Tag: Sustainability

The role of digital technologies in the circular transition of the textile sector

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè

 

Digital technologies are transforming the textile sector, an industry with a high environmental impact, towards a more circular and sustainable model. A study conducted by the POLIMI School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano explores how solutions such as IoT, blockchain and artificial intelligence can reduce waste, improve transparency and optimise processes throughout the product lifecycle, laying the foundations for a more responsible and innovative supply chain.

 

European textile consumption has the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate change. The textile industry faces resource-intensive and environmental issues due to the linear economy, which is based on a take-make-waste approach. Despite the growing awareness of these issues and the industry’s efforts to adopt Circular Economy (CE) practices aimed at reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling products, the integration of circular principles throughout the entire product lifecycle remains fragmented. In addition, Digital Technologies (DT) like IoT, blockchain, and AI are widely acknowledged as promising enablers of this transition.

A study by Rabia Hassan, PhD student at the School of Management, Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with Federica Acerbi, Paolo Rosa, and Sergio Terzi, examines the role of digital technologies in the circular transition of the textile sector across product lifecycle stages published in the Journal of the Textile Institute.

The study critically analyzes the literature to offer insights into the possible and efficient use of digital technologies in textile manufacturing from design to the disposal stage. The paper highlights technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D technologies, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital platforms, which are essential in enabling this transition. These technologies enhance supply chain transparency, optimize production processes, and promote recycling and reuse. For instance, IoT allows better materials tracking, blockchain ensures secure and transparent transactions, and AI can forecast trends and manage waste more effectively. The authors proposed a conceptual framework to include these technologies along the product lifecycle stages to assist firms in the textile industry in achieving circularity through digitalization.

Although the application of these technologies has advantages in the textile industry, there are some issues that this industry must meet while adopting them. Some of the challenges are high implementation costs, limited infrastructure, and the need for workforce training. Thus, the authors urge establishing strategic partnerships between IT suppliers and textile businesses, raising awareness about the need for proper government support for sustainable digitalization, and considering other forms of clients’ financing, including leasing and using new technologies as services.

Tackling the evolutionary nature of supply chain configuration in the transition to the circular economy

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè

Supply chain transformation is a critical challenge for companies seeking a more sustainable business model. A new study proposes a strategic framework to help companies navigate this transition while maintaining flexibility and adaptability in an uncertain industry environment.

 

The transition toward a circular economy (CE) is a complex and necessary shift for our industries. Companies are increasingly tasked with transforming their linear supply chains into closed-loop supply chains (CLSC), integrating reverse logistics and recovery processes. This transformation is a response to environmental concerns and a strategy to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving industrial landscape. The automotive sector, in particular, is at the forefront of this major change.

In the research paper “Strategic closed-loop supply chain configuration in the transition towards the circular economy of EV batteries: an evolutionary analytical framework”, by Chizaryfard Armaghan, Yulia Lapko and Paolo Trucco, the authors introduce an innovative framework that offers a big-picture, evolutionary approach to developing closed-loop supply chains (CLSCs). The paper has been recognized with the Outstanding Paper Award at the 2024 Emerald Literati Awards in the International Journal of Logistics Management. This recognition highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research in shaping closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) as we transition to a circular economy. By examining the dynamic interactions between technology innovation, product design, supply chain planning, and infrastructure development, the framework addresses the uncertainties and adaptive challenges faced in today’s unpredictable business environment, helping businesses navigate the complex journey from traditional linear models to circular ones.

It is especially relevant for industries like electric vehicles (EVs), where technology and markets are changing rapidly and unpredictably. Creating a CLSC for EV batteries isn’t just about small tweaks—it requires a comprehensive, long-term strategy that considers how technologies, market conditions, and relationships between organizations evolve together.

 

An Evolutionary view on Closed-Loop Supply Chain configuration

For those working in the field, this framework provides valuable insights and practical strategies to tackle the uncertainties and challenges that come with such a significant transformation.
Here are some key takeaways:

  • Bringing Together Short-Term and Long-Term Planning

Aligning immediate actions with future goals is crucial when developing a CLSC, especially in unpredictable technological and market landscapes. For example, companies dealing with EV batteries need strategies that account for the gradual increase in returned batteries and the evolving technologies for end-of-life management. When selecting suppliers, businesses should choose partners who can handle current low demands and scale up as returns and recycling technologies grow. This alignment ensures flexibility and the ability to adapt operations as market conditions change.

