Winners Chosen from 170 Innovative Startups Worldwide.

CCUS technologies continue to play a crucial role in achieving global decarbonization goals. Among the key sectors where these technologies are applied, transportation and industry stand out due to their high emissions and limited electrification options. Below, we provide a brief analysis of these applications.

The Call4Circular x Greenthesis project promotes innovation in the circular economy by involving startups and SMEs in four key areas. Presented at Ecomondo, the project highlights the value of strategic collaboration, as explained in the interview with CTO Roberto Zocchi.

One of the most debated topics is the need for a clearly defined regulatory framework that allows all actors involved—particularly private investors—to understand the “rules of the game.” This is essential for planning coherent investment strategies and reducing uncertainty about expected returns.

Hiro Robotics and Finapp, two pioneering startups in the field of innovative technologies, share how their collaboration with the Iren Group accelerated their journey to success. This article delves into their cutting-edge solutions, their experience with the Iren Startup Award: Call 4 Artificial Intelligence, and advice for companies looking to engage in open innovation projects.

With contributions from experts at the Circular Economy Lab, we will explore the main impacts associated with CO2 emissions and key trends within a circular economy framework related to its capture and utilization. We will also analyze the regulatory framework and technological levers that support CCUS processes and techniques, concluding with examples of best practices aimed at fostering synergistic approaches to CO2 capture and valorization, always from a circular economy perspective.

The Call4Circular x Greenthesis | Innovation for Environmental Services, an initiative of circular open innovation promoted by the Circular Economy Lab—a joint project of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Cariplo Factory—for Greenthesis, has recently concluded successfully. The objective was to identify and support innovative projects in environmental services, engaging entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs ready to contribute cutting-edge solutions.

the Carborem team talks about their innovative solution from their experience and success through their collaboration with the Greenthesis Group, thanks to the Trace x Greenthesis project, implemented by the Circular Economy Lab. They also share valuable advice for startups and innovative realities that wish to participate in the Call4Circular x Greenthesis regarding the concrete opportunities that, participation in entrepreneurial development paths of this kind, offer.

In a system based on the principles of a circular economy, the process of treating, separating, purifying, and recirculating wastewater takes on an important role: the substances contained in the water can be considered new resources to be reintroduced into circulation, enhancing what is currently considered a waste. 

An efficient and sustainable management of water resources impacts, directly or indirectly, 10 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda. This is highlighted in the fifth edition of the white paper “Valore Acque per l’Italia” published by Ambrosetti in 2024, underscoring the primary and transversal role that water resources play in the transition process Europe is undertaking to secure a competitive, resilient, and sustainable future.

The Circular Economy Lab played a crucial role in supporting IVECO BUS in identifying use cases and strategic partners for the co-design and implementation of projects based on Demand Responsive Transport technology. Through precise mapping and targeted engagement at the national level, the CE Lab identified contexts and entities among universities, institutions, and corporate bodies most suitable for collaborating on the creation of innovative digital mobility solutions.

On 21 May, the first edition of the project came to an end and, during the closing event, the report ‘Circularity in the Lombardy population’ was presented, summarising the results of the survey carried out by the students as part of the project.

In the prestigious setting of Mind Innovation Week, the Demo Day of the Circular Water 4 Healthcare project took place.

The water is the essential element for human societies and natural environments to continue to thrive over time. Water is the foundation of civilization and progress, and it is the cornerstone of human history, past, present, and future.

A morning dedicated to deepen the characteristics of the circular economy and its impact on the daily lives of millions of people. A fundamental moment of exchange and dialogue between experts and high school students. An opportunity to explore how the circular economy model adds value to things, processes and the relationship between objects and raw materials, making each individual feel like an active part of a broader and interdependent context. 

A tailored research and project work activity aimed at preparing the future students and professionals of the circular economy: this was the goal and content of the meetings that the Circular Economy Lab team held between November 2023 and January 2024 for Sustainability Management School (SUMAS), a Swiss business school based in the Tortona district of Milan.

Recently concluded, the Call4Circular | Circular Water 4 Healthcare is the circular open innovation project promoted by SYNLAB and Bracco, in partnership with IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi – Sant’Ambrogio (Gruppo San Donato), within the context of Federated Innovation @MIND, and executed by the Circular Economy Lab, an initiative by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Cariplo Factory.. The project has generated significant interest both nationally and internationally.

