CIRCON
Competences and materials for low-carbon and circular economy based construction
Xamk responds to the national and global challenges of reducing the carbon emissions of the built environment
and promotes circular economy by generating knowledge and know-how, as well as RDI concepts.
We promote circular economy in the built environment
Aim of the project
The main aim of CIRCON project is to profile Xamk in practice to become a world class RDI organisation in the sectors of low-carbon and circular economy-based construction materials, concepts and design.
The project subject is a strategic goal of Xamk as it is based on regional needs and expertise that has already been systematically developed during the recent years. With the project, Xamk’s extensive research infrastructure will be upgraded to better meet the characterization needs and thus the development of low-carbon, circular economy-based construction will be further accelerated.
In CIRCON, the extensive know-how found within Xamk will be combined into an even more impressive entity thus promoting the establishment of a significant low-carbon and circular economy based construction ecosystem in South-Eastern Finland and nationally.
Construction and the built environment have been identified nationally and globally as one of the largest
industries with a climate and environmental impact. The construction industry is one of the most
significant consumers of virgin raw materials and waste producers.
Actions
The project measures are divided to the following five activities:
- Activity 1: Utilisation of construction and demolition waste to keep existing materials in circulation, not disposed
- Activity 2: Development of low-carbon concrete based on recycled construction materials
- Activity 3: Engineered wood and fiber product testing and product concepts for low carbon building cluster
- Activity 4: Strategic Design in promoting low-carbon, circular economy based construction and project communication
- Activity 5: Upgrading the RDI infrastructure to produce sufficiently accurate information for supporting the circular economy-based construction material RDI
Results
Publications and articles:
- Circular and Low Carbon Construction and Insulation Materials – A Review, Ramjee Subramanian, 2022. Teoksessa: Metsä, ympäristö ja energia: Soveltavaa tutkimusta ja tuotekehitystä. Vuosijulkaisu 2022. Xamk Kehittää 227
- Applying strategic design in generating solutions for low-carbon and circular economy construction in multidisciplinary collaboration – findings from an innovation camp pilot, Melina Maunula & Tiiu Leirimaa, 2024, in the 12TH ANNUAL RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS RESEARCH CONFERENCE in Tampere, Finland
- Developing R&D concepts for circular economy based construction through strategic design methods, Melina Maunula & Tiiu Leirimaa, Xamk Next, 3.10.2024
Further information:
- BioSampo
- KymiLabs
- FiberLaboratory
- Industrial wood construction and technical testing laboratory
- Creative Industries Research Unit (CIRU)
- Boosting the Internationalisation of Circular Bioeconomy RDI in the Kymenlaakso Region, Sari Himanen & Vappu Kunnaala-Hyrkki, 2022. In: Metsä, ympäristö ja energia: Soveltavaa tutkimusta ja tuotekehitystä. Vuosijulkaisu 2022. Xamk Kehittää 227