Porto, 9–10 September 2025 – COTANCE proudly announces the launch of SYMBIOS, a new Erasmus+ initiative that will explore industrial symbiosis between the leather and agri-food sectors. The initiative aims to design a replicable model of symbiotic practices that can support Europe’s ecological transition and strengthen the circular economy.

The SYMBIOS consortium will carry out in-depth research on how industrial symbiosis can be applied across the two sectors. This includes examining the regulatory framework, identifying current practices, and assessing future potential. The project will pay particular attention to the agri-food and leather industries, given their importance to the European market.

As one of its main outcomes, SYMBIOS will deliver a digital platform that will:

• inform, train, and support professional development in the Green & Circular Economy.
• сonnect companies and encourage them to collaborate through symbiotic practices.

COTANCE, together with SPIN360, will lead the activities related to the leather sector, including:

• Organising two focus groups with stakeholders from across the value chain.
• Coordinating surveys, interviews, and literature reviews to ensure results are practically applicable.

• Ensuring visibility and alignment with EU policies so that outcomes resonate with Europe’s sustainability agenda.

   

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“SYMBIOS comes at a critical time for the leather industry. Industrial symbiosis has the potential to turn sustainability into a shared opportunity, where agrifood and leather move forward together. This project will help us build practical solutions, create connections, and ensure our industry remains a leader in Europe’s green and circular economy”, - said Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano, Secretary-General of COTANCE.

Project Partners

• Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique (Portugal)
• IATA – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain)
• COTANCE (France/Belgium)
• Cisita Parma scarl (Italy)
• SPIN 360 SRL (Italy)
• Gospodarska Zbornica Slovenije (Slovenia)

📢 Get Involved
Interested to join the Focus Group or want to know more about the project and contribute to its success?  Contact Vita Kobiela at EUprojects@euroleather.com