Circular Economy Summit - Shaping New Horizons for 2026
Madrid · November 26, 2025
The upcoming EU Circular Economy Act, coming into force in 2026, represents one of Europe’s most ambitious sustainability policies to date. Its goal is to create a unified market for recycled materials, strengthen the supply and demand of secondary raw materials, and position Europe as a global leader in the circular economy.
In anticipation of this transformation, the Circular Economy Summit will bring together business leaders, academics, and public sector representatives to explore the key challenges and opportunities in advancing toward a truly circular economy. The event will serve as a constructive dialogue platform to align efforts across industry, academia, and policy-making.
Discussions will focus on crucial questions such as:
- How can essential sectors transition to fully circular models—from design to end use?
- What structural changes are needed to rethink entire industries, and how can we begin this transformation?
- How can organizations prepare for the upcoming 2026 legislation and its higher sustainability standards?
- How can companies improve their knowledge and participation in the design of the regulatory framework?
The key dimensions that will guide the conversation are regulation, innovation, collaboration, finance, and implementation.
If you are a top decision-maker guiding your company through the upcoming changes, this summit will provide valuable insights to help identify knowledge gaps and build the capacity needed to advance sustainable production, circular business models, and decarbonization—ensuring Spanish companies are ready to lead in the circular future.
The event will be conducted in both English and Spanish, with simultaneous translation available for participants who require it.
Organizers
09:30 – 10:00
Opening Session – Welcome, Introduction, and Agenda Overview
(IESE and MITECO teams)
10:00 – 11:00 Panel 1 How to prepare for (and anticipate) upcoming regulations?
- José-Maria Fernandez Alcala, Head of Circular Economy, iHobe
- Alejandro Dorado, Comisionado por la Economía Circular, Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico
- Verónica Kuchinow, CEO, Sambiosy
- Moderator: Pascual Berrone, IESE Business School
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 – 12:15 Keynote Talk-1 European Commission and The big picture of the circular economy: The Road Ahead and the Gaps to Bridge (Check with Speaker – initial idea)
- Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, Director for Circular Economy, European Commission
12:15 – 13:00 Breakout Sessions 1
13:00 – 13:30 Debrief Breakout 1
- Facilitator: Anna Sáez de Tejada and Pascual Berrone, IESE Business School
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 15:30 Panel 2 Financing and Scaling the Circular Economy
- Andrea Lamadrid, Head of ESG advisory, CaixaBank
- Yun Luo, CEO and Co-Founder, Rosi
- Moderator: Fabrizio Ferraro, IESE Business School
15:30 – 16:15 Keynote Talk-2 Holcim: Reinventing Industry for a Circular Future
- Mariano Garcia, Director de Sostenibilidad, and Ricardo de Pablos, CEO, Holcim
16:15 – 16:45 Coffee Break
16:45 – 17:30 Breakout Session 2
17:30 – 18:00 Debrief Breakout 2
- Facilitator: Anna Sáez de Tejada and Pascual Berrone, IESE Business School
18:00 – 18:15 Closing
Ricardo de Pablos
CEO, Holcim Spain
Mariano García
Sustainability Director, Holcim Spain