2 – 4 December 2026 | University of Ferrara, Italy
The Horizon Europe project BioFairNet and the SEEDS interuniversity research network announce its firstAnnual Conference, taking place on 2 – 4 December 2026 at the University of Ferrara (Italy). The conference will explore how Circular Economy and Bioeconomy approaches can contribute to tackling climate change and supporting the EU’s transition toward more sustainable and resilient systems.
The event welcomes senior scholars, PhD candidates, and earlycareer researchers working across environmental economics, sustainability, circularity, and biobased innovation. Contributions may draw on qualitative, quantitative, or mixedmethods approaches.
Conference Focus
The conference examines the socioeconomic dimensions of the circular economy and the bioeconomy transition, with particular attention to their practical contribution to climate change mitigation. Key areas of interest include material efficiency, renewable resource substitution, sharing models, industrial symbiosis, and product durability—strategies that enhance circularity and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The programme aims to advance academic debate while highlighting implications for realworld implementation.
Themes for Contributions
- Renewable energy generation and its impacts on climate change
- Waste prevention, reuse, recycling, energy recovery, and disposal, and their climaterelated implications
- The bioeconomy and the substitution of nonrenewable materials with renewable alternatives
- Efficiency improvements and cooperation within production chains as strategies for climate mitigation
- Sharing models and increased product durability in relation to climate mitigation
The conference is open to all methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.
Programme Overview
2 December – PreConference Day
The conference opens on 2 December with an afternoon dedicated to two parallel workshops:
- Engineering Design & AI in Circular Economy
- Early and Emerging Researchers Workshop
The day will conclude with the BioFairNet Networking Aperitif from 18:30 to 20:30, providing an institutional space for informal interaction exchange among researchers, and stakeholders.
3 -4 December – Main Conference
Two full days of presentations, discussions, and exchanges on circular economy, bioeconomy, and climate mitigation. Sessions will explore these topics from socioeconomic and interdisciplinary perspectives, highlighting both conceptual advances and practical implications for the green transition.
Call for Papers
Researchers are invited to contribute work aligned with the conference themes, including conceptual, empirical, interdisciplinary, and earlystage research. Submissions are open to all disciplines engaging with sustainability, environmental economics, circular economy, bioeconomy, and climaterelated socioeconomic transitions.
The deadline to register or submit an abstract for both the workshops and the main conference is 25 June 2026. Participants may register as attendees, presenting or not, using the link or QR provided below.
Key Dates
Venue & Practical Information
All activities will take place at the University of Ferrara, hosted by the Department of Economics and Management (Via Voltapaletto 11). Ferrara is easily accessible by train from Bologna, with airport connections via shuttle or train. Participation is free of charge. Coffee breaks and one lunch will be provided to confirmed participants. Travel and accommodation costs are to be covered by attendees.
Organisers
The conference is coorganised by:
- BioFairNet – Horizon Europe project supporting fair and inclusive transitions toward the circular economy and bioeconomy in the agricultural and mining sectors.
- SEEDS Network – An Italian inter‑university research network dedicated to sustainability, environmental economics, and the green transition.
