The built environment plays a critical role in the climate challenge and offers an opportunity for systemic innovation. Nearly 40% of CO2 emissions worldwide come from the construction, use, and demolition of buildings (UN 2020), even more are linked to mobility and everyday tools for an increasing urban population.
The conference brings together private and public sector leading thinkers, practitioners, and innovators to explore how circular economy principles can redefine architecture, urban planning, and design.
Rooted in the collaborative work of the CiD – Circular Design Innovation Alliance, this event showcases pioneering ideas, business models, and materials that support carbon-neutral, bio-based, and inclusive urban futures. With contributions from key European and local experts, Tallinn Business Incubator hosts this international conference offering practical strategies and inspiring examples to support circular transition in the built environment.
Participants will engage with real-world projects, emerging materials, and cross-sectoral panels designed to inspire and accelerate innovation. Speakers at the conference include Independent Strategy Consultant and ex Ellen McArthur foundation Project Manager Tim Stonemeijer, Ditte Lysgaard Vind from Bloxhub Copenhagen, Deputy Director of Observatorio2030-CSCAE Sergio García-Gasco Lominchar, Spatial Design Expert Kaidi Põldoja, Markus Hääl from Hundipea district, Siim Karro from Myceen and Dr. Renee Puusepp from Creatomus Solutions. The panels will be moderated by Lauri Tammiste (SEI Tallinn).
Event is free, but registration is requiered!
Timetable
11th of September
This is the pre-event day of the conference. Participation is optional and mainly intended for those with a specific interest.
- 15.00 – 15.30 Gathering in Cultural Hub Courtyard tower (Õuetorn, Põhja pst 27a)
- 15.30 – 15.40 CiD Accelerator overview
- 15.40 – 17.20 CiD Accelerator participants are pitching their solutions
- 17.20 – 17.30 Jury decisions
12th of September (Club of Different Rooms (Telliskivi 60a-1, Tallinn)
- 9.30–10.00 Gathering and Coffee
- 10.00–10.30 Welcoming Words (Nele Plutus) & Introduction and Overview of CiD (Jörg Schröder)
- 10.30–11.00 Unlocking the potential of a nature-positive, circular economy for Europe – strategies for the built environment value chain (Tim Stonemeijer, Independent Strategy Consultant and Former Ellen MacArthur Foundation Project Manager)
- 11.00–11.30 MasteryClassroom: Circular Architecture for Future-Ready Education – Rethinking Estonia’s Mass-Fabricated School Buildings (Kaidi Põldoja, Strategic Spatial Planning Expert)
- 11.30–12.00 Keynote by Ditte Lysgaard Vind: From niche to norm: Insights from Two Pilots (Chief Innovation and Science Officer & Co-CEO at Bloxhub Copenhagen)
- 12.00–13.00 Panel: How Can Europe Collaborate to Clear the Path for Circular Built Environments?
- 13.00–14.00 Lunch and Networking
- 14.00–14.20 The New Roles of Architects in Shaping Our Territories and Built Environments (Sergio García-Gasco Lominchar, Deputy Director of Observatorio2030-CSCAE, Spain; CEU-San Pablo University Professor)
- 14.20–14.40 Hundipea: Transforming Urban Spaces (Markus Hääl, CEO at Hundipea OÜ)
- 14.40–15.00 Myceen: Building with Nature (Siim Karro, CEO & Co-Founder at Myceen)
- 15.00–15.20 Think Inside the Box: The Humble Beginnings of a Circular Building System (Dr. Renee Puusepp, Creatomus Solutions / EKA PAKK)
- 15.20–15.30 From Old to New: Circular Renovation in Practice (Anu Lõhmus, CEO of Tallinn Business Incubator)
- 15.30–15.45 Break
- 15.45–16.30 Panel: How to Motivate and Support Private Sector Entrepreneurs to Offer Circular Solutions?
- 16.30–17.15 Introduction of CID Partners
- 17.15–17.20 Closing Words
Speakers
Tim Stonemeijer
Tim is an innovative strategist with expertise in circular economy, design thinking, and program development. From 2023 to 2025, he was Special Projects Manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, where he worked with leadership and partners to deliver initiatives aligned with the 2030 Strategy—including leading Building Prosperity (2024), a landmark report on nature-positive circular strategies for the built environment.
