About Us
The circular economy is a sustainability-concept that is embraced by an increasing number of decision makers and companies. The main idea is, to ensure the re-usage of resources, in a way that products are made to be made again. The circular economy reacts on the most urgent questions of mankind, like depletion of resources, pollution, inequalities and climate change.
The SMILEce project enforces the philosophy and activities to promote circular economy within the Beer Brewing sector across the entire EU region.
The Project
The SMILEce project, more specifically, targets the ever evolving Craft Beer/independent Brewery industry in Europe, and builds on the outputs of the previous SMILE project*.
SMILEce offers exposure to new techniques, culture and ideas from circular economy (CE) which has recently gained traction in European policy making. This provides positive, solutions-based perspective for achieving economic development within increasing environmental constraints. The main outcome of the project is the SMILEce platform, which together with the learning objects, other resources and its pedagogical model will respond to both the EU/National priorities and the needs identified within the sector.
*The SMILE project, produced a new, accredited, apprenticeship type training programme to address the needs of this sector.
The Idea Behind SMILE
Trends in Europe show many thousands of smaller producers - microbreweries are emerging. Set-up costs are fairly low and the heavy concentration processes in the brewing industry has left space for new entrants and created conditions for niche markets. The growth of microbreweries is testament to growing entrepreneurship in this industry.
Meanwhile, the concept of a circular economy has recently gained traction in European policymaking as a positive, solutions-based perspective for achieving economic development within increasing environmental constraints.
The main objective of SMILEce is to promote the introduction of competences for circular economy in craft micro-breweries, to improve the skills of micro-brewers entrepreneurs and help them optimize the process and services.
