Francine Closener, Secretery of State for the Economy; Credit: SICLER

Secretary of State for the Economy, Francine Closener, yesterday presented the concept of applying the principles of the circular economy to economic activity areas in Luxembourg.

On 7 December 2017, Minister Closener discussed the application of the ciGrand Duchy. Developed as part of a study on the extension of the Eselborn-Lentzweiler business park, the methods and tools inherent to the concept were created by a consortium of consulting firms, led by + IMPAKT and associating EPEA , Progroup and Royal HaskoningDHV, on behalf of the Ministry of the Economy and in collaboration with the Syndicat intercommunal for the promotion of the canton of Clervaux (SICLER).

The principles of the circular economy applied during the design and operation of economic activity zones make it possible to transform the impacts linked to the development and operation of these zones into economic and societal added value. This approach represents a paradigm shift in line with the government program that sees the circular economy as one of the main axes of the country's socio-economic development.

The extension of the Eselborn-Lentzweiler business park is seen as an opportunity to concretely apply the methods and tools of co-creation used to transform factors of sustainable development, opportunities, competitive advantages and economic value.

The following actions are envisaged: better integration into the socio-economic context with a range of services accessible to both zone employees and local residents and complementary to existing services; high quality green surfaces and infrastructure that contribute to recreation, water management and biodiversity development; holistic and integrated management of water and energy; a modular car park integrated into a global concept of mobility, including soft mobility; connections for sharing equipment between buildings; a common management concept for chemicals or waste.