The 12th edition of the Festival took place in the splendid setting of the Sala Apollinea of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. Environment Company Award, the most important national recognition dedicated to businesses, public bodies and organizations that stand out for innovations in favor of sustainable development, environmental respect and social responsibility.
To introduce the ceremony, two exceptional interventions: neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso, who illustrated how the reactive intelligence of plants can be a model for businesses, and Marco Frey, professor at the Scuola Sant'Anna and president of the jury that selected the winners from 114 candidates from 16 Italian regions and two Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad.
In all the awarded projects, theintegration between technological innovation and sustainability. Artificial intelligence is increasingly present in the efficient management of resources, in environmental control systems and in production chains, confirming itself as one of the key tools to achieve the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030.
Energy communities and territorial networks: towards sustainable management
Il Best Management Award for Sustainable Development has been assigned to ForGreen Spa SB, a Verona-based company that promotes the spread of Renewable Energy Communities (CER) in Italy. With seven active photovoltaic plants between Veneto and Puglia and over 2.900 members involved, ForGreen aims to revolutionize the energy production and consumption model.
Special mention for the project Habitech – Pioneers of Sustainability, of the Trentino Technology District, which has created a network of companies to promote sustainable construction, energy efficiency and smart technologies, fully reinvesting profits in environmental innovation.
Radiators and food films: when the product is truly circular
The category Best Product or Service rewarded two Italian excellences that combine design, sustainability and technology.
For micro and small businesses, the recognition went to MAARMO SRL by Vittorio Veneto, creator of an eco-friendly radiator made with marble dust and wine waste (grape marc and lees). The result? A 100% recyclable product, free of chemical resins, with natural shades and a light wine aroma that is activated by heat.
For medium-large companies, a prize of Crocco Spa SB of Vicenza, which has developed a film for food packaging based on chemical recycling: a breakthrough in sustainable packaging, capable of overcoming the limits of mechanical recycling and reducing the use of virgin raw materials.
Also mention for LOGHIRO by Aleante Engineering, a smart system for efficient water management. A network of interconnected sensors and an AI algorithm analyze water flows, reduce losses and consumption, and make obsolete infrastructures more resilient.
Electronic recycling and remediation: the new frontiers of environmental technology
in the category Best Process or Technology for Sustainable Development, the award went to WEEECycling by Greenvincible Srl (Catanzaro), an advanced system for the recovery of precious materials from WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), integrating automation and artificial intelligence.
Mention to Desam Engineering and Environment of Mogliano Veneto, for its soil remediation technology through mycoremediation, a biotechnological technique that uses fungi to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the first 50 cm of contaminated soil, with reduced costs and benefits for the ecosystem.
Ecuador and sustainability: a cooperation that generates social value
The prize for Best International Cooperation was assigned to OthermarketIn partnership with Loacker, for a cocoa supply chain project in Ecuador. The initiative involved 75 local producers, with a focus on women and young people, through training, technological innovation and technical support. The social return on investment is significant: for every euro invested, 2,44 euros of positive impact, with direct benefits in the quality of cocoa, diversified incomes and more sustainable agriculture.
Start-ups, young people and foreign companies: the new levers of sustainability
Three special awards were awarded to emerging companies that stood out for their innovation:
- Nazena Srl (Vicenza), winner as Best Innovative Start-up, has patented a process of upcycling textile waste to create materials for design, packaging and furniture.
- Myktos, technology developed by cdc studio of Castelfranco di Sotto, received the award for the Best Young Entrepreneur: converts textile waste into eco-friendly materials and bioplastics.
- BEE SENSE by BEE Inc. Ltd (Hong Kong), awarded as Best Foreign Company, has developed a system to reduce the environmental impact of luxury retail buildings, with particular attention to the life cycle of materials.
“Even in less brilliant times for the economy, we must never lose concern for the future of the environment in which we live and future generations will live. The business world is aware of this need and pays due attention to everything that is 'sustainable' and allows us to 'not waste' the resources used and then to 'reuse' what inevitably becomes an object of waste”. Thus Massimo Zanon, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Venice and Rovigo.
“Finding a balance between respect for environmental issues and economic development is fundamental,” declared the Deputy Vice President of Unioncamere Antonio Paoletti. – In recent years we have witnessed a rush forward due more to political needs than to socio-economic considerations. All this has now put entire production sectors in crisis, demonstrating the need for greater balance in future political-economic choices. The path towards the creation of a better world with sustainable competitiveness must focus on innovation, new skills, new technologies and support for the innovative dynamism of businesses, especially young ones”.
The Award, sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and selected for the National Made in Italy Day by the Ministry of Made in Italy, is promoted by the Chamber of Commerce of Venice Rovigo e Unioncamere with the support of Assocamerestero and SSV – Experimental Glass Station.