Since 2008, Tim has worked across product development, innovation, and research in fashion, e-commerce, consulting, and systems-change think tanks. He now advises projects in the circular economy and built environment ecosystems, helping organizations activate regenerative strategies that build resilience and unlock impact.
Kaidi Põldoja
Kaidi Põldoja is an Estonian architect and strategic spatial planning expert, leading vision-driven initiatives that emphasize adaptability, ecological responsibility, and architectural quality. Her work includes Tallinn’s Pollinator Highway, the Circular Economy Development Plan, and the revitalization of public spaces such as the Estonian Song Festival Grounds, Koidu Street, and several educational facilities—often through participatory design. She currently leads #MasteryClass, a public sector innovation initiative rethinking Estonia’s mass-produced school buildings for future learners. A partner at MUUTRUUM, Kaidi bridges policy, design, and implementation, building on her experience with the Tallinna ruumiloome initiative. Her leadership has been central to Tallinn’s role as European Green Capital, advancing people-centred and ecological approaches in urban development.
Sergio García-Gasco Lominchar
Sergio García-Gasco (Madrid, Spain) is a PhD architect, graduating with honors from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in 2023, where he earned his doctorate cum laude. He also holds a Master’s in Theory, Criticism, and History of Architecture from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
He is Deputy Director of Observatorio2030 at the Spanish Higher Council of Architects’ Associations (CSCAE), where for the past five years he has focused on developing sustainable strategies and implementing the UN 2030 Agenda within Spain’s construction value chain—coordinating and defining solutions to reduce the sector’s environmental impact. In addition, he is a professor at CEU San Pablo University, teaching and researching in the field of architecture.
Ditte Lysgaard Vind
Ditte Lysgaard Vind is a renowned circular economy and design expert and practitioner, based in Denmark. Ditte is known for pioneering new materials as well as business models while sharing the knowledge gained from practice through teaching and thought leadership. She is the Chairwoman of the Danish Design Council and a member of several boards including the global SDG innovation lab UNLEASH. Ditte previously co-founded Lendager The Circular Way, a subsidiary of the Lendager Group. Today, she is the Chief Innovation & Science Officer at BLOX Hub.
Markus Hääl
Markus Hääl is leading the creation of the sustainable Hundipea neighbourhood in North Tallinn and member of the advisory board of Rohetiiger
Siim Karro
Siim Karro is the co-founder of Myceen, an award-winning biotech company and research studio developing mycelium-based materials. His practice is rooted in an interdisciplinary approach that merges nature’s intelligence with science and design. In 2024, Siim received the Young Designer Award SÄSI, recognising his role in shaping Myceen with a distinct and forward-looking design vision. Today, he and his team are focused on scaling production to bring their healthy, high-performance building materials to market.
Dr. Renee Puusepp
Dr. Renee Puusepp is an architect and design researcher working at the intersection of architecture, digital tools, and circular construction. He is the founder and CEO of Creatomus Solutions, a technology company developing design automation tools for modular construction, and a senior researcher at PAKK – the Centre of Circular Architecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA). Renee is the co-creator of 3Cycle, an open-source modular timber building system designed for disassembly, reuse, and local production. He has led the development of its digital platform – a real-time configurator that enables architects, clients, and manufacturers to co-design buildings with carbon and cost data integrated from the outset. His recent work focuses on deploying this system in complex environments, such as Estonia’s public sector projects and post-crisis reconstruction in Ukraine.
Lauri Tammiste
Lauri Tammiste started working as the director of SEI Tallinn in 2016. He has extensive and interdisciplinary experience in energy, energy efficiency and innovation policy design, analysis and program management. During his 7 years at the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications he was in various positions responsible for shaping the national renewable energy plan, national R&D and innovation strategy, designing and launching new support programs for energy efficiency and renewable energy and R&D, coordinating and carrying out ex-ante and ex-post policy evaluations, international cooperation and representing Estonia in various European Commission, OECD, IEA and Nordic-Baltic working groups.
The conference on circular economy and the built environment is organised by Tallinn Business Incubator as part of the CiD Innovation Alliance project. The project is co-funded by the European Union through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency EACEA under grant agreement no 101111686.