From 26 September to 5 October 2025, the first YouRban Festival took place at Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan, offering ten days of events, workshops and installations dedicated to circular innovation and the sustainable transformation of composite materials. The festival is part of the European YouRban project, funded by Horizon Europe and coordinated by Politecnico di Milano, which promotes circular economy models and urban regeneration through collaboration between research, design and local communities.
At the heart of the festival was a mobile demanufacturing and recycling plant developed by Fibereuse Tech e Origoni Steiner. As a travelling laboratory, it made the entire transformation process of composite waste visible to the public and hosted demonstrations, workshops, installations and performances.
Visitors explored how composite waste can become a resource through hands-on activities led by project partners, designers and researchers. A music and performance programme curated by ZONA K, il centro di arti performative contemporanee di Milano turned the festival into a shared space for dialogue between science, design and culture.
Inspired by the New European Bauhaus, the YouRban Festival showed how circular economy principles can be translated into tangible, inclusive urban experiences. The YouRban Festival continues its journey and lands in Barcelona the end of April 2026.
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