Representatives from ten institutions across Argentina, Chile, Colombia, France and Portugal gathered in Bogotá, Colombia, from 21 to 24 July for the Annual General Meeting of TechTraPlastiCE, an Erasmus+ co-funded project that promotes technology transfer and collaboration to accelerate the circular economy for plastics in Latin America.

Hosted by Universidad Central, the meeting brought together consortium partners to review progress achieved during the first year of implementation and coordinate the next phase of activities aimed at improving plastic waste management through innovation, applied research and stronger engagement with industry and society.

The TechTraPlastiCE consortium brings together Université de Lorraine (France), University of Aveiro (Portugal), Columbus Association, Universidad Central (Colombia), Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (Chile), Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Universidad Nacional del Sur, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, and Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (Argentina). Together, the partners are developing innovative approaches to support knowledge transfer, capacity building and collaboration with industry to advance plastics circularity across Latin America.

The University of Aveiro, through CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, plays a leading role in Work Package 2, jointly coordinated with Universidad Nacional del Sur (Argentina). This work package focuses on developing the project's Network Service Portfolio, which maps the scientific expertise, technologies and services available across partner institutions and promotes new opportunities for collaboration with companies and public organisations.

CICECO was represented at the meeting by Paula Ferreira and Idalina Gonçalves, who participated in the consortium discussions on strengthening the Network Service Portfolio and defining new collaborative initiatives that build on the complementary expertise of the partner institutions.

During the meeting, partners assessed the implementation of the portfolio and identified concrete joint initiatives designed to strengthen knowledge transfer and foster long-term cooperation between European and Latin American institutions.

The opening session highlighted the role of higher education institutions in addressing global environmental challenges. Speakers emphasised that advancing the circular economy requires rethinking the entire lifecycle of plastics—from product design and manufacturing to consumption and recycling—through collaboration between academia, industry and policymakers.

The consortium also discussed the European Union's Global Gateway strategy, reinforcing the importance of partnerships between universities and the private sector to support sustainable innovation and regional development.

Another key moment of the event was the participation of representatives from Colombian recycling associations, who highlighted the essential contribution of waste pickers to environmental sustainability. Their intervention reflected TechTraPlastiCE's commitment to promoting a just transition, ensuring that traditionally underrepresented stakeholders are integrated into emerging circular value chains.

The programme continues with workshops on participatory innovation methodologies, including the project's Search Conferences, follow-up activities from the 48 Hours for Innovation workshops, and the planning of pilot projects that will be implemented across participating countries. The meeting concludes with a Search Conference bringing together representatives from academia, industry and the public sector to co-design long-term strategies for sustainable plastics management in Colombia.

Through its participation in TechTraPlastiCE, CICECO continues to contribute its expertise in materials science, sustainability and technology transfer to international initiatives addressing one of today's most pressing environmental challenges.

Read more about the forum (here).