PALERMO (ITALPRESS) – Small and medium-sized enterprises not only as recipients, but as active subjects of sustainable innovation and territorial development processes: this is the objective of the Agropef project, organized by the Center of sustainability and ecological transition (Cste) of the University of Palermo. The results of the initiative were presented this morning at a conference in the Aula Capitò of the Engineering department, in the presence among others of the director of the Cste Maurizio Cellura. Funded by the Ministry of the University and Research for the scientific poles of the Mezzogiorno, Agropef aims to support companies in measuring the environmental footprint of products, improving their efficiency and competitiveness: in this sense aims to make the Pmi protagonists of a development that combines innovation, environmental sustainability and valorization of the territory
In particular, Cellura explains, “the central theme is to help SMEs overcome barriers in the adoption of environmental instruments and certifications, in this case the environmental footprint of the product. The use of these tools is crucial, because in fact it allows to enter the consumer market more sensitive to environmental issues: In this sense it is a great opportunity for the Pmi. There are barriers linked to the organizational level of these enterprises and the ability to be more flexible and ready to market challenges, in particular knowledge of their performance and strategies to improve them: starting from this we have worked in the fabric of the Mezzogiorno and tried to understand what the barriers are.”.
The project, adds the director of the Cste, was “applied to two important realities of southern Italy, a pasta factory and a company that produces excellent wine (Primeluci and Donnafugata, ndr), precisely to test the methodology: the results are very interesting, we hope to continue in the future. The added value is linked to the fact that, with this brand, Pmi can reach consumer markets that would otherwise not reach and can do so through a brand recognized throughout Europe: when talking about environmental footprint of product everyone is able to recognize one, so it becomes a true added value; if you combine with the peculiarities of the territory, thanks also to the ongoing experience for example in Med Green in Italy, we can combine the Italian brand and its typical qualities with a certification system recognized at European level. It is very important that these tools spread to the Pmi and micro-enterprises.”.
– Photo xd8/Italpress –
(ITALPRESS).