  • Building in Flexibility and Adaptation

Flexibility is at the heart of this framework. Supply chains must be adaptable, ready to evolve as technologies and markets do. Companies can develop transition strategies that allow for gradual changes instead of sudden overhauls. By adopting transitional configurations, businesses can slowly increase their involvement in processes like remanufacturing or recycling without overcommitting resources too soon. This approach reduces the risk of getting locked into less-than-ideal strategies and provides the agility to adjust as new information emerges.

  • Encouraging Collaboration and Co-Development

Navigating technological changes outside a company’s core expertise presents a dilemma: Should a company invest heavily to acquire new knowledge, collaborate with suppliers, or rely entirely on external partners? Co-developing technologies allows companies to maintain some control over innovation while sharing risks and benefits. This balance between independence and cooperation helps companies stay competitive during uncertain times. However, relying too much on suppliers for critical technologies can limit flexibility. Companies must carefully consider their long-term goals to ensure their supply chains remain resilient and adaptable.

  • Handling Path Dependencies and Avoiding Getting Stuck

Early decisions can set a course that’s hard to change later—a concept known as path dependency. If a company invests too heavily in a specific technology or supplier, it might struggle to pivot when new innovations arise. The framework suggests designing supply chains with flexibility in mind, avoiding choices that could lead to being stuck with outdated methods. By staying adaptable, companies can embrace new opportunities without being hindered by past commitments.

  • Leveraging Interconnected Strengths

Different parts of a supply chain often enhance each other. Improvements in one area can positively impact the entire system. For instance, a better battery design can make recycling processes more efficient and foster smoother collaboration with recycling partners. These interconnected strengths, or complementarities, are crucial for stability and progress. However, companies need to manage them carefully to avoid becoming too dependent on a specific technology or partner, which could limit future flexibility.

 

Putting the Framework into Action
To apply this framework, professionals working in the field may start by mapping out their current supply chain and pinpoint areas where flexibility and collaboration are needed. Develop strategies that allow for gradual improvements, setting short-term goals while keeping long-term objectives in focus. Establish systems to monitor technological and market changes so that the supply chain can respond effectively. This proactive approach helps avoid the pitfalls of path dependency and ensures the company remains agile.

Looking Ahead

This evolutionary framework offers a powerful tool for navigating the shift toward closed-loop supply chains in a circular economy. By emphasizing long-term planning, flexibility, collaboration, and mindful decision-making, it provides practical guidance for building resilient and adaptable supply chains.

As industries evolve and the importance of CLSCs grows, this framework will be invaluable for companies aiming to stay ahead, especially in sectors like electric vehicles where uncertainties are high. By embracing these insights, businesses can create supply chains that meet today’s needs and are prepared for tomorrow’s challenges.

 

Read the full paper:

Chizaryfard A., Lapko Y., Trucco P., “Strategic closed-loop supply chain configuration in the transition towards the circular economy of EV batteries: an evolutionary analytical framework”,
The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 34, No. 7, 2023, pp. 142-176

The role of 4.0 technologies in improving sustainability at logistics facilities

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè

The research analyses how 4.0 technologies can improve sustainability at logistics facilities, identifying opportunities for efficiency increase and environmental impact reduction. The study highlights several areas for improvement, considering economic, social and environmental implications.

 

With the increasing complexity of supply chains, the need to reduce delivery times and to address ever more demanding customers’ requirements, logistics managers are increasingly relying on a combination of warehouse solutions where manual activities coexist with automation, also supported by 4.0 technologies, in order to balance flexibility and efficiency. These developments also have environmental and social implications, and there is growing pressure from stakeholders to consider the impact of such 4.0 technologies on the sustainability of logistics facilities.

These implications are the focus of a study recently published in the International Journal of Production Research (IJPR) entitled “Reviewing and conceptualising the role of 4.0 technologies for sustainable warehousing”.

The study is the result of an international collaboration between the POLIMI School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, with the participation of Prof. Sara Perotti and Eng. Luca Cannava, the University of Saarland in Germany, with the contribution of Prof. Eric H. Grosse, and the Bayes Business School in London, involving Prof. Jörg M. Ries.

Starting from a careful analysis of the scientific literature, the study develops a conceptual model to assess the sustainability impact of 4.0 solutions applied at logistics facilities, evaluating the economic, environmental and social perspectives, as well as the impact in terms of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by examining the application of 4.0 technologies in the different warehouse processes (e.g. receiving, storage, picking, packaging and shipping).

