Real-life foundations for our models!

As part of the ExPliCit Project, several members from the University of Seville had the opportunity to undertake a secondment in the city of Catania, hosted by Federconsumatori (FEDERCO), an Italian organization dedicated to consumer rights protection. The team from Seville, consisting of Belén Navarro García, Rebecca Fussone, Paz Pérez González, José Manuel Framiñán, Roberto Domínguez, and Víctor Fernández-Viagas, was warmly welcomed by Salvatore Nicosia, president of Federconsumatori Etna Sud.

During the stay, they engaged in a variety of activities aimed at the development of Work Package 3 (WP3), which focuses on operationalizing sustainable supply chain configurations and providing insights to partners and stakeholders about disruptive market changes introduced by the transition to a Circular Economy. Throughout the visit, we had the opportunity to tour the provincial headquarters of Federconsumatori and other entities such as FG Recycling Systems, which provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities in sustainability and circular economy.

In addition to these visits, we held strategic meetings with Federconsumatori members to advance our studies and align our research on sustainable practices with consumer implications. This ensures that sustainability initiatives consider and protect consumer rights and needs, making sure the transition towards sustainability benefits and safeguards them. These activities strengthen the collaboration between academic and non-academic partners, which is a fundamental pillar of the ExPliCit Project.

The secondment in Catania has been an enriching experience, not only professionally but also personally. The warmth and collaboration from our hosts made this experience a key step in achieving the objectives of WP3, while also fostering closer ties between our institutions.