The Results of the Call4Circular x Greenthesis | Innovation for Environmental Services
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 call attracted significant interest, with 111 applications from various countries. The majority of applications (77) came from Italy, while 24 proposals were from other European nations and 10 from international contexts. The ideas presented were evenly distributed among the four main areas of interest, demonstrating the variety of challenges within the circular economy.
The most represented area was AI & Digital, accounting for 30% of the proposals, focusing on artificial intelligence and digital technologies to optimize resources and improve the operational efficiency of companies. Following this, Material Recovery garnered 26% of the applications, where projects concentrated on recovering critical materials such as hard-to-recycle plastics, electronic components, and biomass.
The Water and Energy & Environment areas both received 22% of the proposals. In the former, the presented solutions address water resource management and pollutant treatment, while the latter focuses on clean energy production and reducing environmental impact.
The technologies proposed by the startups show a high level of maturity (TRL), with an average between 7 and 8, indicating that many solutions are already ready for the implementation or industrialization phase.
These results highlight the innovative potential of the proposals and the strategic value of the Call4Circular x Greenthesis in promoting technologies capable of addressing global environmental challenges.
The selected entities will have the opportunity to participate in the Selection Day, scheduled for October 28th, during which up to a maximum of 10 startups will be chosen to advance to the subsequent phases of the initiative, aimed at developing concrete collaborations with the Greenthesis Group.
Additionally, these startups will have the opportunity to be presented to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for evaluation, with the possibility of joining the EMF Community Platform and being included in the prestigious Circular Startup Index. This opportunity serves as a launchpad for establishing a presence internationally in the field of the circular economy.