CERCIS

What CERCIS does

CERCIS (CEntre for Research on Circular economy, Innovation and SMEs) is an interdisciplinary academic research center within the University of Ferrara (Università degli Studi di Ferrara), Italy. It was established in 2018 by the Department of Economics and Management as part of the government-funded 'Dipartimento di Eccellenza' (Department of Excellence) project financed by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) for the 2018–2022 period. The center conducts research in circular economy, innovation, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a focus on connecting circularity to Industry 4.0 transformations and to policy frameworks at the EU, national, and regional levels. It combines expertise across economic, business, legal, and mathematical-statistical disciplines and has expanded to include collaboration with the Department of Engineering, the Department of Environmental Sciences and Prevention, and the Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences.

CERCIS serves master's and doctoral students through enhanced research training, businesses and enterprises through collaboration networks and knowledge transfer, and public entities through research and policy-support partnerships. Its parent department reports over 40 teachers and researchers, 9 technicians, and approximately 30 research fellows, PhD candidates, and collaborators. The center is headquartered at Palazzo Bevilacqua Costabili, Via Voltapaletto 11, Ferrara, and operates primarily within the Emilia-Romagna region.

As a university research unit, CERCIS does not operate a commercial pricing or revenue model. It is funded through university allocations and public research grants, principally from MUR via the Department of Excellence designation, together with European, national, and regional funding sources such as European Regional Development Funds and Emilia-Romagna Region funds supporting activities like the CEIS (Circular Economy Innovation & Skills) Summer School. Its go-to-market is community- and network-led, relying on academic collaborations, conferences, and direct research partnerships with businesses and public entities rather than commercial distribution.

Name

CERCIS

Legal name

CEntre for Research on Circular economy, Innovation and SMEs (CERCIS)

Website

https://eco.unife.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CERCIS is an interdisciplinary academic research center at the University of Ferrara, Italy, conducting research on circular economy, innovation, and SMEs, serving master's and doctoral students, businesses, and public entities through funded collaboration networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ferrara

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Funded by Ministry of University and Research (MUR) through the 'Dipartimento di Eccellenza' project (2018-2022). Accesses additional funding opportunities from European, national, and regional sources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

CERCIS is an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Ferrara that conducts scientific research on circular economy, innovation, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It delivers master's and doctoral research training, collaborates with businesses and public entities on funded research projects, and organizes specialized programs such as the CEIS (Circular Economy Innovation & Skills) Summer School. Its activities are financed through government research grants (MUR), European regional funds, and university allocations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CERCIS Research Center
• CEIS - Circular Economy Innovation & Skills Summer School

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Department of Engineering (University of Ferrara)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the four participating departments in CERCIS, contributing engineering expertise to the circular economy and innovation research agenda.
• Department of Environmental Sciences and Prevention (University of Ferrara)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributing environmental sciences expertise to support circular economy research and sustainability transition studies.
• Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences (University of Ferrara)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributing chemical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural sciences expertise to support circular economy and innovation research.
• CENTOFORMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the CEIS (Circular Economy Innovation & Skills) Summer School project. CENTOFORM Director Chiara Pancaldi participated in the 'From theory to practice in climate and circular action' workshop.
• ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian national research agency collaborating on circular economy projects. Embodying presenter Eleonora Foschi from ENEA participated in CEIS workshops on climate and circular action.
• European Commission (DG Environment)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy Officer Florian Flachenecker from DG Environment delivered a seminar on the Circular Economy Act and Single Market for secondary raw materials, part of EU policy frameworks relevant to CERCIS research.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: Swedish state-owned research institute conducting applied research on sustainability, circular economy, and industrial transformation. Similar public-funding model, interdisciplinary research structure, and SME-transition service offering.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI): German applied research institute conducting interdisciplinary research on innovation, sustainability, and industrial transformation for public and private clients. Similar public-grant model, policy-to-practice pipeline, and SME-relevant industrial transformation focus.
• Circle Economy: Amsterdam-based impact organization producing the annual Circularity Gap Report and advising governments and businesses on circular-economy transitions. Directly comparable research-to-policy work and SME-focused circular economy expertise.
• Wageningen Economic Research: Dutch research institute combining economic, environmental, and agricultural expertise to support sustainability transitions for businesses and governments. Comparable interdisciplinary model with strong circular-economy and SME-transition focus.
• Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy: A German interdisciplinary research institute focused on sustainability, resource cycles, and structural change, with similar applied research, policy advisory, and circular-economy focus as CERCIS. Comparable in scale and public-grant funding model.

Others

• ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development): Italian national research agency and an active CERCIS partner on circular-economy projects and CEIS workshops. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem collaborator working on overlapping circular-economy and energy-transition themes.
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership: University of Cambridge institute focused on sustainability leadership, executive education, and policy engagement. Adjacent to CERCIS through shared circular-economy and SME-transition themes, with comparable executive-education and policy-advisory activities.

Broad incumbents

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Leading global thought leader on the circular economy, engaging with policymakers, businesses, and academia. Broader in scope and brand recognition than CERCIS, but operates in the same circular-economy research, education, and dissemination space.
• Italian National Research Council (CNR): Italy's largest public research organization, with departments covering economics, environmental sciences, and industrial research. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same Italian research ecosystem as CERCIS, with overlapping circular-economy and sustainability themes.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's state-owned applied research organization working on circular economy, industrial transformation, and SME innovation. Larger and broader than CERCIS, but operates in the same public-grant-funded research-to-business translation space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cercisunife
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CERCIS