Towards Circular Systems: The Role of Digital Servitization in an Italian Extended Partnership

“Made in Italy” products and Italian manufacturing are worldwide recognized for their quality. Nonetheless, businesses and societies are evolving, affected by structural transformations. To maintain their competitive advantage, Italian companies are asked to move towards a transformation aligned with global call for actions addressing critical issues, such as climate change. The transition of manufacturing companies, in particular Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), towards circular economy should be supported by adequate investments. To answer a national call, the Extended Partnership (EP) “Made in Italy Circolare e Sostenibile” was established. The EP aims to provide research and innovation resources to enable circular manufacturing practices in Italian companies, developing best practices to be adopted by SMEs. One of the main themes that the EP is investigating is the one of Product Service Systems (PSS), which appear as a viable path to achieve environmental sustainability. Nonetheless, resources and researches to support manufacturing companies in the path of servitization are still required. This paper aims at presenting a project, created in the context of the EP, to support companies in the development of circular PSS business models, in particular leveraging the opportunities offered by digital technologies.