Circular Economy and Industrial Symbiosis, a new path for manufacturing

In the next decades, the transition to Circular Economy will represent a new paradigm for a sustainable and profitable growth, decoupling economic growth from the use of resource consumption. Recent studies establish that, thanks to digital progress, the transition from current business models to more sustainable models will create an economic return of $ 4.5 trillion in 2030.

Thus, CRIT seminar will provide the key elements to understand the new industrial paradigm underneath Circular Economy and its potential applications in the context of manufacturing companies.
Firstly, theoretical principles and aims of Circular Economy will be illustrated by highlighting its role in the European agenda for economic development, and underlining its role as a lever for business management (design, servitization, reverse logistics). Emphasis will be given to the interconnections with the Industry 4.0 development plan and related technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D Printing, Big Data & Analytics, Clouds and digital platforms.
Moreover, an approach to Circular Economy based on life cycle analysis (LCA) will be illustrated. The LCA is one of the main tools for the assessment of resource use and process planning, making it a useful tool for the development of Circular Economy strategies.

Practical case studies will be shown, to demonstrate the feasibility of Circular Economy. Astelav, one of the leading European companies in the distribution of spare parts for household appliances, will illustrate the RIGENERATION project (https://www.ri-generation.com/it/) concerning the interception and reconditioning of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Subsequently, the Spanish research center IRIS will present principles and case studies related to the application of industrial symbiosis in manufacturing contexts.
In conclusion, a brief summary of the contents emerged during the seminar will be offered, focusing attention on the main actions and possible strategies to be adopted during the transition phase towards Circular Economy new paradigm.

This seminar is organized within the activities of the Interreg Central Europe NUCLEI Project coordinated by CRIT.