Research hub on Circular Economy and Open Innovation

Since 2020, we have been leveraging our expertise in open innovation to understand whether and how it could help achieve some of the SDGs. Specifically, we have focused on the circular economy and its key characteristics. We have sought collaborations with other universities, such as Roma Tor Vergata, Napoli Federico II, and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Team leader

Marco Greco

Members

Michele Grimaldi (Unicas), Deborah Lacitignola (Unicas), Benito Mignacca (Unicas), Faisal Rasool (Roma Tor Vergata), Silvia Lisi (Roma Tor Vergata)

Partners

Livio Cricelli (Napoli Federico II), Serena Strazzullo (Napoli Federico II), Gustavo Morales Alonso (Politécnica de Madrid), Ruth Carrasco-Gallego (Politécnica de Madrid), Anne Velenturf (University of Leeds), Lidia Galabova (Technical University of Sofia), Mina Daskalova (Technical University of Sofia)

Projects

Prin 2022 PNRR (PE1) on "Mathematical modelling for a sustainable circular economy in ecosystems"

Members: Deborah Lacitignola (PI), Marco Greco

Value: 231.300€

PON funding for an assistant professor position (RTDa) on the topic "Circular economy and sustainability in SMEs"

Value: 80.000€

Creativity and Innovation Management special issue on "Creativity and innovation management to pursue circular economy"

Guest editors: Benito Mignacca, Marco Greco, Serena Strazzullo, Anne Velenturf

Articles

Cricelli, L., Greco, M., & Grimaldi, M. (2021). An investigation on the effect of inter-organizational collaboration on reverse logistics. International Journal of Production Economics, 240, 108216.

2023 Rasool Effect of reverse logistics (IJPDLM).pdf

Rasool, F., Greco, M., Morales-Alonso, G., & Carrasco-Gallego, R. (2023). What is next? The effect of reverse logistics adoption on digitalization and inter-organizational collaboration. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management.

Unpacking the Relationship Between Circular Economy and Interorganizational Collaboration: An Exploratory Study and an Analytical FrameworkCollaboration among different organizations could be a vital enabler of a circular economy (CE). However, few studies examine the role of interorganizational collaboration in CE initiatives. Particularly obscure is the relationship between different types of interorganizational collaboration and specific CE initiatives. This article explores such a relationship in the automotive sector through a content analysis of 73 nonfinancial reports disseminated by the world's largest automakers in 2021 and 2022. This article shows that focal firms primarily leverage interorganizational collaboration with suppliers to implement CE initiatives, mainly recycling and reducing initiatives. Focal firms relatively often collaborate with multiple actors and customers to implement CE initiatives, particularly recycling initiatives. Of note, collaboration with universities and research institutes plays a minor role in CE initiatives, assuming only a relatively higher relevance in CE initiatives with the highest degree of circularity. Last, this article provides a novel analytical framework to examine the relationship between interorganizational collaboration and CE.

Lisi, S., Mignacca, B., Grimaldi, M., & Greco, M. (2024). Unpacking the relationship between circular economy and inter-organisational collaboration: An exploratory study and an analytical framework. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.

Conferences

R&D Management conference 2025

Track: Benito Mignacca, Marco Greco, Paavo Ritala, Ioana Stefan "Inter-organisational collaboration for a better and “circular” future"

R&D Management conference 2024

Track: Benito Mignacca, Marco Greco, Paavo Ritala, Anne Velenturf "Inter-organisational collaboration for a better and “circular” future"

R&D Management conference 2023

Paper: Silvia Lisi, Benito Mignacca, Michele Grimaldi "Circular economy and collaboration: What do automakers disclose?"

Track: Benito Mignacca, Marco Greco, Serena Strazzullo "Inter-organisational collaboration for a better and “circular” future"

IFKAD 2023

Track: Benito Mignacca, Marco Greco, Serena Strazzullo, Anne Velenturf "Linking Inter-Organisational Collaboration and Circular Economy"

XXXIII AiIG Scientific Meeting 2022

Track: Benito Mignacca "Innovation and digital transition in supply chains to foster circular economy"