The green to circular bioeconomy transition: Innovation and resilience among Italian enterprises

The bioeconomy is an essential part of the transition from a linear to a circular production model, which repositions production systems to favour sustainability and innovation. There are two main contributors to the development of this process: the choices made by public decision-makers (national and European), and the strategies adopted by companies and the recent increased diffusion of new business networks and clusters in Europe, which favour industrial and technological transformation processes. We move from analysis of the international context and how Italy's positioning in the new circular bioeconomy is evolving to focus on the diffusion of business clusters and networks in Europe linked to the circular bioeconomy to propose a preliminary empirical study of corporate behaviour. For this we use survey data on Italian bio-industries that are part of the cluster SPRING (Sustainable Processes and Resources for Innovation and National Growth). The results show how SPRING cluster firms are pushed to improve their positioning in numerous fields characterizing the most innovative business models.