FUS X Simbiosi

On April 26, come and join Franklin students of ENV 497 and BUS 342W courses and learn more about the research and proposals developed by them, showcasing both the environmental and business aspects of the solutions of Simbiosi.

An opportunity to learn more about the technologies and solutions offered by Simbiosi as the first Nature-Based Solutions Valley, which opens up several possibilities for future exchanges and potential new collaborations with key stakeholders from different industries.

PROGRAM 

Date: April 26, 2023
Time: from 4 to 7 pm
Place: Nielsen Auditorium, Kaletsch Campus (Via Ponte Tresa 29, 6924 Sorengo)

The main emphasis of the ENV 497 senior capstone research project is to explore key concepts of ecology in a contemporary agricultural system, identify current environmental issues, and put forward feasible solutions. These ideas are presented in the form of a deductive case study that uses Simbiosi – the leader environment producer in Italy – as the main practical example. The ENV 497 senior capstone research focuses on waste management, environmental field margins, the reintroduction of biodiversity, and Agrivoltaic technologies, all of which highlight the theme of circular economy. Furthermore, the elements presented in the case study are used in collaboration with the research conducted within the context of the BUS 342W Green Marketing course to show that sustainable agricultural practices can be both environmentally as well as economically beneficial.

ENV 497 Class: Madeline Espinoza, Sophie Kendrick, Grace Kjer, Thomas Lieber, Rim Maslouh, Alexandra-Elena Mitu, Florence Müller, and Mateo Segura Rivadeneyra.

How does a business successfully implement green initiatives in its strategy while creating profit and helping the environment? Simbiosi achieves this by applying a circular economy model which sustains and enhances the value chain of their customers. The goal of BUS 342 W's study is to assess Simbiosi’s business proposition as a holistic approach to sustainability, benefiting the stakeholders of the company, the environment, and the community. The assessment is done by evaluating the profitability, competitiveness, and challenges faced by the company’s 4 business units. The purpose of the case study is to frame the scalability of said business proposition into different markets and the effectiveness of circular economy on the 3-dimensions of sustainability. All were produced with knowledge from BUS 342: Green Marketing and CSR, and in collaboration with ENV 497: Senior Capstone.

BUS 342 W Class: James Arnold, Jeremie Belokrinickij, Nicole Belotti, Andrii Bondarenko, Casey Campagne, Lexine Renee Cantoria, Ana Centeno Diaz, Samantha Elam, Maxim Eremeev, Ashley Garcia Rodriguez, Majda Halim, Thomas Lieber, Kristina Merkulova, Gayane Oganesyan, Seri Serhan, Carlos Varela, Noor Wahbo Badr, and Kyle Weiss.

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A holistic, innovative, and interdisciplinary approach to sustainability, and a true desire to contribute to make the world a better place are the bases of the collaboration between Simbiosi and Franklin, initiated by Prof. Miniero and Prof. Della Croce.

In light of these shared values, Simbiosi and FUS have agreed that this spring semester students enrolled in BUS 342W Green Marketing and CSR (Prof. Miniero) and in ENV 497 Senior Capstone Course (Prof. Della Croce) will use the example and the expertise of Simbiosi to show that environmentally minded practices in the agricultural and food industry can be sustainable from all points of view: socially, environmentally and economically.

This collaboration, spearheaded by two Academic Divisions (B&E and EMPH), highlights the strong interdisciplinary nature of FUS and its innate vocation for experiential learning, as the students will be able to interact with a business partner in the context of an actual situation. Furthermore, this collaboration with Simbiosi fosters FUS visibility and reputation in the local and regional context and opens up several possibilities for future exchanges with Simbiosi and other like-minded firms.

Simbiosi was born in the footsteps of R&D projects lasting more than 20 years and developed to provide ecosystem services to cities. Simbiosi is the holding of a number of companies, related to Neorurale Hub, the first Nature Based Solutions Valley, founded by Piero Manzoni on the intuition of Giuseppe Natta, a pioneer of the circular economy since the 1970s. These companies develop technologies, solutions, and patents that can be used in many different fields, aimed at saving natural resources (air, water, materials, and soil) and energy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SIMBIOSI