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Circularity 4 Change. It was not necessary to translate from English when addressing young people who attend universities where lessons are also held in this language and who live in a world where many other languages are also spoken. . Instead, it is essential to help them move from theory to practice, to concrete, everyday application. At least for those who are trying to shape a different future by studying design. The Circularity 4 Change programme was created precisely for this reason and has triggered a virtuous circle of ideas around all-round sustainability, thanks to the association of activist journalists Info.Nodes, and within all its forms of expression, especially in three dimensions, thanks to the collaboration with Designtech (which, it should be noted, is also the publisher of Startupbuiness).
Info.Nodes and Designtech, a complementary alliance for circular energy
Between live and online meetings, slides and projects, mentoring sessions and curious explorations among the large additive manufacturing machines at Designtech’s Co-factory in the Certosa district of Milan, the months flew by and ideas became clearer. Circularity 4 Change took shape around the needs of the young participants, giving rise to innovative projects and accompanying them to the final pitch. An unusual final pitch, because it was called upon to represent a beginning, a launch of new ideas, and because everything was focused on environmental sustainability. ‘Explain to me why it’s circular, and then show me that if I invest in it, I won’t become poor’, in a nutshell. In other words, ‘Follow green values, not only money’.
Time is a tyrant, but very often it is also the best truth machine when it comes to promises and good intentions. We will soon find out if the grand final jury got it right and did not mistake fireflies for lanterns when it praised the desalinator designed by Tommaso Chiandussi, Federico Natonek, Giovanni Montobbio and Pietro Monfredini (pictured). One among many, born at a desk, among the desks of the classrooms where the team members study together, and which, with Circularity 4 Change, has shaped its form ever better. So that it fits ever better with the needs of those who will use it, becoming the central wheel of a virtuous mechanism because it is circular.
Sustainability starts with an idea
The beneficiaries identified by the team are the thousand inhabitants of Santa Cruz del Islote, an island of about one hectare that is part of the San Bernardo archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Colombia. Assuming they need more water and more space, but less waste, the project was designed to provide the first two, the former without salt and the latter free and collective, and to reduce the latter, which still poses a serious threat to the lives of coastal communities. Piece by piece, each one present for a particular and circular reason, the desalinator took shape in the minds of the jury and won them over. It will not be on the market tomorrow, but the team intends to launch it ‘when we are more robust and prepared from every point of view,’ explains Tommaso. In many respects, however, they already are, thanks to the journey they have made with the mentors of Circularity 4 Change. It was supposed to bring about a ‘change’ towards ‘circularity’, and that is exactly what happened. ‘That concept took on real meaning in our eyes and was complementary to the information we usually receive in class,’ adds Tommaso. ‘The mentorship tailored to our idea also allowed us to better understand how to apply a circular logic to what we want to create and how to make it competitive on the market’.
Yes, the economic sustainability of environmental sustainability was a key point along the way, and great care was taken to never present the two concepts as alternative or opposing. This was a challenge tackled by the project team and, in particular, by the business mentor. Mattia Soragni, founder and CEO of LinkEasy. “Of all the concepts covered during the course, the business model was definitely the most challenging to convey in a clear and concise manner. – Soragni explains – we focused together on a key concept: the business model is not just an economic lever, but a strategic lens that defines the identity, structure and very functioning of the company. Making it clear to the students how this affects internal organisation, professional roles, external relations and communication itself was complex, but also very enriching. We tried to move beyond the idea of ‘company = product’ and instead show the company as a dynamic ecosystem, shaped by strategic choices.” Did they succeed? They took a decisive step forward: “they began to ask questions about ‘how to sell’, ‘who to target’, ‘what kind of relationship to have with the customer’, understanding that economic strategy was an integral part of the project.”
A new circle of values
For sustainability mentor Lorenza Bisbano, an architect specialising in sustainable architecture, the most challenging task was “transforming very broad and dense concepts into something concrete, easily conceivable and applicable to a design project”. But the effort was rewarded by “seeing the interest, enthusiasm and responsiveness of the students, which made me very satisfied and motivated”. Alessia Cerbone, co-founder of Menabòh and circularity mentor who supported some participants in helping them close the circle, noted that very often her work consisted of “helping them realise not only that their idea had concrete potential, but above all that they already possessed, here and now, the tools and resources to build something of value”. She talks about ‘operational confidence’, about a ‘I can start right away’ attitude that Tommaso and the team also felt. They are careful not to become startuppers tomorrow, but they know that they can think about doing so and have the tools, knowledge and a great idea that would allow them to do so. No magic was needed to make it happen but, as Maria Antonela Bresug, a participant in the programme, explains, it was ‘the opportunity to talk to a mentor who is in the field you are exploring: it helped me a lot in the design process’.
Don’t be alone, don’t be the only ones who believe in it, don’t be alone in thinking about it. Perhaps the spread of a truly circular logic among present and future generations is above all a question of circle. Of not feeling unique and unprepared. This feeling does not only concern young people but also the mentors themselves. Bisbano has found new enthusiasm, that of young students, and ‘the awareness of having, in my own small way, contributed to sowing the seeds for a more circular and sustainable world’. Soragni ‘the feeling of having been part of something whose impact was not limited to the final project but touched on the personal and professional growth of all participants’. For his part, he also acknowledges the work done behind the scenes: ‘direct interaction with the team and the organisers allowed me to reflect deeply on an aspect that is often taken for granted: the practical translation of theoretical concepts requires listening, adaptation and a strong sense of context’. The moral of the story is provided by Cerbone, who comes away from the programme with “the awareness that more and more young people are already starting out with the intention of building sustainable businesses, using logic and paradigms that are completely different from the traditional ones. And this does not only apply to them: the entire organisation, which has chosen to devote time, energy and passion to this project, also demonstrates how much there is a real desire for change. If we want a different future, we must start thinking this way: with courage, vision and practicality.”
Note to readers: Circularity for Change was created with the aim of promoting the circular economy by supporting innovative ideas, practices and models in the fashion and furniture/design sectors. The initiative, which is the result of public-private funding involving the European Union and the Cariplo Foundation, is organised by Info.Nodes in collaboration with Designtech and Startupbusiness.
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