The circular economy in the agrifood sector is characterized “by design” by the regenerative agriculture, where cultivation and harvesting phases are studied and designed to generate healthy nutrients and foods while optimizing the use of resources and preserving and regenerating the surrounding environment.

Continues until February 2024 the pilot edition of the "Circular Agents - Laboratorio di Futuro", the civic education course for secondary schools of I level in Lombardy conceived by the CE Lab and realized by WeSchool with the support of Intesa Sanpaolo and Fondazione Cariplo.

As we have seen in occasion of the first article of this series of insights on the food system, the limits of the linear economy in agri-food are so evident that more and more companies and institutions are now engaged in redefining production processes towards a circular economy model aimed at reducing environmental and social impacts, reduce waste, make the supply chain more efficient and the traceability of the latter. All this, however, may be insufficient for this purpose if due account is not taken of new trends and consumer wishes. 

Intesa Sanpaolo and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, the Group company dedicated to frontier innovation and to the spread of the circulator economy have signed a Strategic Master Agreement with the Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates in order to promote the adoption of the circular economy principles and the design of a circular ecosystem in the country. The Circular Economy Lab (an initiative created by Cariplo Factory and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center) will also contribute to the project, with its heritage of expertise and experience in the field of circular transformation.

The global food production system is now under unprecedented pressure. In fact, it is estimated that 50% of food production is at risk due to actual climate change, with the consequent inability to satisfy a growing demand resulting from the expansion of the world population.  

Also Circular Economy Lab takes part in the sixth edition of Milano Digital Week, the biggest italian event about innovation and digital culture, with a review of seven encounters dedicated to circular transition titolated “Dialoghi circolari”, organized with Cariplo Factory, Fondazione Silvio Tronchetti Provera and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, under the patronage of Fondazione Cariplo. 

The circular economy is a key strategy for meeting the climate, regulatory and supply challenges of the transport sector of the future. It is not surprising, therefore, that many large companies in the "automotive" sector have long undertaken circular transition paths in production processes and sales models, through processes that involve the entire production chain and lead to the emergence of new roles, responsibilities, partnerships and services offered to customers.

Over 100 innovative start-ups and SMEs participated in Iren’s circular economy contest.

The Call4Circular | Circular products and materials promoted by the Iren Group in the context of the Iren Startup Award in collaboration with the Circular Economy Lab - a project of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Cariplo Factory – has sparked lot of interest.

A moment of reflection and sharing to support businesses and network members in the implementation of the principles of circular economy: this was the goal of the Network Workshop that was held in Amsterdam last 20-20 March, organized by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation with the participation of over 500 representatives of companies, institutions, non-profit organizations and universities, including a delegation of the Circular Economy Lab and Intesa Sanpaolo.

Fighting climate change by reducing CO2 emissions and waste production is possible, also thanks to circular glass packaging: this was the central theme of the Re-use Lab 2023 event promoted by Veralia, a French group that is one of the world's leading producers of glass packaging for beverages and food products and one of the most advanced companies in the circular economy. Among the guests of the event, held on 16 March 2023 in COPERNICO Isola for S32 in Milan, there was Daniele Accardi of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Head of Circular Economy Lab.

Reducing emissions through a sustainable, smart and resilient transport system: this is the goal of the 'Strategy for Sustainable and Smart Mobility' envisaged by the European Green Deal to achieve complete climate neutrality by 2050, also through a green and digital transformation of the transport sector. Features - those of sustainability, digitalisation and resilience of the sector - that it is worth to examine in detail in order to anticipate the concrete effects that they will have in the various production sectors.

Digitization of customer interface systems and data analytics, electrification of filling stations, more efficient use of water resources in washing systems, natural regeneration, and air quality: these are the four key sectors in which the collaboration between Aquila Energie and the nine startup selected will continue on the occasion of the Call4Energy | The Mobility Evolution, successfully created by the Tuscan company in collaboration with the Circular Economy Lab team.

