ECO-DESIGN CIRCULAR KNOWLEDGE. Strumenti e strategie design-driven per la transizione sostenibile del settore manifatturiero

Contemporary emergencies, environmental, social, political, cultural, technological, and productive, demand a radical rethinking of development models, pushing toward non-linear, decentralized, sustainable, and open solutions. In this context, the culture of plural design assumes a strategic role, thanks to its ability to anticipate alternative scenarios, foster interdisciplinarity, and activate processes of discontinuous innovation. Design, in fact, can no longer be limited to responding to the needs of a single model of growth; it must instead open up to multiplicity, collaboration, and inclusivity, promoting contextual and interactive design solutions. It is within this framework that the ECODeCK – ECO-Design Circular Knowledge! project takes shape. ECODeCK addresses the challenges of sustainable transition in the manufacturing sectors of fashion and furniture, two key areas of Made in Italy, deeply interconnected with local and global socio-cultural systems. The project develops a design-driven approach, capable of integrating systemic design and sustainability into business practices, fostering a capacity-building process that combines theoretical knowledge with practical application. ECODeCK introduces two innovative tools: the Design for Sustainability Framework (DfS) and the Sustainable Transition Comp (ST Comp). The first proposes an evolutionary model that highlights the shift from product-centered design to eco-systemic design, redefining the role of design in the innovation process. The second structures the competences required for sustainable transition, adapting the Green Comp Framework to the specificities of Italian manufacturing industries. The DfS Framework unfolds across three progressive levels. Insular sustainability focuses on technical solutions to reduce environmental impact, while responsible sustainability broadens the scope to business processes, including stakeholders and circular business strategies. The most advanced level, eco-systemic sustainability, goes beyond company boundaries to involve local communities, policy makers, and production networks in a logic of co-evolution and contextual transformation. In parallel, the ST Comp defines a model of transdisciplinary training, based on four competence areas: values for sustainability, systemic thinking, design processes, and agency for change. The proposed approach underscores how design can act as an agent of cultural, economic, and social transformation, able to respond to the needs of plural communities and foster adaptive innovations. The shift from rigid and centralized models of development to open and interactive ones is essential to address sustainability challenges, positioning design as a relational practice capable of generating meaningful impacts at both local and global levels.