This systematic approach has made it possible to identify areas of intervention to make the warehousing processes more sustainable (e.g. in terms of reducing both consumption and carbon footprint), and to improve the operators’ working conditions according to a human-centric approach.

In particular, the research shows how the benefits of 4.0 technologies can only be achieved through an efficient integration within warehouse processes, whose effectiveness is closely linked to the processes involved. With regard to the spillovers associated with the adoption of 4.0 technologies, there are still major challenges related to the environmental and social impacts of such innovations.

Finally, the study identifies four main areas of development and opportunities for the future:

  • “Opportunities from a processual perspective”: related to the nature of warehouse processes, with a focus on picking activities;
  • “Opportunities from a technological perspective”:technological opportunities, including those related to the application of artificial intelligence solutions;
  • “Opportunities from a measurement perspective”:opportunities related to measurement/quantification both in terms of environmental KPIs and metrics related to the activities carried out by the operator, with a focus on the data collection and processing phases;
  • “Opportunities from a sustainability perspective”: opportunities related to sustainability, particularly in contexts where automation and operators coexist.

 

To read the complete article: Reviewing and conceptualising the role of 4.0 technologies for sustainable warehousing

STAPLES: strengthening resilience of cereal value chains

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè
The project focuses on Middle East and North Africa regions

 

Countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions are particularly exposed to shocks in international food markets, and especially cereals, due to their low internal food production capacity and their high reliance on imports.

To address this challenge and increase the resilience of MENA food systems, the STAPLES project, coordinated by Politecnico di Milano, Department of Management Economics and Industrial Engineering, has kicked off.

The project, funded under the PRIMA programme and supported by Horizon Europe, brings together a consortium of nine partners from Italy, Spain, Egypt, and Morocco including universities, think tanks and research organisations, cooperatives and a multi country business network gathering several Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Mediterranean region.

Over a timespan of three years, STAPLES aims at co-creating and disseminating new knowledge about the external stressors and shocks that are linked with global cereal value chains, along with potential solutions that local supply chain actors and policymakers can adopt to mitigate and manage effectively those destabilizing factors. Leveraging digital tools, new insights and data from available platforms will be integrated into a dashboard and a decision support system that will guide stakeholders in adopting evidence-based recommendations and actionable solutions identified by the project.

The POLIMI team is led by Prof. Federico Caniato and is composed of researchers from the Departments of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering (DIG) and Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB).

Altogether, they will be responsible for assessing the resilience of MENA’s cereal value chain, elaborating procurement recommendations for public and private storage, and developing digital tools informing private and public actors.

The project also sees the involvement of Fondazione Politecnico Milano who will support in project management and communication and dissemination activities.

A transition towards sustainable agricultural and forestry practices: the goal of the PRUDENT project

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè
A new European project with the aim of revolutionizing current practices and accelerating the transition towards environmentally friendly systems.

 

PRUDENT aims to change the way agricultural and forestry systems currently operate to accelerate the transition towards sustainable agricultural and forestry practices and intelligent agricultural technologies.

A four-year research project that makes innovation its cornerstone, studying the effectiveness of “green nudges” – a term that can be translated as gently pushing towards action – in promoting sustainable practices and technologies in the agricultural and forestry sectors and the development of social innovation and business models, along with policies supporting the future Common Agricultural Policy.

Four different systems representing the main agricultural and forestry systems will be studied to account for the heterogeneity of systems and agricultural/forestry contexts in various regions of Europe: arable land, perennial crops, livestock, and forests.

The concept of “Green nudges” plays a central role and focuses on positive and gentle interventions aimed at encouraging individuals or organizations to adopt sustainable behaviors, innovative nudging tools, and transformative pathways to incentivize the transition towards fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly systems.

Leveraging extensive experience in sustainability-oriented innovation for the agri-food sector and behavioral economics, the team from the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano is led by Raffaella Cagliano and Massimo Tavoni.

During a time span of four years, their multi-disciplinary team of researchers will work in close collaboration with Jacopo Bonan, from the affiliated entity CMCC (Fondazione Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici), to design nudging experiments and test the impact of nudges to promote sustained behavioural change towards sustainable agriculture and forestry.

The project leader is the Agricultural University of Athens (Greece). The partners include, in addition to the Polytechnic University of Milan, the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Belgium), the University of Trento (Italy), Green & Digital Idiotiki Kefalaiouchiki Etaireia (Greece), Balkan Eco-Innovations (Serbia), Athens University Of Economics And Business – Research Center (Greece), European Forest Institute (Finland), Q-plan International Advisors PC (Greece), Boerenbond (Belgium), AgriFood Lithuania DIH (Lithuania), Associazione Nazionale Condifesa Italia (Italy), Jrc -Joint Research Centre- European Commission (Belgium).

