Circular innovation: companies and startups together at the final event of the Italian Alliance for the Circular Economy

Startups and innovation at the heart of the Call4Circular Solutions

The core of the day was the presentation of the finalist startups of Call4Circular Solutions – Shaping Italy’s Circular Future, the open innovation program promoted by the Alliance with the support of the Circular Economy Lab.

Following a scouting phase and evaluation of applications, the selected startups presented their pitches during a Demo Day structured into three thematic clusters, aligned with the strategic areas identified by the Alliance:

• Critical Raw Materials (CRM): technologies for the recovery, separation, and valorization of critical raw materials from batteries, WEEE, and photovoltaic panels, with the goal of reducing dependence on foreign resources and increasing the resilience of European supply chains. The finalist startups showcased solutions ranging from advanced robotics to bio‑based recycling and automated industrial disassembly systems.
• Supply chain digitalization and traceability: digital solutions to improve data quality and availability along supply chains, enable the Digital Product Passport, and support compliance, impact assessment, and data‑driven circular models
• Valorization of underutilized real estate assets: models and technologies for the regeneration of spaces and infrastructures through approaches based on location intelligence, digital twins, ESG analytics, and new management logics such as the furniture‑as‑a‑service model.

The presentations, divided between pitches and Q&A sessions with the Alliance’s companies, highlighted the high level of maturity of the selected solutions and the collaboration opportunities through pilot projects, Proofs of Concept, commercial partnerships, and corporate venture capital initiatives.

International contribution and the Alliance’s annual work

The morning opened with introductory remarks from Viviana Bacigalupo, General Director of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, and Carlo Mango, Vice Chief Philanthropic Officer of Fondazione Cariplo and Delegate Director of Cariplo Factory. This was followed by the contribution of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – with an address by Alice Bodreau, Business Partnerships Lead – offering an overview of the state of circular economy at both European and global levels.

Subsequently, the outcomes of the Alliance’s annual activities were presented, with a focus on the three strategic areas of the Call4Circular Solutions and the priority trajectories explored in 2025.

The Alliance’s position on the Circular Economy Act

During the event, the Joint Statement prepared by the Alliance’s companies in 2025 ahead of the publication of the future European Circular Economy Act was also presented.

The document outlines a common stance and proposes recommendations to support:

• industrial competitiveness,
• supply chain resilience,
• regeneration models aligned with the objectives of the Alliance’s Manifesto.

Next steps and closing remarks

In their closing remarks, Massimiano Tellini, Head of Circular Economy at Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, and Enrico Noseda, Chief Innovation Advisor at Cariplo Factory, outlined the Alliance’s future priorities, reaffirming the key role of collaboration among companies, startups, and institutions in shaping innovative and sustainable development models.