Circular Cities Asia launches flagship innovation program for Asia Pacific universities

SINGAPORE, Feb. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Circular Cities Asia ("CCA"), an open innovation platform to promote urban circular economy in Asia Pacific, has relocated their HQ to Auckland. The platform also announced the second edition of their flagship innovation program, Circular Campus, following the success of the inaugural edition.

First launched in Singapore by Suzanna Pomeroy and Shiva Susarla, a Fellow of the prestigious Edmund Hillary Fellowship program, this relocation represents a natural progression of their efforts to build an impact-focused organization that positively contributes to the looming issues of climate change, dwindling finite resources, pollution and waste.

The Circular Campus program invites student teams from universities across Asia Pacific to propose solutions that can make their university campuses circular. CCA then works closely with the teams to incubate the ideas and build them into real startups.

"University campuses are not just microcosms of larger cities, but also flag-bearers of innovation and new ways of doing things," said Suzanna Pomeroy, Co-Founder & Director of CCA and a returning New Zealander who is building on her experiences in leadership development, impact and diversity work in Singapore and elsewhere. 

"At CCA, we believe that innovation is the way to accelerate the circular economy and The Circular Campus Programme recognises the importance that academic institutions play in this acceleration and incubation of promising ideas."

The first offering of the programme had 10 universities in 8 Asia-Pac countries participating. 

"The circular economy is possibly the most feasible development paradigm that could help us battle climate change and problems associated with waste and pollution," said Shiva Susarla, a Fellow of the prestigious Edmund Hillary Fellowship program and the Founder of RENERGII and CCA.

"Our ultimate objective is to build a bottom-up innovation movement to redesign and reimagine every linear economic model as a sustainable circular economic product or solution," Shiva added.

What's next for the innovation journey in the circular economy, and how can you join?

CCA is planning to run two more cohorts of the Circular Campus Programme in 2022.  The team is committed to growing and supporting partnerships between young innovators, universities, local government and industry organisations.  

To partner with CCA, or to sign your university up to the programme, contact Suzanna Pomeroy on suzanna@renergii.com or visit www.circularcities.asia

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