Developing an innovative circular manufacturing solution is only part of the journey. For a demonstrator to generate visibility, collaboration opportunities and market interest, its value must also be communicated clearly.
Technical teams often describe their work through technologies, functionalities, methodologies and project terminology. However, potential customers, manufacturing SMEs, policymakers and other stakeholders need to understand the problem being addressed, the benefits offered and the impact the solution could generate.
This CIRCULOOS communication workshop introduced a practical approach to transforming complex technical information into accessible, audience-focused messages. Participants explored how to explain their EDX solutions in one sentence, communicate their business and circular value, create compelling success stories and monitor the results of their communication activities.
🧩Learning objectives
By completing this training, you will understand how to turn technical project information into clear and relevant communication messages.
You will learn how to identify the audience that matters most to your EDX and adapt your language to its knowledge, interests and needs. You will also explore how to move from describing technical features to explaining concrete business value and circular manufacturing impact.
🧩What you will learn?
Making communication part of the technical journey
Circular manufacturing demonstrators often involve advanced technologies, specialised terminology and collaboration between several organisations. While this technical depth is essential, it can also make solutions difficult to explain to potential customers, manufacturing associations, policymakers or other non-specialist audiences.
The workshop was organised to help EDX participants bridge this gap. Rather than treating communication as an activity to complete at the end of a pilot, participants were encouraged to use it strategically throughout their work.
Clear communication can support the visibility and reputation of a solution, create opportunities for business collaboration and help technical teams demonstrate the value generated by their activities. As highlighted during the session, strong technical work may have limited impact when the relevant audiences do not understand what has been developed, why it matters or how they could benefit from it.
Participants represented different pilots and organisations and brought varying levels of communication experience. The session therefore followed an accessible and practical approach that could be used both by teams developing a full communication strategy and by those looking for a simple checklist to improve their existing activities.
Start with one clear sentence
One of the main exercises focused on explaining each EDX in a single sentence.
Participants were encouraged to move beyond acronyms, project terminology and detailed descriptions of technical components. Instead, a clear message should identify the audience, the problem being addressed, the proposed solution and the value it creates.
This becomes particularly important when speaking to people unfamiliar with CIRCULOOS or European innovation projects. A manufacturing association, for example, may not immediately recognise terms commonly used inside EU-funded projects. The message must therefore be adapted to the listener’s knowledge, interests and priorities.
A strong one-sentence pitch can become the basis for a presentation, a website introduction, an event description or a conversation with a potential collaborator.
Select the audience before selecting the channel
The workshop emphasised that communication should begin with a clear priority audience.
A technical team may need to engage potential customers, industrial partners, manufacturing SMEs, technology providers, Digital Innovation Hubs or public authorities. Each group is interested in different aspects of the demonstrator and may require different language, evidence and levels of technical detail.
Participants were also encouraged to assess whether creating a new communication channel is always necessary. A dedicated LinkedIn account for an individual pilot, for example, may require significant effort to build an audience. In many cases, using the established channels of the participating organisations can generate greater reach and engagement.
The key recommendation was to agree on a shared communication approach among all organisations involved in the pilot, defining who communicates, through which channels and for which audiences.
Translate technical features into business value
Technical descriptions frequently focus on what a solution does. Effective communication should also explain why this matters.
Participants explored how to convert technical information into business-value messages. Depending on the solution, relevant benefits could include more efficient processes, improved decision-making, lower material consumption, stronger collaboration across the supply chain or new commercial opportunities.
This translation does not mean removing technical accuracy. It means connecting the technology to a recognisable operational or business challenge.
A message aimed at potential adopters should help them answer practical questions: What problem could this solve? What could it improve? Why should my organisation pay attention?
Communicate circular impact with evidence
Circularity was another essential part of the workshop checklist.
Participants were encouraged to develop a specific circular-impact message that explains how their work contributes to areas such as resource efficiency, waste reduction, material recovery, reuse or more sustainable production.
These messages should be connected to available evidence and should avoid broad or unsupported environmental claims. When results are still being validated, communication should clearly distinguish between expected impact, ongoing testing and demonstrated outcomes.
This approach can help teams communicate credibly while building a stronger evidence base for future success stories and exploitation activities.
Build content from a common message
Once the core message is defined, it can be adapted into different formats.
The workshop covered how the same project information can support a LinkedIn post, a success story, an interview, an event presentation or project reporting. AI tools can also assist in transforming technical content into formats such as summaries, learning materials, audio or draft social media content.
However, participants were reminded that AI-generated text should always be reviewed by a person. Content must remain accurate, natural and consistent with the voice of the organisation. Confidential or unverified information should not be introduced, and technical teams remain responsible for checking the final message.
From learning to implementation
The session concluded with a practical communication checklist: define a one-sentence pitch, identify the priority audience, formulate the business-value and circular-impact messages, develop a LinkedIn or success-story idea, select the next communication action and record the corresponding KPIs.
Participants can now apply this structure to their demonstrators and discuss it with the organisations involved in each pilot. The same approach can also support preparation for upcoming CIRCULOOS communication opportunities, including the physical stakeholder event planned in Barcelona on 30 September 2026.
Teams interested in presenting their solutions at future Mobile World Congress activities were also invited to express their interest.
Resources and next steps
The workshop PowerPoint was shared with participants and can be used as a practical reference when developing or reviewing communication activities.
EDX teams are encouraged to use the presentation as a checklist, align their communication responsibilities with their partners and begin collecting evidence from every activity. This should include links, screenshots, audience information, engagement figures and other relevant indicators.
By embedding communication into the demonstrator process, teams can ensure that their technical work is understood by the people who can use it, support it or help bring it to a wider market.
🧩 Training Material
The workshop presentation provides practical guidance for turning complex technical work into clear, audience-focused communication. Through simple frameworks, real examples and hands-on exercises, it shows how to explain your EDX in one sentence, identify a priority audience, translate technical features into business value, communicate circular-economy impact credibly, structure a compelling success story, adapt the same core message for different channels, use AI tools responsibly, and record communication activities, evidence and KPIs. The presentation also includes before-and-after examples and a final Mini Communication Kit template that EDX teams can reuse when preparing future communication materials.
🧩Try it yourself
🔗 Interactive Mural Whiteboard
The Mural board gives you a practical space to apply the workshop concepts directly to your own CIRCULOOS EDX.
Through a series of guided activities, you can identify your priority audience, simplify your technical description, define the business and circular value of your solution, and develop the first elements of a success story. The board also helps you select a communication channel, plan your next action and identify the evidence or KPIs you should record.