Industry5.0 – The Imperative of Sustainability in Manufacturing

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè
Not just an ethical considerations but a value for success. Sustainable production as an opportunity for producers to differentiate themselves in the current market.

 

Manufacturing Group, School of Management

 

Nowadays, the manufacturing industry stands at a critical crossroads where environmental sustainability is no longer just a buzzword but a must have. The imperative for sustainable practices in manufacturing goes beyond ethical considerations; it directly impacts financial viability, brand image, and regulatory compliance. As global awareness of environmental issues intensifies, stakeholders across the manufacturing sector are recognizing that sustainable practices are not just optional but essential for long-term success.

The financial case for environmental sustainability was initially perceived as a cost burden, instead, the sustainable practices, are now recognized as drivers of cost savings and operational efficiency. By reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste generation, and optimizing resource utilization, manufacturers can significantly lower their operating expenses. Investments in renewable energy sources, energy-efficient technologies, and waste reduction initiatives often lead to substantial long-term cost savings, enhancing profitability and competitiveness.

Moreover, sustainable manufacturing practices, like the adoption of circular economy strategies, mitigate financial risks associated with volatile resource prices and regulatory uncertainty. As the costs of raw materials and energy continue to fluctuate, companies that embrace sustainability are better positioned to weather market fluctuations and maintain stable production costs. Additionally, forward-thinking investors are increasingly factoring environmental performance into their decision-making processes, making sustainability initiatives attractive for capital investment and fostering sustainable growth.

In today’s socially conscious marketplace, brand image plays a key role in consumer perceptions and purchasing decisions. Companies that demonstrate a commitment to environmental sustainability not only attract environmentally conscious consumers but also enhance brand loyalty and reputation. Adopting sustainable manufacturing practices not only mitigates environmental impact but also shields companies from reputational damage and potential boycotts. By aligning their brand with values of corporate responsibility, manufacturers can differentiate themselves in the market and cultivate a positive brand image for both consumers and stakeholders. Indeed, companies that prioritize sustainability not only reap financial rewards through cost savings and operational efficiency but also enhance brand loyalty, mitigate reputational risks, and stay ahead of regulatory requirements.

Governments around the world are enacting increasingly stringent environmental regulations to address climate change, pollution, and resource depletion. From emissions standards to waste management regulations, manufacturers are facing a complex web of environmental mandates that necessitate proactive compliance measures. Failure to adhere to these regulations can result in costly fines, legal liabilities, and operational disruptions.

However, regulatory compliance is not just about avoiding penalties; it presents an opportunity for manufacturers to stay ahead of the curve and gain a competitive advantage. Furthermore, staying abreast of evolving regulations enables manufacturers to anticipate future compliance challenges and adapt their operations accordingly, ensuring long-term viability and resilience in an increasingly regulated environment.

As the manufacturing industry continues to evolve in response to global environmental challenges, embracing sustainability is not just a matter of responsibility; it is a strategic imperative for long-term success and resilience, it can position companies as industry leaders and let them gain preferential treatment from regulators, customers, and investors.

A sustainable-driven engine is especially relevant for the Italian manufacturing domain characterized by medium and small realities facing different challenges in pursuing such a transition due to limited financial capital, lack of skills, and lack of adequate infrastructure. Being aware about this challenging context, the Manufacturing Group of the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano aims at boosting the sustainable and circular transition of manufacturing companies by transferring the scientific knowledge generated in both national and international research projects into the industrial domain. To provide a complete support by covering the several aspects characterizing the transition, different but specific assessment methodologies have been developed.

Manufacturing companies can be supported in identifying the circular practices to be established internally to the company and externally by collaborating with external entities based on their strategic goals and current operations. Moreover, they could easily identify the set of data needed to establish such circular practices and chose the proper suppliers evaluating their sustainable oriented performances. Among all, considering the lack of skills perceived, the research group support companies in measuring this perception by mapping the skills and job profiles available internally to the company to identify proper training paths focused on circularity of sustainability dimensions.

