"INFURI" INFURI - INNOVATION IN THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY IN THE ERA OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY DESCRIPTION The EU furniture industry is a labor-intensive sector dominated by SMEs, which is facing nowadays different challenges such as increasing competition from countries with lower production costs, increasing raw materials and labor costs, an aging workforce and difficulties in attracting younger workers. Reconversion of the industry applying circularity has the potential to tackle these challenges, through repairing, refurbishment and remanufacture, allowing value recovery, economic growth and job creation within the European furniture industry, while saving on resources and the environment. As for the EC report on the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan (2019), the transition from linear to circular requires significant changes at micro, meso and macro levels, from innovation at business model and value chain level to the introduction of new technologies . Being the furniture industry dominated by SMEs most of the employees do not have a tertiary education level and are not acquainted with circular economy aspects. To address skills gaps and mismatches and to strengthen human capital along the entire furniture value chain, it is essential to invest in skills, design, creativity, research, innovation and new technologies. OBJECTIVES INFURI project main objectives are: - to equip furniture employees with relevant skills related to circularity; - to spread innovative and sustainable circular business models in the furniture industry contributing to enhance its competitiveness; - to develop an innovative training approach and learning tools adaptable to other industries; - to increase SMEs ability to analyze their business under a “circular” point of view; - to promote synergies and cooperation among businesses, universities, research centers and other relevant stakeholders operating in the furniture sector following a circular approaches; - to spread circular procurement principles with benefits in terms of corporate social responsibility. Project Number: 22000062 Grant Agreement: 2020-1-NL01-KA202-064554 Duration: From 01/12/2020 to 31/05/2023 Coordinated at AIDIMME by: SORIANO CARDO, CARLOS R&D Line: CIRCULAR ECONOMY PUBLISHED NEWS general broadcast https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2023/03/30/el-proyecto-inf (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2023/01/03/aidimme-resulta (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2021/12/17/aidimme-resulta (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2021/09/23/aidimme-en-ecof (...) Technical dissemination, transfer https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2023/07/10/infuri-acoge-la (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2021/07/14/infuri-innovati (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2021/03/10/aidimme-partici (...) PROJECT WEB https://www.infuri.org/ PARTNERS AIDIMME - METAL-MECHANICAL, FURNITURE, WOOD, PACKAGING AND RELATED TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, OGOLNOPOLSKA IZBA GOSPODARCZA PRODUCENTOW MEBLI, CIAPE - ITALIAN CENTER PER L'APPRENDIMENTO PERMANENTE, MATERIALLY IMPRESA SOCIALE SRL, CREATIVE THINKING DEVELOPMENT, STEP INSTITUT, MAVODJEDIZAR DELSTVO PSI, POLOGIGIJO INHOLOGIVO PSI ORNIK, WITTENBORG UNIVERSITY - COORDINATOR, VIRTUAL CAMPUS LTDA, GRANT 36.601 € TARGET AUDIENCE AND IMPACT MEASUREMENT 3458 Access to the project website 3178 Access to news published on own websites. Total Accesses: 6636 Objective Sectors by CNAE CNAE: 3102 - Manufacture of kitchen furniture - Number of target companies: 666 (155 from the Valencian Community) CNAE: 3109 - Manufacture of other furniture - No. of target companies: 5579 (1327 in the Valencian Community) CNAE: 3101 - Manufacture of office furniture and e - Number of target companies: 574 (115 in the Valencian Community) Objective Sectors by Activity FURNITURE - Number of target companies: 228 (90 of the Valencian Community) RAW MATERIALS - No. of target companies: 240 (83 from the Valencian Community) SEMI-PREPARED AND TRANSFORMED - No. of target companies: 1268 (289 in the Valencian Community) STRUCTURES, CARPENTRY AND CONSTRUCTION - Number of target companies: 2541 (257 from the Valencian Community) TRACTOR COMPANIES Thanks to its support and signature of the "declaration of participation" the project has been funded. COMPANIES DIFFUSION R&D PROJECTS They want to know first-hand the evolution of the project, and its progress to the final result. COMPANIES TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE They will implement technologies, develop strategies or look for new models based on the results.