Where Science Meets Sustainable Industry

A four-day intensive experience at the frontier of circular bioeconomy — bridging academic research and industrial practice.

The circular bioeconomy is a socio-economic system that integrates activities based on the use of renewable biological resources — both terrestrial and marine — as well as the by-products and waste from their transformation, as raw materials for the production of materials, energy, food and feed. It represents a pillar of the ecological transition, fundamental for achieving environmental and climate objectives, and a significant opportunity for innovation and territorial regeneration.

In 2023, biomass production and conversion sectors in the European Union generated up to €863 billion (approximately 5% of EU GDP) and supported more than 17 million jobs. In Italy alone, the bioeconomy accounts for 2 million employed and an annual turnover of €437.5 billion, growing by approximately 20% over the last five years.

Now in its 5th edition, the Summer School is organised by the Master's Degree Programme in Sustainable Chemistry and Technologies for Circular Economy, with the involvement of multiple departments of the University of Padova, and in collaboration with Justus Liebig University of Giessen and the University of Ljubljana. The school is held under the patronage of SPRING — the Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster — and Italia Foresta-Legno.

The programme offers strongly multidisciplinary content covering the current dimensions of the circular bioeconomy: biomass valorisation, food and nutraceuticals, the wood supply chain, biorefineries and biofuels, bio-based polymers and packaging — also in light of the Bioeconomy Strategy published by the European Commission in November 2025.

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Silvia Gross — Department of Chemical Sciences (Chair)

Mario Bonaccorso — SPRING, Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster (Co-Chair)

Davide Pettenella — Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (Co-Chair)

Giovanni Beggio — Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering

Mauro Carraro — Department of Chemical Sciences

Nicola Dal Ferro — Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment

Lorenzo Favaro — Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment

Maria Cristina Lavagnolo — Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering

Alessandro Manzardo — Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering

Mauro Masiero — Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry Department of 

Anna Mazzi — Department of Industrial Engineering

Tomas Morosinotto — Department of Biology

Giovanni Perin — Department of Biology

Francesco Visioli — Department of Molecular Biology Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Two dedicated field visits allow participants to witness circular bioeconomy principles in action at real industrial and research sites.

Padova | Italy

The school takes place across two distinctive venues in and near Padova, combining natural landscape with state-of-the-art research facilities.

Getting to Padova