The CirCLER project partners met in Vaasa on 20th November 2025, hosted by the University of Vaasa, for the fifth transnational project meeting. The CirCLER project aims to define a new qualification profile and develop innovative curricula for the Circular Economy Transition Manager (CETM) in the furniture industry. 

The meeting brought together representatives from all partner organisations to review progress across work packages, plan upcoming activities, and align on the next operational steps.

A substantial part of the meeting focused on the new joint curriculum, where partners explored strategies for recognition, shared approaches for national engagement with VET authorities, and outlined the steps for developing guidelines and a Memorandum of Understanding to support curriculum adoption across countries. 

Further discussions covered the CirCLER Training Toolkit, including finalisation of the skills self-assessment tool, publication and translation of the Trainers’ Handbook, and the development of the Circular Furniture Mentors’ Club as a space for tutor collaboration.

The consortium also reviewed the status of the e-learning platform and prepared for the launch of the pilot course, which will run from December 2025 to April 2026 with learners from across Europe.

In the afternoon, partners discussed dissemination and exploitation activities, including the organisation of national CirCLER Furniture Labs, the Women for Circular Furniture webinar series,  and the structure of the upcoming CirCLER Hackathon.

The meeting concluded with a visit to the VME Interaction Design Environment lab, providing participants with an opportunity to explore local expertise relevant to the project’s thematic areas (AR/VR -technology, AI..)

The consortium left Vaasa with a clear roadmap for the next steps of the project, strengthened collaboration, and shared commitment to advancing circular skills and training within the European furniture industry.