Crafting the Future: How Starhaus Innovations Advance Sustainable Governance and Align with UN SDGs

Abstract

The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sec­tor is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and plastic waste, underscoring the urgency of sys­temic innovation in production and consumption. STARHAUS project, funded by the European Union, addresses this challenge by advancing a decentral­ized, human-centric, and circular model of manufac­turing. Rooted in Industry 5.0 and the New European Bauhaus, it combines technological development with social sciences, artistic experimentation, and community co-design to create sustainable and in­clusive innovation ecosystems.

This article examines STARHAUS’s theoretical foundations, methodology, and emerging outcomes, situating them within the global sustainability agen­da. Using grounded theory, document analysis, and early empirical evidence, it introduces the STAR­HAUS–SDG Alignment Framework, which demon­strates contributions to SDGs 9 (Industry, Innova­tion, Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), and 17 (Part­nerships), with ripple effects on health, education, gender equality and sustainable urban development. Four industrial use cases – pet food, fertilizers, bev­erages, and cereals – illustrate the adaptability and replicability of its Manufacturing Demonstration Fa­cilities.

Findings position STARHAUS as a replicable blueprint for socio-ecological transition, linking technological innovation, community engagement, and policy objectives. Beyond its industrial and technological focus, STARHAUS contributes to the modernization of public governance by providing evidence-based models for policy design, local in­novation management, and citizen engagement. Its participatory approach demonstrates how sustain­ability transitions can be embedded in administra­tive decision-making and multi-level governance.