The event convened Egypt’s ceramic tile value chain and Euro-Mediterranean experts to accelerate circularity, secondary raw materials (SRMs), industrial decarbonisation and technology transfer.
The Egyptian Center for Innovation & Technology Development (ECITD), partner of INNOVATILE project, hosted the Circular Economy in Tile Manufacturing workshop on 14 May 2026 at Hilton Cairo Grand Nile Tower. The event convened Egypt’s ceramic tile value chain and Euro-Mediterranean experts to accelerate circularity, secondary raw materials (SRMs), industrial decarbonisation and technology transfer.
The workshop gathered 85 participants from nearly 40 different organisations. Manufacturing firms and industrial value-chain actors were 50% of the participants, research performing organisations accounted for ~30% while other participants are mainly regulatory and standardization bodies in addition to nongovernmental organisations. 20 different ceramic manufacturing, thermal-technology, machinery, refractory and ceramic-material organisations actively participated in the workshop.
The workshop featured active contribution from major factories and firms in Egypt and the region including Royal Ceramica, GEMMA / Alezz for Ceramics and Porcelain, KaleSeramik, SACMI Egypt, SACMI Forni, Fritage, Gawhara Ceramics, Art Ceramic, Venezia Ceramic, Orient Ceramica, Nile International Group / Nilinter and Verdi Ceramic. The audience included chairmen, vice-chairmen, CEOs, general managers, factory managers, production, R&D and laboratory profiles. Participants described the event as one of the most significant and focused sector coalitions in Egypt dedicated to circular economy in ceramic and tile manufacturing.
The agenda connected project objectives with factory realities and policy needs. Sessions addressed circular economy principles in ceramic tiles, Egyptian ceramic and porcelain manufacturing challenges, advanced ceramic technologies, kiln and thermal-system optimisation, environmental sustainability, life-cycle assessment, urban circular economy and technical pathways for using SRMs. The technical deep dive focused on SRM availability, characterisation, traceability, formulation design, feldspar replacement and the need for validated pilot testing before industrial adoption.
A panel discussion on “Advancing Circular Economy in Manufacturing: Research, Policy, Industry, and Market Opportunities” brought together technology providers, ceramic manufacturers, researchers, chambers and regulatory/waste-management expertise. Discussions highlighted reliable waste-to-resource supply chains, standards and certification, pilot authorisations, local technical-service capacity, CBAM-related readiness, government-backed R&D grants and de-risking measures for factories willing to test low-carbon technologies. SACMI Group participation strengthened the technology-transfer dimension by linking Egyptian factories with advanced kiln, thermal machinery, automation and process-optimisation know-how.
Toward the end of the event, ECITD organised a soft-launch and sign-up session for the INNOVATILE / HypocarbonTileTech Network. Participants were assisted in expressing interest in joining the Euro-Mediterranean platform for decarbonisation and tile technologies. 53 participants completed the membership form and confirmed their interest to be part of the network. The resulting network pool created a strong basis for future matchmaking between companies, researchers, technology suppliers, standards bodies, authorities and civil-society actors.
Participants welcomed the workshop as an eye-opening exchange on energy savings, cost reduction, technology upgrading and the practical use of secondary raw materials, and asked INNOVATILE to continue organising similar workshops in Egypt and across the Mediterranean. The Cairo workshop will feed into future WP6 activities, including policy inputs, network development and follow-up workshops in Tunisia, Italy, Spain and Türkiye.
Last Update
20/05/2026
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