Dependence on the use of raw materials that are increasingly difficult to find, poor efficiency in the use and disposal of end-of-life vehicles, emissions of climate-changing gases, and consequences for the financial resources of families: while contributing significantly to the labor market and the growth of the economy, the transport industry is one of the sectors with the most impact on our continent due to a linear model of development which has shown all its limits in recent years.

Over 14.4 billion euros of savings were reached in Italy at the end of 2021 thanks to the adoption of circular economy managerial practices. This is the first important step towards the goal of over 100 billion euros that can be saved by 2030, thanks to the complete transition to the circular economy, and the reduction of almost 1.9 MtCO2 of emissions. 

“Call4Circular | Circular products and materials", promoted by Gruppo Iren in the context of the Iren Startup Award in collaboration with Circular Economy Lab - a project by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Cariplo Factory - is the initiative whose objective is to develop circular open innovation projects in the context of the Group's business activities, in line with the company's decarbonization and energy transition objectives.

Over two-thirds of the startups and SMEs involved in the first phase of Aquila Energie’s Call 4 Energy | The Mobility Evolution come from abroad. Only twenty will continue in the cognitive and assessment calls.

The world of transport is in a phase of profound change and among the trends that are most redefining the rules of the market is certainly the phenomenon of sharing mobility. The Circular Economy Lab supports Iveco in this transformative journey. 

The results of the new Technology Transfer Hub dedicated to sustainability, created on the initiative of CDP Venture Capital SGR and of which the Circular Economy Lab is a technical partner, were presented. The complete video of the meeting and the speech by Massimiano Tellini, Global Head Circular Economy of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center.

The appointments of the Circular Economy Lab continue in collaboration with the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center team: a brief summary of our meetings in September and October at Futura Expo in Brescia and the ESG Laboratories in Montebelluna. 

According to the European Commission, textile consumption in Europe ranks fourth in terms of the greatest impact on the environment and climate change after food, housing and mobility; it is also the third most consumed sector in terms of water and land use and the fifth most consumed in terms of primary raw material use. 

The new legislative, technological and market developments represent decisive challenges for the textile, clothing and fashion industry. 

"We have decided to launch the Call 4Energy | The Mobility Evolution with the Circular Economy Lab because we firmly believe in the transition towards sustainable mobility and we are convinced that these battles cannot be won alone”.

Filippo Cecchi, CEO of Aquila Energie.

The challenges facing the textile, clothing and fashion industry are spread throughout the supply chain and require collaboration and dialogue between parties, manageable through an open innovation approach. 

May was the month of Circular Economy: the team of the Circular Economy Lab met managers and students in the occasion of workshops and lectures dedicated to the topics of circularity and the impact in terms of business and resilience. 

The Circular Economy Lab team meets the startups of the fifth edition of B Heroes for an event dedicated to the principles of the Circular Economy; a workshop in which were discussed the fundamental topics for the sustainable development of startups were discussed.

After two years of virtual meetings, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation brought together its strategic partners for the Circular Economy Workshop, a two-day event dedicated to the challenges and opportunities created by the transition to sustainable and regenerative business models. 

The collaboration between Circular Economy Lab and Intesa Sanpaolo continues for the ESG Laboratory: the project that supports Italian companies in the sustainable transition through in-depth meetings and workshops in which the companies participating in the project share their experiences and are supported in the identification of improvement actions and initiatives.

To date, the textile and clothing industry is still characterized by a strongly linear trend. According to the Circular Economy Action Plan published in 2020 by the European Commission, textiles is the fourth sector for use of raw materials and water (after food, construction and transport) and the fifth for greenhouse gas emissions. Which are problems of the textile, clothing and fashion sector?

The challenges of achieving the circularity of the system require an integrated approach along the supply chain. Based on the type of raw material adopted and the final applications implemented, three main strategic actions can be outlined. 

The plastic packaging sector is based mainly on a linear model and this generates negative repercussions on the environment and society, as well as dispersing precious material that would still be exploitable, with benefits in terms of profitability and employment. The challenges to achieve the circularity of the system are widespread throughout the supply chain and require collaboration and dialogue between the parties, which can be managed through an approach that embraces the entire value chain. 

The circular economy model consists in designing out waste and pollution from products and services, in keeping materials in use through multiple cycles, in regenerating the natural capital extracted from the planet. At present, the plastic packaging sector is instead based on a mainly linear model of production and consumption (e.g. disposable products) and it needs a circular transformation to generate positive externalities on the environment and society, while maintaining the competitiveness of the sector.

