On behalf of HEPHAESTUS, Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and Bornholm’s municipal waste management pioneer BOFA, we are delighted to invite you to the sun-washed island of Bornholm for an exchange on sustainability, circular economy and craft knowledge.
We gather around 70 participants – researchers, PhD students, makers, designers, EU-project teams and policy shapers – to share new ideas where theory meets the making, and the policy brief meets the sea.
Bornholm itself is our Green Living Lab. As Europe’s first World Craft Region and BOFA’s mission, the island fuses centuries-old ceramics, glass and metalwork traditions with bold experiments in circular production and green energy. We look forward to this special exchange.
Key dates and events
- June 09 – Paper and Early Career Development Workshop
- June 10 – Symposium Day 1
- June 11 – Symposium Day 2
- June 12 – Folkemødet Day 1
- June 13 – Folkemødet Day 2
Detailed preliminary programme
The programme might slightly change. We will keep you updated.
Destination Bornholm, Denmark
Bornholm, Denmark – Europe’s first World Craft Region. Bornholm was chosen for the Green Living Lab, a vehicle for testing these ideas, due to its leadership in craft and sustainability. As Europe’s first World Craft Region, it blends traditional craftsmanship in ceramics, glass, textiles, and metalwork with innovative sustainable practices.
With a strong craft ecosystem and BOFA’s “Zero Waste 2032” vision, the island is ideal for exploring circular production and consumption models. Bornholm’s role as an EU innovation hub, its Folkemødet festival, and Craft Week, provide unique opportunities for collaboration and public engagement in sustainability and culture.
About BOFA
BOFA manages waste on Bornholm, aiming to make the island waste-free by 2032 in accordance with their vision, unanimously adopted by municipal council decision in 2018. They are the waste management entity under the Regional Municipality of Bornholm, and their infrastructure includes an incineration plant, composting site, hazwaste transfer station, a waste transfer and baling facility and recycling centers. Additionally, BOFA carries out municipal waste planning, and is the regulating authority on waste collected from households and businesses. BOFA runs an interdisciplinary projects unit with a research, development and innovation portfolio spanning EU Horizon Europe, Interreg, and LIFE projects. Within HEPHAESTUS, BOFA shall establish a Future of Craft Green Living Lab on Bornholm, where different solutions will be tested with the principles of circular economy: reuse, product life extension, efficient use of resources and low environmental impact.