During the 2nd National Meeting of Industrial Symbiosis Projects in Barcelona, the INSET team had the opportunity to connect with FReINDs – Future-ready industries: Smart, sustainable, and circular resource management through Industrial Symbiosis, an Erasmus+ project coordinated by the University of Stavanger (Norway).

Although developed independently, FReINDs and INSET share a common purpose: building the next generation of professionals capable of accelerating Industrial Symbiosis in Europe. The exchange highlighted interesting complementarities in approach, tools and target audiences, reinforcing the growing momentum behind Industrial Symbiosis training at European level.

A European push to professionalise Industrial Symbiosis

The FReINDs project responds to a challenge widely recognised across Europe: industries — especially SMEs — need qualified professionals who understand how to transform waste, by-products and underused resources into new value through IS practices. To address this gap, the project is developing several key outputs:
• A transnational research report (already published): The FReINDs Research Report analyses IS/CE skills gaps across five EU countries. It also informs the structure of both the curriculum and the Digital Toolkit.
• A 60-hour curriculum for Industrial Symbiosis Managers (ISMs) – FReINDs trains Industrial Symbiosis Managers (ISM) — professionals equipped to identify, design and manage IS opportunities inside companies or across supply chains. The curriculum blends theoretical content with practical elements and will later be integrated into a postgraduate programme.
• An open-access MOOC: Based on the validated curriculum, the MOOC will be freely available for five years after the project ends, widening access to IS knowledge and supporting upskilling across Europe.
• A Digital IS Toolkit for SMEs: The project is developing a web-based tool to help companies assess their readiness for Industrial Symbiosis and Circular Economy practices. This includes user-friendly diagnostics and guidance for early-stage implementation.

Complementarities with INSET

While both projects develop training and tools for Industrial Symbiosis, each focuses on different, highly complementary aspects. FReINDs targets future Industrial Symbiosis Managers, with strong emphasis on digital readiness, SME needs, and intrapreneurship; while INSET places a broader focus on IS planners and project managers, governance frameworks, legal-financial issues, and networking methodologies.
Together, these approaches contribute to a richer and more diverse European Industrial Symbiosis training ecosystem, strengthening the overall capacity of regions and industries to adopt symbiotic practices.

Building connections across Europe

This exchange with the FReINDs team highlights the value of creating bridges between EU projects working on Industrial Symbiosis. By sharing methodologies, research findings and learning frameworks, initiatives like INSET and FReINDs contribute to the emergence of a coherent European learning ecosystem for Industrial Symbiosis — one that supports professionals, SMEs, public administrations and territories in moving towards smarter, more circular and resource-efficient industrial systems.

The INSET team will continue following the progress of FReINDs, exploring potential synergies and opportunities for mutual learning.

Learn more about the FReINDs project:  https://freinds.erasmus.site/