 

Sustainability and health aspects in the development of the agri-food sector in Africa

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The course of IHEA foundation organised by the Politecnico di Milano was concluded at Addis Ababa

 

The intensive course “Sustainability and health aspects in the development of selected value chains of the agri-food sector in Ethiopia”, promoted by Fondazione IHEA – Italian Higher Education with Africa and organized by the Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with the Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health of the Università di Padova and the College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture of the Addis Abeba University, was concluded at Addis Ababa.

The course provided PhD students, young researchers and professionals with an integrated training on the role of agri-food section in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on the Ethiopian context, the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship, and aspects of food safety and animal health for the development of global value chains.

Federica Ciccullo, professor at the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Niso Randellini, PhD student, and Sandra Cesari de Maria, project manager at Food Sustainability Lab, collaborated for the Politecnico di Milano.

 

Transforming agrifood value chains: the Ploutos Sustainable Innovation Framework

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After three years of dedicated work, the Ploutos project, funded under the Horizon 2020 programme, successfully concluded in September 2023.

 

This initiative was designed to reshape the agri-food value chain, with a primary focus on fostering the transition towards more sustainable systems.

At its core, the project aimed to develop a Sustainable Innovation Framework (SIF) that took a systemic approach to the agri-food sector, leveraging on three key innovation streams: sustainable collaborative business model innovation, data-driven technology innovation and behavioural innovation.

To put theory into practice, the project realised 11 innovation pilots, representing a diverse array of ecosystems across 13 different countries. Adopting a multi-actor approach, these SIPs engaged various stakeholders to implement, test, and assess new innovative solutions and methodologies, including the SIF. In this process, practical insights and valuable lessons were derived, contributing to the continuous transformation of agri-food systems.

The Ploutos SIF was developed by a team of researchers from the Food Sustainability Lab of the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano led by Prof. Raffaella Cagliano. The initial version of the framework was designed at the early stages of the project based on theories and frameworks from the academic and grey literature, which were evaluated together with a panel of experts (representatives of the agrifood sector, universities and research centres, and government organisations). This preliminary version was then enhanced through an iterative cycle encompassing application, evaluation, and refinement, conducted together with the pilots and the experts. In addition to this, a set a practical recommendations and hands-on tools was developed, making the application of the SIF easily replicable.

According to the Ploutos SIF, the innovation process in the agrifood sector starts with the forming phase and is driven by a combination of supply push (e.g., policies), market pull (e.g., changes in consumers’ preferences) and technology push (e.g., introduction of more sustainable agri-food technologies).

The actual process starts when multiple actors come together and agree on a common mission. During this phase, an initial understanding of the changes needed in terms of business models, technologies and behaviours is developed. Integration of the three innovation streams is of paramount importance since sustainability is a systems-level problem that cannot be addressed with siloed approaches.

The second stage of the innovation process, called baseline assessment, requires defining clear sustainability priorities, identifying relevant key performance indicators linked to such priorities and assessing the baseline sustainability performance.

Focusing on the core of the process, the innovation phase, the SIF suggests following an iterative sequence of “understand – define – ideate – prototype – evaluate” to be performed for each innovation stream. One should start from the business model and develop a preliminary version that provides clear answers to questions such as: “How are resources procured and transformed to deliver value?”, “How do products or services meet customer needs and respond to societal challenges?”, “Who are the critical partners and collaborators in value creation?”.

Once a promising business model has been ideated, resources can be allocated to the technological innovation. Key aspects of technological innovations for the agrifood sector include data sharing principles (i.e., ensuring that data are not used against the farmers), interoperability (i.e., connecting different smart farming devices, databases, and information systems), and integration of different technologies, such as traceability systems and carbon credit platforms, to tap into additional revenue streams.

The new business model and the technological innovation will then trigger behavioural interventions to ensure they are successfully adopted. Behavioural innovations can be very wide in scope, going from technology adoption to consumer empowerment and creation of resilient ecosystems.

Solutions developed in each stream are then improved and fine-tuned through iterative cycles until the innovation process is completed.

The last phase of the SIF is the final evaluation that allows to assess the contribution of the proposed innovations to the key sustainability priorities.

The Ploutos SIF was followed by all the 11 pilots and allowed to achieve or even exceed most of the targets set by the pilots, proving to be an effective and easy-to-apply framework for a wide spectrum of agrifood innovations.

Muspell project to pioneer next-gen thermal energy storage system

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3.5m eu grant to develop innovative energy management solution for more sustainable future

 

The consortium comprising of Swisspod Technologies, EURAC Research, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, the National Institute of Chemistry in Slovenia, the Politecnico di Milano and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya has received a €3.5M Pathfinder grant by the European Innovation Council (EIC): €3.1 million by the European Commission, supplemented by an additional €400,000 contribution from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI).

