The 26th edition of Ecomondo, the Italian Exhibition Group’s international trade show dedicated to industrial technologies and services for the circular economy, takes place from November 7 to 11 at the Rimini Expo Centre. For the first time, the event occupies the entire venue, underscoring its growth and the expanding scope of its mission. The theme, “The Ecosystem of the Ecological Transition,” centers on transforming end-of-life products into new resources, a concept with direct relevance to engineering disciplines concerned with materials science, systems integration, and sustainable manufacturing.
Three industrial districts form the backbone of the exhibition’s focus on “beacon” projects approved by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security. The WEEE District addresses waste electrical and electronic equipment, with attention to repowering technologies and advanced recycling systems for electronics, photovoltaic panels, and wind turbine blades. These areas intersect with aerospace and robotics through the engineering challenges of disassembly, materials recovery, and component reuse. The Paper District, developed in cooperation with COMIECO, targets collection and recycling systems for paper and cardboard, while the Plastics District concentrates on recycling technologies and strategies to combat marine litter—an issue with implications for coastal infrastructure and maritime engineering.
Textile waste emerges as a priority value chain identified by the European Union, with emphasis on eco-design requirements, producer responsibility schemes, and labeling systems to ensure traceability and transparency. Ecomondo’s approach spans the entire supply chain, from production to post-consumption, bringing together waste producers, managers, consortia, R&D institutes, treatment plants, and the second-hand sector. This integrated view reflects the systems-level thinking engineers apply when designing for sustainability, where material flows, lifecycle analysis, and logistics are part of the technical equation.
The Circular and Healthy Cities project explores regenerative urban strategies—greener spaces, efficient water and food systems, and improved waste management. Such initiatives resonate with civil and environmental engineering, where urban design increasingly incorporates closed-loop resource systems. The Start-Up and Scale-Up Innovation area, expanded for 2023, provides a platform for over 50 startups to engage with investors and industry partners. Supported by IEG, the Italian Trade Agency, ART-ER, Confindustria, and ANGI, this space fosters cross-sector innovation, potentially influencing developments in autonomous systems, sensor networks, and advanced materials for sustainable infrastructure.
The blue economy segment extends the circular concept to marine environments, covering fishing, aquaculture, port and coastline regeneration, and seawater desalination technologies. These domains demand engineering solutions in fluid dynamics, corrosion-resistant materials, and energy-efficient processing, aligning with broader efforts to optimize marine resource use.
Among Ecomondo’s themed exhibition areas, Water and SAL.VE stand out. The Water sector showcases the complete water resource supply chain, from capture to reuse, with a focus on digital transformation. Utility service companies and trade associations, including Utilitalia, contribute seminars on integrating smart monitoring systems and automation into water management. The SAL.VE area, organized with ANFIA, presents vehicles for ecological waste collection, disposal, and urban sanitation, with opportunities for test drives. For mechanical and automotive engineers, these exhibits highlight innovations in drivetrain efficiency, modular vehicle design, and sensor integration for operational optimization.
The conference program, curated by the Technical-Scientific Committee under Professor Fabio Fava of Bologna University, involves collaboration with institutional and technical partners and an international board featuring experts from the European Commission, OECD, FAO, Union for the Mediterranean, European Environment Agency, and International Solid Waste Association. Topics range from the European Green Deal to soil and sea protection, with particular attention to Mediterranean ecosystems. The structure of these sessions fosters dialogue between universities, research bodies, industry, and institutions, mirroring the interdisciplinary collaboration essential to tackling complex engineering challenges.
International engagement continues to expand, with a 58 percent increase in foreign visitors compared to 2021. Delegations from regions including the Balkans, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas contribute to the global scope of the event. The Africa Green Growth Forum, in its second edition, leverages contributions from international agencies and nonprofits to present technological frameworks and growth opportunities for the African continent, reinforcing the role of engineering innovation in sustainable development across diverse geographies.