Accelerating Europe’s Green Manufacturing Transition
GENESIS Masterclasses is an international online learning and collaboration programme designed to support companies and innovation actors in their transition towards circular, green and digitally enabled manufacturing.
The programme is part of GENESIS – Greening Economy Network for Enhancing Sustainable Industrial Systems, an EU-funded project that aims to strengthen European innovation ecosystems, foster interregional cooperation and support the development of sustainable industrial systems.
The programme is built around 5 key themes, each explored through 4 connected masterclass sessions. The first two sessions focus on expert-led activating education, while the third and fourth sessions are designed to be shaped around the participants’ own challenges, needs and collaboration interests.
In total, the programme will include 22 online events:
5 thematic tracks x 4 masterclass sessions, plus 2 additional webinars on European funding opportunities.
Why participate?
gain practical knowledge on circular economy, green manufacturing and digital transformation
learn from international experts, researchers and industry practitioners
explore tools and approaches such as life cycle assessment, circular logistics, critical raw material risk mapping, eco-design and circular business models
connect with companies, clusters, research organisations and innovation support actors from other European regions
work on real challenges relevant to their own organisation or sector
contribute to the design of practical workshop sessions based on their own needs and interests
identify potential partners for future interregional cooperation
learn about European funding opportunities for circular economy and green manufacturing projects
develop ideas that may lead to future joint projects, business cases or innovation initiatives
GENESIS Masterclasses are designed not only as a training programme, but also as a practical entry point into European collaboration.
How the programme works
The GENESIS Masterclasses programme consists of 5 thematic tracks. Each track includes 4 connected masterclass sessions.
Each theme follows the same structure that allows participants to first build a shared knowledge base and then actively apply that knowledge to challenges that are relevant to them:
The first session introduces the theme and provides an expert-led overview of the key concepts, trends, technologies and challenges related to the topic.
This session is designed to activate learning, create a shared understanding among participants and present relevant European and industry perspectives.
The second session builds on the first one by going deeper into the selected theme. It includes expert insights, practical examples, industrial use cases and discussion on how the topic can be applied in different organisational and regional contexts.
Together, the first two sessions provide the main educational foundation of each thematic track.
The third session is designed around the participants. It helps participants reflect on what they have learned, validate their understanding and connect the topic to their own organisation, region or sector.
Participants may be invited to share questions, challenges, examples or areas where they would like to go deeper. This session can also help identify potential collaboration interests and prepare participants for the following challenge-solving workshop.
The fourth session is a practical workshop built around real challenges, needs and cases brought forward by the participants.
In this session, participants work together to explore possible solutions, exchange perspectives and identify opportunities for future cooperation. The focus is on applying the knowledge gained in the first two sessions to concrete industrial, sustainability or circular economy challenges.
The session may involve small-group work, challenge framing, solution development and short presentations of ideas.
The 5 Thematic tracks
This theme helps participants understand how to assess the environmental and economic performance of products, processes and circular economy solutions.
The first two expert-led masterclasses will focus on:
- Life Cycle Assessment;
- Techno-Economic Assessment.
Participants will learn how to evaluate environmental impacts, understand cost structures and build stronger evidence for sustainable industrial decisions.
This theme explores technological solutions that help recover value from products and materials at the end of their life cycle.
The first two expert-led masterclasses will focus on:
- AI-Driven Sorting and Material Recognition;
- Advanced Electronic Asset Management.
Participants will discover how digital tools, material recognition technologies, refurbishment and remanufacturing strategies can support more efficient recovery, reuse and recycling.
This theme focuses on Europe’s dependency on critical raw materials and explores strategies to reduce supply risks.
The first two expert-led masterclasses will focus on:
- Critical Raw Material Risk Mapping;
- Alternative and Low-Impact Materials.
Participants will learn how to identify raw material risks, assess substitution options and explore design, recycling and supply diversification strategies.
This theme focuses on the operational side of circular economy implementation, including reverse flows, collection systems and material recovery.
The first two expert-led masterclasses will focus on:
- Reverse Logistics Management;
- Optimising Collection and Material Recovery.
Participants will explore how to design and manage return flows, improve collection systems and maximise the quantity and quality of recovered materials.
This theme supports participants in rethinking business models so that circularity becomes a driver of innovation, competitiveness and long-term value creation.
The first two expert-led masterclasses will focus on:
- Eco-Design for Performance and Market Differentiation;
- Circular Business Models and Circular Revenue Calculation.
Participants will learn about circular business model approaches such as product-as-a-service, leasing, reuse, refurbishment and other models that support circular value creation.
European funding webinars
In addition to the 5 thematic tracks, the programme will include 2 dedicated webinars on European funding opportunities.
These sessions will help participants better understand:
- relevant European funding instruments for circular economy and green manufacturing projects;
- eligibility criteria and project readiness requirements;
- typical consortium structures;
- how to develop collaboration ideas into realistic project concepts;
- how SMEs and innovation actors can participate in future European initiatives.
The funding webinars are designed to support the continuation and scaling of ideas developed during the masterclasses and challenge-solving workshops.
Who should participate?
GENESIS Masterclasses are open to organisations and professionals working in or supporting the green and digital transformation of industry.
The programme is especially relevant for:
The programme is suitable both for organisations already working with circular economy solutions and for those beginning to explore how to make their products, processes or business models more sustainable.
No prior expert knowledge is required, but participants should have an interest in practical circular economy or green manufacturing solutions.
What is expected from participants?
Participants are encouraged to take an active role in the programme.
join the expert-led masterclasses;
reflect on how the topics relate to their own organisation or region;
contribute questions, examples or challenges;
take part in the participant-driven sessions;
explore possible collaboration opportunities with other participants.
The third and fourth sessions of each thematic track will be shaped around participant input, making the programme more practical, relevant and connected to real industrial needs.
Certificate of Completion
Participants who complete the 4 required sessions of a thematic track will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Registration
Participation in GENESIS Masterclasses is free of charge.
All thematic tracks will be available through one registration platform. When registering, participants will be able to select the theme or themes most relevant to their interests and needs.
Register now to join an international learning and collaboration programme focused on circular economy, green manufacturing, digital transformation and European innovation cooperation.
