A high-profile scientific and institutional conference programme awaits companies, associations, institutions, researchers and players in the circular and regenerative economy at Ecomondo 2026. Now at its 29th edition, Italian Exhibition Group’s (IEG) international event will take place from 3 to 6 November at Rimini Expo Centre.
More than 70 events, conferences and workshops make up the line-up. They are organised by the event’s International Technical Scientific Committee, chaired by Professor Fabio Fava, in collaboration with public and private European and international institutional partners. Together, they offer a comprehensive overview of the major challenges reshaping the global ecological transition.
Many sessions will be held in English, a deliberate step to project Ecomondo beyond the borders of the Euro-Mediterranean region. Further events organised by partners and exhibitors will also feature. For Greenworld.tn readers, the strong focus on international cooperation in the Mediterranean basin and Africa makes this year’s programme particularly relevant to the MENA region.
Resource efficiency, packaging and circular economy
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the first focus. The “Circular Economy in Action: e-waste and waste batteries best practices” event, organised with ERION, will present the most advanced European experiences in recycling Critical Raw Materials. It will analyse the situation in Italy and assess the role of WEEE and battery recycling in reducing Europe’s dependence on imports.
On plastics, the “Plastic circularity: new perspectives and critical issues” event will look at European measures supporting the transition towards an increasingly circular economy by promoting the efficient use of resources.
The built environment gets two sessions. “Scaling the circular economy in the built environment: urban mining”, organised with the Green Building Council Italy and the Polytechnic University of the Marche, will analyse the current regulatory framework, along with the opportunities and technologies supporting urban mining models. The “Tools to accelerate the development of the circular economy in the construction and infrastructure sector” event, organised with ANPAR/ASSOAMBIENTE, will facilitate dialogue among sector stakeholders.
On Critical Raw Materials, “EU-Africa Strategic Corridors to a mutually beneficial cooperation for critical raw materials” is organised with Turin University, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy.
“Measuring circularity from a systemic perspective across the entire value chain” is the fifth edition of the workshop organised with the Sant’Anna High School in Pisa, ENEA and UN Global Compact Network Italy.
Regarding the Circular Economy Act, the Technical Scientific Committee will host discussions on the challenges, opportunities and implications for European packaging, in collaboration with CONAI. A second session, with UTILITALIA, will examine what will actually change for those involved in waste management.
Textiles take centre stage in Europe’s new circular economy
Four events confirm the textile industry’s central role in the European circular economy: “Reuse, repair and eco-design. The heroes of “magic” circles of Circular Economy in the textile sector”; “Textile EPR in Italy and Europe: system harmonisation and new challenges for the supply chain”, with ASSOAMBIENTE-UNIRAU; “ESPR and Digital Product Passport in textiles: traceability and transparency along the value chain”, with AISEC; and “Ecodesign: challenges, tools and opportunities for textile sector enterprises”, with the European Commission’s JRC and ENEA.
Ecomondo’s Textile Working Group will also define a specific programme of events on the sector.
Healthy circular cities
The event “Building healthy cities: from vision to action” will be organised with the CNR, the UNESCO Chair on Urban Health and ANCI.
The programme is further enriched by the “Circular city-making” session, with Materia Rinnovabile – Renewable Matter and FROM srl, on how cities can speed up the circular transition. “Smart Circular Cities”, organised with Bologna University, will address digital technologies, sustainable infrastructure and new governance models to make cities more resilient and climate-neutral.
Focus on paper
Federazione Carta & Grafica and Largo Consumo will organise the Paper District GDO & Grocery Summit, entitled “Towards a new synergy between the paper industry and large-scale retail: sustainability, regulatory compliance and market trends”.
Comieco, in collaboration with Nomisma, will also present a final assessment of the environmental and economic benefits of the projects co-funded by the NRRP that relate to the paper recycling sector.
Natural risk prevention and management
In collaboration with the Italian Geotechnical Association (AGI-IGS), an event entitled “Recent developments in geotechnical engineering for environmental protection and land safeguarding” will focus on the design of sustainable and resilient structures and interventions.
Soil restoration, regenerative bioeconomy and bioenergy
Four sessions anchor this strand: “The farm of the future: a biorefinery that generates collective value”, with the Italian Biogas Consortium; “What science says on biodegradable and compostable bioplastics for soil protection”, with Novamont, Coldiretti, the Re Soil Foundation and Biorepack; “Agrifood Next: start-ups, Artificial Intelligence and new investment models in the bioeconomy landscape”, organised with Confagricoltura, Federalimentare, ENEA and Cluster CL.A.N.; and “Innovation for the Circular Bioeconomy”, with the European Commission’s JRC and ENEA.
Now in its fifth edition, the “States General for Soil Health” conference, organised in partnership with the Re Soil Foundation, will explore the links between soil health, urban development and agri-food system resilience. The “National Conference on composting and anaerobic digestion”, organised with the Italian Composting Consortium, will hold its 28th edition.
