The Section supports the Department in coordinating and fostering circular economy activities, aimed at the efficient use of resources and the eco-innovation of products, processes and systems. To this end, it provides an integrated and systemic vision in order to enhance planning and dissemination of knowledge and good practices regarding circular economy and foster dialogue with the main players (local, national and international).

The Section operates through the mapping of the initiatives carried out by the Department and its Divisions including, for example, the participation in working groups, networks, projects on the circular economy, in order to highlight activities, classifying them along the value chain of resources, products and services, at macro, meso and micro level. In this way, the Section develops and makes available a systemic vision for integrated planning on circular economy issues, also informing all the operating structures present in the Department on emerging opportunities. In particular, the Section, with reference to the Department and to the circular economy issues,  coordinates, in a centralized manner:

• the participation in working groups, networks, clusters, technical committees on a regional, national, European and international scale (i.e.: Italian LCA Network, SUN Symbiosis Users Network, Intelligent Factory Cluster, General States of the Green Economy, EFFRA - European Factories of the Future Research Association, SPIRE - Sustainable Process industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency, ECESP - European Circular Economy Platform, ICESP - Italian Circular Economy Platform);
• the collection of information relating to the project initiatives and to technologies, plants and patents;
• the activities of communication and dissemination.

It supports the Department project proposals participation, also in alignment with the national and European reference framework and strategies.

The section is present in the territory, in order to promote the role of ENEA for the circular economy and to contribute to the activation of new projects on the topic, even on a local scale.

The actions are performed in close collaboration with the Strategic Technical Support Section and with the Divisions of the SSPT Department.