Budapest, Europe’s Circular Economy Capital in October

In October, this year, the Hungarian capital will host one of Europe’s most significant circular economy events, the Circular Economy Hotspot, which will bring the world’s leading experts, business leaders, and decision-makers to Hungary, the organizer, the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), said in a statement this Wednesday.

However, the three-day event will be much more than a traditional conference: BCSDH, offers real-world corporate solutions, site visits, and international networking opportunities to decision-makers who view circularity not as a sustainability project, but as a key to future competitiveness.

A significant number of companies have already recognized the importance of the circular economy, but a strategic shift in mindset is needed for a true breakthrough. This was highlighted in the BCSDH survey – prepared with professional support from KPMG and published in January – and is the focus of the Circular Economy Hotspot, which will bring leading international players in the circular economy to Hungary from October 5 to 7.

“The goal of the event, organized by the BCSDH and the Circular Economy Platform, is not simply to inspire, but to demonstrate how circularity can become a commercially viable, financeable, and scalable practice,” according to BCSDH Executive Director Irén Márta. She noted that a survey conducted at the beginning of the year revealed that, although circular economy goals and solutions have already emerged among leading companies, complex strategies that transform corporate operations remain rare.

One of the event’s biggest draws is its lineup of internationally renowned speakers. Among those coming to Budapest are Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, Peter Börkey, Head of the Circular Economy at the OECD; Janez Potočnik, former EU Commissioner for the Environment and Co-Chair of the UNEP International Resource Panel; and Quentin Drewell, Director of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), one of the world’s largest corporate sustainability organizations. Other speakers include representatives from international and Hungarian institutions, corporate leaders, researchers, financial actors, and founders of promising startups.

The program deliberately goes beyond the logic of traditional sustainability conferences. The focus will be on issues that directly impact corporate competitiveness today: how can the circular transition be financed, what business models work in practice, how are climate adaptation and circularity interconnected, what role do digital solutions play, and how can the built environment, the food industry, and resource management be transformed.