*This session will be translated into Portuguese.

This workshop is an accelerator session at the World Circular Economy Forum 2025. WCEF2025 will gather forward-looking thinkers and doers and present the game-changers in the circular economy. The forum will be held from 13 to 16 May in São Paolo, Brazil. WCEF2025 is organised jointly by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, FIESP (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo), CNI (Brazilian National Industry Confederation) and SENAI-SP (Brazilian National Industrial Learning Service), in close collaboration with international partner organizations. Free of charge, open to all online.

This session is organized by UNIDO in close cooperation with CNI and FIESP and will be delivered in English, with translation/interpretation provided in Portuguese.

Held on May 16, this workshop provides a methodology to explore how industrial parks can enhance resource efficiency, reduce waste, and create sustainable value chains. By examining how industrial parks can promote synergies and resource sharing, the session also highlights opportunities to advance the transition to green energy and foster competitive and sustainable economies.

Industries can adopt three main strategies to support the circular economy: reducing material flows by minimizing material use in production and services, extending material flows by increasing product lifespan, and closing loops by recycling materials back into the manufacturing process. Industrial parks, with their concentration of industries, are well-suited to effectively implement these strategies.

To achieve this, it's crucial to understand how to design efficient industrial parks and identify value-added services that support circular economy principles.

The session also fosters cross-continental collaboration by showcasing best practices and facilitating partnerships, with a focus on capacity-building in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to accelerate the adoption of circular economy models. The interactive nature of the workshop promotes a participatory approach, encouraging diverse, cross-sectoral coalition-building and the exchange of innovative ideas.