On 23 December 2025, a session of the Circular Economy Center was held at the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, during which member companies defined activities and program priorities for 2026 aimed at intensifying the Center’s work through the organization of workshops and educational events focused on sustainability and the concept of the circular economy. These plans also include identifying sector-specific calls for support for projects in this field, joint participation in such calls, and other activities that will enhance the work of the Center, while simultaneously promoting it in order to ensure broader understanding of the circular economy concept among as many companies, non-governmental organizations, and citizens as possible.

At the session, projects implemented under the “Green Growth and Development” activity were also presented. This activity was supported by the project “Education for Employment in North Macedonia” (E4E@mk). Through this activity, five project ideas were supported with co-financing totaling MKD 5,000,000. As part of the implemented activities, more than 300 participants took part in educational events, covering a broad target group that included representatives of the private sector, students, pupils in vocational education, and representatives of relevant institutions such as local self-government units, inspectorates, and others. More than 20 educational events were organized, principles of sustainable operations and protection of natural resources were promoted, and, at the same time, a knowledge base accessible to members of the Circular Economy Center was developed, aimed at strengthening the educational component of the Center.

The implemented projects contributed to improving and upgrading production capacities and processes, equipping workforce with new knowledge, experience, and modern practices in the field of circular and green economy, fostering competitiveness and long-term progress, creating a base of good practices for other companies, and simultaneously contributing to environmental protection and the preservation of ecosystems.

At the session, the five successfully implemented projects by companies within the framework of the green growth and development initiatives supported by the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia through the project “Education for Employment in North Macedonia” (E4E@mk) were presented, through the following project components:

-       Establishment of an AgroEcoStation for Green Skills, whose data will contribute to the precise determination of soil properties and, accordingly, to appropriate treatment and maximization of yields. The project was implemented by ZK Pelagonija AD Bitola;

-       Implementation of training on decarbonization and circular economy, covering multiple aspects of the circular economy, including the institutional–legal, scientific–theoretical, and practical dimensions based on companies’ operational activities. The project was implemented by Titan Usje AD Skopje;

-       Scientific research on hydropotential for sustainable operations, through the identification of underground water capacities within the Zhelezarnica industrial complex, where more than 20 legal entities operate, including the steel producers Makstil and Liberty, whose production processes use large quantities of water. The project was implemented by Liberty AD Skopje;

-       Training on operating a press for baling paper and PET bottles, aimed at qualifying workers from multiple companies to operate a specific type of press/baler. This equipment enables the multiplication of effects related to pragmatic storage and management of waste that can subsequently be treated as secondary raw material. The project was implemented by Alpak Eko DOO Skopje;

-       Training on decontamination of transformers contaminated with PCBs, a project which, in addition to the decontamination process itself, includes an educational component for professionals in the field, students from the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, and pupils from specialized secondary education. The project was implemented by Rade Konchar – Service and Repair of Electrical Products DOO Skopje.