The funding will drive the development of the Muspell project, a novel, state-of-the-art Thermal Energy Storage System (TESS) — an important component of a sustainable and reliable energy system. The project has commenced in October 2023 and is set to span a duration of 4 years.

Muspell aims to introduce to the market a more efficient mid-to-long term TESS, transcending the limitations of current available systems. By adopting an innovative approach grounded in material research, the consortium sets out to engineer a compact, highly flexible and modular system that offers increased energy density and seamless integration of heat-pump capabilities. The novel TESS will unlock new avenues of application across energy-intensive industries — from manufacturing, textile, food processing, and construction materials, to transportation, energy and environmental services industries.

A TESS allows for efficient storage and usage of thermal energy, providing flexibility, energy management, cost savings, as well as environmental benefits as it can integrate renewable energy sources. The operation of this system involves receiving thermal energy input from various sources like waste/excess heat, solar thermal collectors, electricity, and storing it in a suitable medium, such as a thermo-chemical or a phase-change material. When the stored energy is needed, the TESS transfers it to the desired application at the required temperature level.

This groundbreaking initiative aligns with multiple Sustainable Development Goals, facilitating access to clean energy while simultaneously mitigating the carbon footprint associated with various industries. By emphasizing material development and optimization, as well as system level innovation, the project is committed to achieving high performance while minimizing environmental impact to the greatest extent possible.

The novel TESS will also serve as a cutting-edge thermal battery, enabling the efficient capture, storage, and usage of waste heat generated during industrial processes. Thus, the system not only curtails energy waste, but also mitigates the environmental impact associated with greenhouse gas emissions.

The Politecnico di Milano leverages its expertise in innovation and technology management to prioritize energy efficiency, technological assessment, and renewable solutions for the industrial sector. In collaboration with Swisspod and EURAC Research, we are going to conduct interviews and gather market insights on the application scenarios of TESS, while analyzing the system’s integration into a broader ecosystem.

“Polimi considers it extremely important to perform an analysis on the potential markets of the technology that Consortium is going to develop. The activity aims at analyzing technological and economic fit of the TESS in different application sectors as well as evaluating its environmental and economic impacts.”

explained Simone Franzò, Assistant Professor at Politecnico di Milano.

RITESSERE: silk by-product reborn into new materials

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Recovering sericin to produce high-tech materials, in a circular economy perspective

 

The RITESSERE (Silk Sericin materials from textile industry by-products) project has kicked off, and it aims to use the by-product from the treatment of raw silk, sericin, for the production of new materials and devices in the field of life sciences.

RITESSERE will evaluate new technologies which, starting from the sericin obtained from raw material of Italian origin with traceability certification (cocoon or raw silk), will lead to the obtainment of both two-dimensional electrospun matrices composed only of sericin, and new materials based on specifically modified sericin. These products will be characterized from a chemical-physical and morphological point of view, and the impact of their introduction on the textile industry market and on other high-tech sectors will be analysed.

In particular, the advantages of the circular approach will be demonstrated through three actions:

  • sericin-based facial masks for the cosmetic industry
  • three-dimensional scaffolds of sericin for cell culture
  • modified sericin-based film for the packaging industry.

RITESSERE aims to demonstrate how sericin can be systematically recovered and used to produce high-tech materials. Starting from silk of Italian origin, RITESSERE will define and optimize a technological process aimed at giving nobility to this waste product, proposing a new sustainable and circular method for the silk production cycle.

The results of the project will also be conveyed and made available through continuous interaction with the Advisory Board, made up of players with a driving role in the silk industry, in the definition of new circular economy practices and in the involvement of civil society (Associazione Costruttori Italiani di Macchinario per l’Industria Tessile, Donne in Campo, Ufficio Italiano Seta, MADE-Competence Center Industria 4.0, Rigano Laboratories, Associazione per il Museo della Seta di Como).

The three-year project RITESSERE is a project funded by Fondazione Cariplo with the Economia Circolare – Promuovere ricerca per un futuro sostenibile program, and is led by professors Paolo Rosa and Sergio Terzi of the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering and by Professor Simone Vesentini of the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano.

The Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, will deal with the economic analyzes of the sericin market, the silk sector and the current circular strategies adopted in the textile sector.

Partners in the project, coordinated by our university, are Università degli Studi Milano Bicocca and Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis).