery, recycling and reuse
Processes and technological solutions for circular economy and environment
Leadership
Universidad de Zaragoza (UNIZAR)
Universitatea De Vest Din Timisoara
(UVT)
Number of people participating
in hub activities
Cartography 1: 194 projects
Cartography 2: 171 projects
Core competence
Chemistry, engineering, law and economics
Main project for 2025-2026
Starting grants & Advanced grants
CE&E Research Talks
BIPs/ summer & winter schools
Webinars/seminars/conferences
Technical and innovative solutions for environmental sustainability and circular economy
6 projects funded
- VALOR-NET: Valorizing Agro-Food Byproducts through a UNITA Collaborative Network for Circular Economy Solutions.
Conversion of Captured Carbon Dioxide from industrial effluents to Methanol with Renewable Hydrogen.
Waste-to-Fertiliser solutions for circular and sustainable farming in rural UNITA regions (WAFER).
Composites from Wool Keratin for Circular Applications.
New materials and methods for monitoring and advanced treatment of urban wastewater in the frame of circular economy. Make Water Clear.
REVIVE – Research and Valorization of Industrial Vegetable By-products for co-sustainable Solutions.
Social, economic and legal challenges for environmental sustainability and circular economy
5 projects funded
- Social, economic and legal challenges in water governance for a climate-resilient and sustainable future.
- CIRCLE-Food: Empowering small businesses from food sector to generate circularity through local policies, branding, and knowledge exchange.
- Strategic Planning for Open Educational Resources on Risk, Sustainability and Uncertainty.
- Climate Law Investigation Meaning Approach Transition Environment (CLIMATE).
- Circulatio Vini – A circular economy approach for wine production in European rural and mountain regions.

