In recent years, both Italian society and entrepreneurship have become aware that to boost economic development, it is necessary to focus on approaches that simultaneously consider technological advancements, increased productivity, and reduced resource consumption.

In this context, there are three closely related trends that the industrial world, especially in its more advanced segments, is beginning to acknowledge and appreciate:

1. Innovation based on digital technologies.
2. The widespread adoption of adequate digital infrastructures.
3. The transition to a circular economy.

While digital innovation aims to increase productivity, develop new product and service offerings, and establish new connections between producers and customers, the circular economy enables the reduction of production costs while ensuring the sustainability of production processes. It also encourages the development of new products that align with the environmental consciousness of newer generations.

The development of the circular economy is now based not so much on an "environmental" approach by businesses but rather on precise economic calculations and material science innovations. This allows products to be managed at the end of their life cycle through collection, decomposition, and material recovery, making it possible for these materials to be regenerated and reused in new production cycles.

The transition from a linear growth model to a circular economy is central to the agendas outlined in both the Europe 2020 strategy, the United Nations' Agenda 2030, and the recent Sustainable Development Strategy presented by the Italian government. Using resources more efficiently is not only possible but can also yield significant economic benefits. However, companies often lack the information, trust, and capacity to adopt circular economy-based solutions.

In response to this need, Confindustria, through its Industrial Policy Area, has developed the "CIRCULAR ECONOMY – THE VALUE OF SUSTAINABILITY" Project. This initiative focuses on informing, updating, and sharing experiences and best practices among companies and their management. The project aims to highlight the opportunities associated with the circular economic model, stimulate knowledge-sharing dynamics, and disseminate best practices available in the country.

This initiative is not only aimed at environmental management within companies but also at other company functions involved in the production process, from design to procurement, production, marketing, and distribution. This is because the impact of circular economy principles affects the entire value chain of a company, from product conception to its end-of-life stage.

The project, carried out with the support of the 4.Manager Association and in collaboration with Sistemi Formativi Confindustria and LUISS Guido Carli University, will involve experts from the research world (Enea) and institutions (Ministry of the Environment). The program consists of various interconnected initiatives aimed at providing information, examples, and tools for updating on the opportunities offered by the circular economy and the impact it can have on companies and the entire economic-production system.

The project includes 18 regional workshops, webinars, and training sessions, a dedicated website (http://economiacircolare.confindustria.it), the activation of informative centers at industrial associations, and a competition to identify the best-performing companies in the circular economy. The project is scheduled to run from January 2018 to June 2019.

All phases of the initiative will be accompanied by an intensive promotional campaign conducted in collaboration with the Sole24Ore Group (newspaper, website, and Radio24) to maximize its impact on managers and companies, as well as on institutions and society in general.