The Department of Environmental Economics and Sustainability at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) once again hosted a captivating event as part of the Researchers' Night series. The event, titled “The NiCE Pilot Project Lessons Learned and Book-Plant Swap,” focused on the practical insights gained from promoting circular lifestyles and the critical importance of strengthening sustainable competencies in higher education.
The professional/academic segment of the event was opened by Dr. Mariann Szabó, Assistant Professor and Deputy Head of Department, who serves as the NiCE project department lead. She presented the key lessons from the NiCE pilot project (“Co-creation for more circular cities at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics”), detailing the results achieved in disseminating circular lifestyles since the 2024 Researchers' Night and illustrating the practical implementation of the project’s "Closing the loop" approach.
This was followed by the welcome from Dr. Mária Szalmáné Csete, Habil. Associate Professor and Dean of the BME Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences (GTK). She emphasized the paramount importance of developing sustainable development competencies at the university level.
A dynamic part of the program was the presentation of student-led sustainable business modelling practices, reflecting the department's hands-on, learning by doing approach.
Balázs Stieber, a Master’s student in Engineering Management, shared the experiences gained from his collaboration with the Educational and Reuse Centres in Budapest (Szemléletformáló és Újrahasználati Központ, https://mohubudapest.hu/szemleletformalo-es-ujrahasznalati-kozpontok-szuk). In his presentation, Balázs Stieber first introduced the organizational structure of the Educational and Reuse Centres (SZÚK), outlining the positioning of the sites both within the corporate hierarchy and their physical locations. This was followed by an overview of the centres’ primary and secondary activities, as well as their role in sustainability, showcased through the waste management hierarchy. The presentation then focused on the collaboration process, emphasizing the application of the triple-layered business model canvas, SWOT analysis, and risk assessment. After identifying and analysing key operational strengths and weaknesses, several recommendations were formulated to enhance efficiency, particularly addressing the main challenges of limited advertising and restricted physical accessibility. The presentation concluded with a summary of the practice’s key insights and lessons learned.
Dorottya Vincze, an undergraduate Environmental Engineer student, presented on her team's cooperation with the Ligeti Package Free Shop (Ligeti Csomagolásmentes Bolt, https://csomagolasmentes.hu/), demonstrating how theoretical knowledge can be transformed into practical, sustainable business solutions. Dorottya Vincze presented the role of package free shops in sustainable development, both at the individual and societal levels. She outlined the emergence of these types of stores in Europe, with a special focus on the development of the number of stores in the Budapest metropolitan area. After showcasing the previous activities of Ligeti Package Free Shop, she presented the more prominent elements of Ligeti’s business model canvas. Finally, she detailed the possible developments of the three areas to be strengthened that she had mapped out with her fellow students. These ideas aimed at more efficient inventory management and sourcing, the introduction of community programs, and the increase in amount and diversity of online and offline content.
The session concluded with a Q&A and closing remarks moderated by Dr. Attila Buzási, Associate Professor and Head of the Department.
In addition to serving as an academic forum, the event fostered community interaction through a book-plant swap action accompanying the program, actively encouraging attendees to practice resource sharing and reuse. Participants engaged in an active discussion on the challenges and future opportunities within the fields of the circular economy and sustainable consumption.