Nearly 200 leaders from cities, finance, startups and international organizations will gather in New York to implement circular economy solutions.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The circular economy is increasingly becoming an issue of industrial competitiveness, resource security, supply-chain resilience and investment, not only environmental policy.

On Sept. 25, approximately 200 leaders from cities, global businesses, investors, startups and international organizations will gather in New York for the Global Forum on Circular Economy and Urban Resilience, hosted by the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas during Climate Week NYC 2026.

The forum will focus on a central question: how can we connect urban and industrial challenges be connected with the technologies, capital and business partnerships needed to move circular solutions from discussion to practical implementation?

One of the forum’s key features will be a Japanese Corporate Reverse Pitch. Rather than asking startups to pitch their technologies, major Japanese companies will present real business challenges, technology needs and innovation priorities to international startups.

Sumitomo Corporation, Chiyoda International Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and ENEOS Americas Inc. will participate, representing sectors including energy, manufacturing, engineering and global business. The aim is to identify technologies and partners foster partnerships that can lead to pilots, joint development, investment and commercial collaboration.

The program will also examine how emerging technologies are reshaping approaches to the circular economy.

An Innovation Leaders Dialogue will feature Sun Metalon, which develops technology to convert metal scrap generated at manufacturing sites into high-quality reusable material; Closed Loop Partners, a New York-based investment firm focused on the circular economy; Hitachi, which is advancing Physical AI across manufacturing and urban infrastructure; and ShibuLA Ventures, which supports startup and business development between Japan and the United States.

The discussion will explore what it takes to move promising technologies beyond pilot projects and into industrial deployment, investment and commercial scale.

From Yokohama to New York The New York forum builds on momentum created earlier this month at the Asia-Pacific Circular Cities Forum (APCC-Forum), held Sept. 2–4 in Yokohama.

The forum brought together cities, international organizations and other stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific to address circular economy challenges that increasingly intersect with economic growth, climate action, resource security and urban development.

Three weeks later, that momentum is being carried to New York and expanded to include companies, investors and technology startups.

The goal is to connect challenges identified by cities with the necessary technology, capital and business capabilities needed to address them, creating a pathway from international dialogue to pilots, investment and implementation.

The afternoon Policy & Leadership Forum will feature a keynote by Jibran Ahmed, Lead of Economic Development, Urban Transformation at the World Economic Forum, along with perspectives from leaders connected to the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste, Columbia Climate School, World Resources Institute, Bankable Zero and the City of Yokohama.

For media, the forum offers an opportunity to cover multiple dimensions of the circular economy in one venue: corporate demand for new technologies, Physical AI and manufacturing, metal resource circularity, investment, commercialization, and emerging collaboration between Asia and North America. The initiative will continue beyond New York, connecting the momentum to GREEN×EXPO 2027 and future Asia-Pacific Circular Cities Forum activities in Yokohama.

Event Information

Global Forum on Circular Economy and Urban Resilience

Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 | 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. EDT

Club 135 by Industrious | 135 W 50th Street, New York, NY 10020

In person | English | Invitation only; registration approval required

Expected attendance: Approximately 200 Event information and registration: https://luma.com/ohk6hfn7

Media Contact

Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas info@businessyokohama.com

Masahiro Nishikawa
City of Yokohama, Representative to the Americas
+1 646-905-3758
email us here