Syxis, VšĮ drives Industrial Symbiosis in Lithuania via the INSET project, offering digital tools, training, and best practices to boost circular economy skills and innovation—bridging academia, industry, and policy for a sustainable future.
What is the Industrial Symbiosis? Industrial Symbiosis (IS) represents a collaborative framework where companies exchange resources to their mutual advantage. It involves repurposing waste, by-products, or surplus materials from one industry as valuable inputs for another. This cyclical approach is a cornerstone of sustainable development and a key driver of the Circular Economy (CE), as it focuses on waste reduction and resource optimization.
The role of IS in enhancing sustainability is highly significant. By building cooperation between industries and local communities, IS helps lower environmental impacts, especially by reducing energy usage, diverting waste from landfills, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. This strategy is essential for businesses striving to reduce their carbon emissions, achieve their sustainability objectives, and comply with evolving environmental regulations.
In addition to ecological gains, IS delivers notable economic benefits. Resource sharing enables companies to decrease their operating expenses by lowering raw material consumption, reducing disposal costs, and saving energy. This boost in efficiency also fosters innovation, prompting firms to rethink conventional business practices and develop creative solutions to make the most of available resources.
As Europe advances its green and digital transitions, Syxis, VšĮ—a Vilnius-based non-profit innovation hub—is playing a pivotal role in ensuring that the concept of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) becomes a scalable and accessible practice, not just an abstract idea. Through the INSET (Industrial Symbiosis for Enterprises & Training) Erasmus+ project, Syxis, VšĮ is shaping the future of circular business in Lithuania and beyond.
Syxis, VšĮ is currently active in both Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ projects and has extensive experience in leading and supporting European-funded initiatives. Syxis, VšĮ takes on key strategic and technical roles, from coordinating proposals and managing technical development to driving circular exploitation strategies and providing tailored support for growth and scaling. Therefore, combining deep expertise in software architecture and sustainability strategy, Syxis, VšĮ helps organizations transform circular economy goals into practical, data-driven outcomes.
In the INSET Erasmus+ project, Syxis, VšĮ is applying the digital tool Validu WebAPP (https://syxis.validu.app/auth/sign-in), to turn the concept of Industrial Symbiosis into a measurable, repeatable model for enterprises across Europe.
Therefore, the tool aims to equip European SMEs, educators, and policymakers with the resources they need to make IS a practical part of the green economy.
On the Validu WebAPP users can find:
1. The INSET training course:
a modular, 100-hour online program designed to build strategic and operational skills for professionals involved in IS initiatives. It combines
theoretical foundations with practical tools, offering two specialized learning pathways—IS Planner and IS Project Manager.
2. The Best Practices Publication on IS:
a report written to showcase the transformative potential of IS by analysing real-world best practices and offering insights from organizations that have successfully implemented IS strategies. It provides stakeholders—whether policymakers, business leaders, or industry practitioners—with valuable examples of how IS works in practice, demonstrating the tangible benefits it brings across different sectors.
3. Handbook for IS Networking Session:
a report written to promote Industrial Symbiosis (IS) across different regions. Based on interviews with six European organisers of successful networking sessions, it demonstrates how well-designed initiatives can facilitate the exchange of knowledge, best practices and current insights.
What’s next? In collaboration with its project partners, Syxis, VšĮ is about to start developing the Industrial Symbiosis Online Observatory—a repository of articles, legislation, events, and training courses related to Industrial Symbiosis. The aim is to provide a knowledge base on the topic that is both easily accessible and effectively disseminated to stakeholders and, more broadly, to society as a whole.
Taking Action in Lithuania: Syxis, VšĮ Workshop at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU)
One of Syxis, VšĮ’s key missions is to ensure that Industrial Symbiosis becomes rooted in Lithuania’s innovation ecosystem. To that end, the Organization is hosting a high-level workshop at the Kaunas University of Technology (KTU)—a leading technical and research university in the Baltic region.
This event, held in collaboration with KTU’s Institute of Environmental Engineering (APINI), will introduce students and innovation stakeholders to the INSET Toolkit, showcasing how Industrial Symbiosis can move from theory into practical, replicable action.
The date of the event, which will take place in October 2025, will be announced soon on our social media channels.
Key resources featured in the Workshop:
– The Best Practices Publication on IS, to feature real-world IS cases from across Europe.
– The Handbook for IS Networking Session, to outline how structured networking, stakeholder collaboration, and participatory governance are essential for successful IS implementation.
By organizing this workshop, Syxis, VšĮ is bridging knowledge and practice, fostering dialogue between academia, government, and industry, and positioning Lithuania as an active player in Europe’s circular transition.
Kaunas University of Technology (KTU): A Strategic Partner
The Institute of Environmental Engineering (APINI) at KTU is a recognized leader in environmental innovation. Founded in 1991, it hosts advanced academic programs and
cutting-edge research focused on: Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Management and Production and Applied Research Areas.
KTU’s interdisciplinary focus and international collaborations make it an ideal partner to support Syxis, VšĮ’s mission of turning Industrial Symbiosis into a real-world practice backed by academic excellence.
Impact, vision, and strategic alignment
With INSET, Syxis, VšĮ is not just creating digital products—it is championing a scalable, cross-sectoral model for circular economy education and industrial transformation. The project aligns with the EU Green Deal, the European Skills Agenda and the development of Common European Data Spaces.
By 2026, the INSET Consortium aims to train a new generation of IS professionals across five countries. Through this initiative, Syxis, VšĮ is proving that systemic change begins with structured knowledge, smart tools, and strong partnerships—and that Lithuania has a key role to play in Europe’s sustainable future.
Learn more at syxis.eu and inset-symbiosis.eu
Contact us: info@syxis.eu