Forests also have their place. “Deforestation and international agreements, nature restoration and poplar cultivation, ecosystem services and carbon farming: let’s give value to forest resources and woody crops”, organised by Confagricoltura, the AlberItalia Foundation and the National Forest and Timber Cluster, will highlight how the sustainable management of forest resources is crucial for conserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change.
Last but not least, “Remediation in Italy in the regulatory transition” is organised with Sapienza University in Rome, UNEM and Legambiente.
The water cycle and the blue economy
Ecomondo 2026 will feature numerous events on the regeneration of marine ecosystems and the sustainable, efficient and safe use of water resources. Those organised by the Technical Scientific Committee with key sector partners include the Emilia-Romagna Region, ARERA, the Po River Basin Authority, CNR-IRSA, UTILITALIA, the Polytechnic University of the Marche, Bologna University and Brescia University.
Five sessions are announced: “Adaptive regeneration of coastal areas and territory: what opportunities from the new European climate resilience framework?”; “Urban Water Services in Transition: from integrated assessment to applicable solutions for emerging contaminants, circular resources and climate-neutral utility”; “Restoring the water cycle through basin governance: nature-based solutions, crisis management, pollution prevention (WFD) and biodiversity”; “Water efficiency first: transforming industry, agriculture and circular water use”; and “Water infrastructure of the future: smart networks, digitalisation and security”.
International cooperation: the Mediterranean and Africa
Ecomondo continues its focus on cooperation with Africa and the countries bordering the Mediterranean. Five panel discussions are scheduled:
“Water resilience in and beyond Europe: Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, innovation and global leadership”, with Water Europe, Imperial College London, BETA Tech Centre, the Polytechnic University of the Marche, UTILITALIA and the Italian National Institute of Health.
“Technological solutions for resource recovery from end-of-life products and materials in the Mediterranean landscape”, with the Italian Chemical Society, ISWA International and ATIA – ISWA.
“Oil Pollution in the Mediterranean: Status and actions needed”, with CMCC and the European Commission’s DG RTD.
“Beyond Plastic: The Mediterranean Bioeconomy for a New Generation of Sustainable Materials”, with the SPRING Cluster.
“From source-to-sea to scale: Mediterranean pathways for water resilience and the Ocean Pact”, in collaboration with the CNR, the European Commission, the UfM, the CPMR, SEACURE, Interreg MED stakeholders and the BlueMissionMed legacy network.
Africa Green Growth Forum and the Mattei Plan
The sixth edition of the Africa Green Growth Forum is organised with the Task Force for the Implementation of the Presidential Council of Minister’s Mattei Plan, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo and RES4Africa.
It will spotlight the Mattei Plan with a session entitled “The Mattei Plan: dialogue between institutions and the private sector for Africa’s sustainable development. Water and agriculture for inclusive and resilient value chains”.
Financing the transition
On financing, Ecomondo’s Technical Scientific Committee and the Forum for Sustainable Finance (ItaSIF) will present an analysis of transition plans as a competitive advantage. The conference is entitled “Climate transition plans for ESG risk management: what role for companies and investors?”
The programme will feature further discussions on ESG and risk management, bankability and new investment models for innovation, broken down by sector, such as water services and the bioeconomy.
Key events
Ecomondo will once again host the Forum on Responsible Communication, organised with Ferpi and with the participation of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and Emilia-Romagna’s Order of Journalists. Now in its fifth edition, it is entitled “Communication on a razor’s edge. The sustainable transition between environmental urgency and social cohesion”.
The ESG CEO Summit returns for its third edition, organised by Ecomondo with TEHA – The European House Ambrosetti and IPSOS-DOXA. Its session is entitled “A sustainable future between compliance and competitiveness: from reporting to industrial transformation”.
The States General of the Green Economy
On Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November, the 15th edition of the States General of the Green Economy will be held once again. It is organised by the Foundation for Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, and promoted by the National Council for the Green Economy.
Policies and regulatory frameworks
The programme will also cover water service regulation and governance (with REF Ricerche and Utilitalia), regulatory updates on waste management (with Utilitalia and ReteAmbiente), traceability and compliance requirements for companies, new BATs for landfill sites (with Assoambiente) and end of waste.
Among the programmed events is “Strategic and operational aspects of implementing the Industrial Emissions Directive 2.0”, organised by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security’s EIA Commission.
Call for papers, research and innovation
A call for papers has been issued for several conferences, including “Innovative waste prevention systems and circular resource management” and “Industrial symbiosis, resource diagnosis and circular eco-districts in Italy through the implementation of a National Plan: opportunities and challenges”. Both will feature technical and scientific contributions, practical examples and case studies.
In collaboration with Imperial College London, the European Innovation Council and ART-ER, Ecomondo’s Technical Scientific Committee will also organise “Scaling Impact: Cleantech’s path to growth. Unlocking opportunities for cleantech companies to scale, innovate and transform industries”. Experts, companies, investors and institutions will discuss strategies, real-world cases and solutions to hasten the scale-up of cleantech innovation.
Where to find the full programme
The constantly updated programme of events is available on the event’s website: https://www.ecomondo.com/en/events/conferences/program
