The industrial district of Santa Cruz in Rio de Janeiro is home to more than 15 companies collaborating in the association AEDIN. These companies struggle with high energy use, significant waste streams, and increasing pressure to decarbonise operations. That’s why they are searching for ways to decarbonise, use fewer resources and remain competitive while supporting jobs and growth in a changing world.

The true challenge lies not just in the technical solutions, but in building a shared vision for the circular industry and unlocking the will to act together.

P.R.E.S.I – Pathways to Resource Efficiency in Santa Cruz Industries – is more than a project. It’s a blueprint for what happens when global collaboration is rooted in mutual respect and ambition.

The solution combines Danish know-how with Brazilian industrial momentum, paving the way for implementation of circular and decarbonising solutions.

Danish expertise from Kalundborg Symbiosis and Viegand Maagøe met Brazilian drive and industrial scale, supported by Clean’s coordination. Together, partners identified not only concrete opportunities for industrial symbiosis but a shared belief: that circularity can be a driver of prosperity, innovation, and international connection.

The PRESI project has already delivered concrete results: technical screenings uncovered clear opportunities for industrial symbiosis in the Santa Cruz cluster, from shared wastewater treatment to heat recovery and material reuse. These findings have been translated into practical roadmaps for companies and the cluster as a whole. More importantly, P.R.E.S.I has sparked a new way of thinking – one that sees waste as potential, and collaboration as the key to unlocking it.

In Brazil, the project has already gained national recognition. It was honoured at the Best of International Business 2024 Awards by ApexBrasil and Exame, and featured during G20 Social. But PRESI is more than a project – it represents a shift in mindset. A growing belief that sustainability, industrial growth, and international cooperation are not opposing forces, but mutually reinforcing goals. That is the message P.R.E.S.I brings to COP30 in 2025. As the world gathers in Brazil to shape the next tomorrow, P.R.E.S.I will stand as a living example of how local action and global knowledge can meet to drive systemic change.

Not just through technology, but through trust, dialogue, and long-term facilitation. P.R.E.S.I shows that industrial symbiosis is not a niche concept – it is a viable and scalable solution for decarbonising industries and strengthening green competitiveness.

More than just a case, P.R.E.S.I shows what’s possible when strong partnerships and shared purpose come together. It offers a practical model that others can learn from, build on, and scale – even without big budgets.

With the right people around the table, small steps can lead to big change. And crucially, it’s not just good practice – it’s good business. Industrial symbiosis opens up new opportunities for smarter use of resources, lower production costs, and green competitiveness.

With Danish know-how in industrial symbiosis and Brazil’s industrial drive, PRESI brings together the best of both worlds. Now, with funding secured for PRESI 2.0, the project is ready to move into its next phase. The goal is not only to continue the transformation in Santa Cruz, but to spark a broader global dialogue about how circular industry can help drive the green transition – in Brazil, in Denmark, and around the world.