Call4Circular Packaging - The value of vegetal fibers, the circular open innovation project created by the Circular Economy for Ecopack starts today with the aims to identify innovative materials in vegetable fibers. The goal is to replace vergin plastic packaging and containers used in the food sector. 

The plastic packaging sector is based on a mainly linear model of production and consumption (e.g. disposable products) and for this reason it generates negative repercussions on the environment and society, as well as wasting precious materials that would still be exploitable and it would bring positive economic benefits, in terms of profitability and employment.

Twenty million euros available to companies for green transition and circular economy training.

With Notice no. 2/2021, Fondimpresa finances shared plans aimed at training the employees of the companies adhering to the Fund, who are carrying out a project or an intervention as part of their activities.

The transition to the circular economy represents a fundamental step to ensure that large companies, as well as SMEs, can become increasingly sustainable and prepared to face the future. As evidence of the centrality of the theme of circularity, Intesa Sanpaolo has created a podcast that describes the best practices and initiatives of the Circular Economy Lab.

The Alliance for the Circular Economy launches the second edition of the thematic notebooks, the initiative conceived by 18 companies including Intesa Sanpaolo.

The first acceleration batch of The Circulars Accelerator has reached the final stage, the acceleration program - promoted by Accenture - which catalyzes circular innovation through the collaboration of innovators and entrepreneurs with leaders and experts in the sector, in order to obtain new ones in the name of circularity, of which the Circular Economy Lab is a supporter.

A few days ago Hacking the City | Design a Circular Future took place, the first Hackathon realized by Tondo - an international non-profit organization operating in the circular economy sector - in collaboration with the Circular Economy Lab of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Cariplo Factory and with the patronage of Fondazione Cariplo.

Milano Digital Week, the event promoted by the Municipality of Milan - Department of Digital Transformation and Civic Services - and organized by IAB Italia, Cariplo Factory and Hublab, starts again from 17 to 21 March 2021.[...]

If we keep on exploiting resources as we do now, by 2050 we would need the resources of three Earths. [...]

Milan Digital Week starts again from 17 to 21 March, the event promoted by the Municipality of Milan - Department of Digital Transformation and Civic Services - and organized by IAB Italia[...]

Press Release - Tondo - an international non-profit organization operating in the circular economy sector - is pleased to announce its first hackathon, organized in collaboration [...]

The adoption of an economic system that is no longer linear will be crucial to determine how the world will be able to respond to the current pandemic and [...]

The Circular Economy Lab has been one of the protagonists of the 2021 edition of the Asian Financial Forum, the main financial event in Asia-Pacific organized every year [...]

There are 131 startups and innovative SMEs that have applied, from almost 20 countries, to the call of "Circularity goes digital". The initiative promoted by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Cariplo Factory, Microsoft, and carried out by the Circular Economy Lab [...]

With the aim of advancing the "true" circularity, the one that wants to minimize the consumption of matter in all its forms, the Alliance for the Circular Economy was born involving Made in Italy companies, leaders in different production sectors.

Trace x Greenthesis ended, the project of Open Innovation - realized by the Circular Economy Lab for Greenthesis - aimed at startups in the post-seed phase and innovative SMEs, with the aim of supporting the growth of innovative projects

The COVID crisis reinforced the need to contrast climate change, biodiversity loss and pandemics. Economic regeneration should address public funds […]

The circular economy aims to decouple business and local area economic growth from the consumption of finite natural resources to safeguard a planet that will host 9 billion people by 2050.

Recently the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the leading international player on circular economy issues, announced IKEA joining its network of partners. Specifically, IKEA becomes Strategic Partner of the foundation, with the aim of transforming itself into a completely circular company by 2030.

If it is true that our economy is increasingly data-driven, demographic trends offer us interesting insights on how the world is changing and on what it will be like in 20 or 30 years: ignoring this information means wasting a great opportunity.

The Circular Economy is the value creation paradigm that aims to divide the development of businesses and territories from the consumption of exhaustible natural resources, capable of supporting the economy of a planet that will host 10 billion individuals by 2050.