DECIDE Conference Protocols: turning project events into platforms for knowledge exchange and cooperation

Conferences played an important role in spreading the word about the DECIDE project, presenting its results and strengthening cooperation with stakeholders across the Danube Region.

Throughout the project, DECIDE partners organised five project conferences in Stuttgart, Novi Sad, T“rgu Mureș, Sarajevo and Čakovec. These events brought together project partners, public authorities, business support organisations, SMEs, experts and other circular economy stakeholders to exchange knowledge, present project achievements and discuss practical approaches to Circular Economy Business Models.

First public conference of the DECIDE project, on March 10, 2024. Copyright: TICM

Behind every successful conference, however, there is careful planning, coordination and communication. Deliverable D2.3.4 – Conference Protocols was developed to support this process and provide a structured framework for organising DECIDE project conferences, as well as for assessing the relevance of external events where partners presented or promoted the project.

The deliverable defines a common approach for planning, organising, implementing and documenting conference-related activities within DECIDE. Its purpose is to help project partners prepare conference participation in a coordinated and consistent way, while ensuring that each activity is clearly linked to project objectives, target groups and communication requirements.

Conferences provide opportunities to present DECIDE results, promote Circular Economy Business Models, introduce the DECIDE Toolbox and encourage discussion on how circular economy solutions can be applied in different regional and sectoral contexts.

DECIDE project conference in T“rgu Mureș, on 6 May 2025

The Conference Protocols also helped define which events were most relevant for DECIDE. Partners were encouraged to consider the thematic relevance of each conference, the target groups present, the possibility of active participation, the connection with the project’s five sectors – food, batteries, textiles, packaging and smart cities – and the expected added value for dissemination, networking and knowledge transfer.

The deliverable covers both conferences organised within the DECIDE project and external conferences or professional events where partners presented or promoted the project. In both cases, conference participation could take many different forms, including oral presentations, professional and scientific papers, poster sessions, panel discussions, workshops, tool demonstrations, networking meetings, study visits, thematic sessions, online and hybrid participation, and exhibition stands or information corners.

The DECIDE project has been presented at the salz21, Copyright: Innovation Salzburg/Herman Zakharchenko & Benedikt Schemmer

A special focus is placed on connecting conference activities with concrete DECIDE outputs and results, including the DECIDE Toolbox, Best Practice Showcases, the Value Chain Generator, E-learning Materials, Pilot Activities, the Data Platform, the Monitoring Dashboard, Policy Recommendations and other project outputs developed during the project lifetime. Presenting these results at conferences made them more visible, understandable and relevant to stakeholders outside the project partnership.

The structured approach that has been applied was especially important because DECIDE conferences involved partners and participants from different countries across the Danube Region. Clear planning and documentation helped ensure that events were not isolated communication activities, but part of a wider dissemination and knowledge-sharing strategy.

During the project lifetime, DECIDE partners organised five project conferences. The first conference in Böblingen marked the formal launch of the project and introduced the project objectives, partnership structure and planned work packages. The Novi Sad conference focused on circular economy and digitalisation as tools for SME empowerment and drivers of development in the Danube Region. The T“rgu Mureș conference represented an important mid-project milestone under the title “Digital Leap into the Circular Economy: Unlocking Potential for a Greener Danube Region”.

In Sarajevo, the DECIDE conference was organised in the context of the EUSDR Annual Forum and focused on showcasing project achievements, developed tools, pilot business models and policy recommendations. Finally, the project’s final conference in Čakovec, held under the motto “Turning Circular Ideas into Successful Business Models – Experiences from the Danube Region”, presented DECIDE results, digital tools, policy recommendations and practical circular economy experiences.

DECIDE conference in Sarajevo, 5–6 November 2025. Copyright: Faruk Cerić (SERDA)

These events contributed significantly to the visibility of the project. They supported direct stakeholder engagement through onsite and hybrid participation, while accompanying articles, social media posts, newsletters and partner communication activities ensured that conference messages reached audiences beyond the participants physically present at the events.

Participants’ reactions throughout the DECIDE conferences showed that these events were well received, both in terms of content and organisation. This was especially confirmed through the satisfaction survey carried out after the final conference in Čakovec. The survey confirmed a very high level of satisfaction with the organisation and content of the conference.

DECIDE Final conference in Čakovec, 13 May 2026. Copyright: TICM

The survey also showed that the conference contributed to raising awareness of circular economy opportunities and motivated participants to consider institutional change and innovation. Networking was identified as one of the strongest aspects of the event, confirming the role of conferences as platforms for building professional connections and supporting future cooperation.

Deliverable D2.3.4 also emphasises the importance of visibility and evidence collection. For each relevant conference activity, partners were expected to collect documentation such as agendas, presentations, photos, screenshots, links to web or social media posts, participant information where available and other proof of participation or organisation. This ensured that conference activities could be clearly reported and connected to project objectives.

DECIDE Final conference in Čakovec, 13 May 2026. Copyright: TICM

By finalising the Conference Protocols, DECIDE has documented not only how project conferences were planned and implemented, but also how conferences can support the transferability and long-term impact of project results. The deliverable shows that well-prepared events can be much more than dissemination moments. They can become spaces for learning, dialogue, cooperation and practical promotion of circular economy solutions.

In this way, Deliverable D2.3.4 contributes to the wider objective of the DECIDE project: supporting the uptake, transfer and scaling of sustainable and resource-efficient business models across the Danube Region.

This article has been developed within the framework of the project Digital Services for Circular Economy - A Toolbox for Regional Developers & SMEs (DECIDE), co-financed by the Interreg Danube Region Programme under the 2021-2027 financial period. The content reflects the views of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official position of the DECIDE project, its partners, or the programme authorities.