Last Friday saw the first alumni event of the Master’s in Circular Economy: Business Applications at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) — a gathering that brought together professionals trained across different editions of the programme alongside the teaching team.
The session served as a space for reconnection and exchange: participants shared professional experiences, reflected on progress made in their respective fields, and explored the challenges of implementing the circular economy in business settings.
Beyond the networking dimension, the event provided evidence of the circular economy’s growing reach and its consolidation as a key framework for transforming productive models. José María Fernández Alcalá, Director of Circular Economy at Ihobe, the Basque Government’s Public Environmental Management Society, took part in the event — a presence that underscored the institutional recognition of this community of practice. The exchange of career paths highlighted the role of this network as an active space for applied knowledge.
The initiative was led by Rikardo Minguez Gabiña and Estibaliz Saez de Camara Oleaga, who have guided the master’s programme over the years, with the aim of strengthening ties between cohorts and giving continuity to the work developed in the academic sphere.
Two NAIDER professionals were trained in this programme: Jokin Etxebarria, Coordinator of Economy and Innovation, and Haizea Aguirre Puértolas, Coordinator of Urban Regeneration and Circular Economy. This connection reinforces the team’s capabilities in supporting decarbonisation processes and the transition towards circular models, integrating technical knowledge, applied experience, and strategic vision.
