The first workshop of the Circle-In project, “Circular economy: challenges and opportunities for SMS in the cooperation area” took place on 12 December 2018 in Lecce. Organized by the Laboratory of Management Engineering of the University of Salento, together with the Chamber of Commerce of Foggia and the Chambers of Commerce of Ioannina and Lefkada, the workshop has been conceived as an open and participatory event aimed to enhance the awareness on the topics of circular economy, to acquire useful inputs for the future actions of the project, to identify good practices and needs for the development of a strategic agenda able to support the development of innovative entrepreneurship in coherence with the principles of the circular economy.
The circular economy can be realized starting from an innovation, be it of product, process, market or organizational model. In this sense, therefore, the circular economy is realized through the valorization of technical and scientific know-how in innovative entrepreneurial processes capable of generating social and economic value. The new approach involves the local stakeholders, from the university to the public administrations, from the enterprises, start-ups and the professional associations until the citizens, in particular the new generations. Their involvement in creating a culture of sustainability and respect for the environment is essential for the future that awaits us.
Accordingly, the workshop has seen the participation of several local stakeholders. The workshop consisted of three main sessions. A first institutional session started with the welcome of Giuseppe Grassi, Director of Department of Engineering of Innovation at the University of Salento, Alessandro Delli Noci, Deputy Major of Lecce and Giuseppina Passiante, Scientific Coordinator of the Laboratory of Management Engineering at the University of Salento.
A second session more focused on the technical topics of the circular economy has followed with the contributions of Grazia Barberio, Responsible for the Coordination of Activity on Circular Economy and the Italian Circular Economy Stakeholders’ Platform ICESP at ENEA, Teresa Dina Valentini, component of the team for long term projects on circular economy and carbon neutrality ENI SpA, Davide De Nicolò project manager at Tecnopolis, and Pasquale Del Vecchio, researcher at the Laboratory of Management Engineering at the University of Salento and project manager of CIRCLE-IN. Grazia Barberio of ENEA – Agenzia nazionale presented the two platforms to know and discuss about this issue:
1. Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform – ICESP
2. European Circular Economy stakeholder Platform.
A good and inspiring discussion, rich of interesting experiences, during the third session workshop. Vito Albino of ARTI Puglia led the technical session which had the following actors:
Piccinni Marcello of Fiusis Srl produces electricity thanks to the combustion of wood chips, collected in the Salento campaigns as a waste of pruning of olive trees. Maria Giovanna Tarantini of AGRO L’olio del Salento speaked about the recycling of oil pomace in energy. Viola Margiotta of ECOMET Srl talked about the collection of the metal material and the production of raw materials adapted to be recast into steel mill or foundry. Michele Montinaro has remembered the importance of training the younger generation in the field of separate collection of waste. Vito Emanuele Carofiglio presented the EggPlants srl company which provides advanced bioplastic-based solutions by reusing the wastewater.
In the next months, four info points will be opened by the project’s partners as points of listening for all those who, citizens, institutions and businesses, will want to deepen the topics of the circular economy and be updated on the initiatives of the CIRCLE-IN project. The project will also include a competition between innovative business ideas and the awarding of training vouchers to the most promising initiatives.
