Speaker: Dr. Alessio Trivella, Assistant Professor of Operations Research, University of Twente
In recent years, the Circular Economy has gained increasing attention from both academia and practice as a sustainable approach to resource management. However, the application of Operations Research (OR) methodologies to circular economy challenges has been relatively limited.
This seminar presents insights from the Horizon Europe project “IS2H4C: Industrial Symbiosis to Hubs for Circularity” (2024-2028), which aims to advance the concept of Hubs for Circularity (H4Cs) in four regions across Europe. H4Cs are innovative systems that go beyond industrial symbiosis networks by incorporating not only industrial clusters but also the surrounding urban and rural areas into a circular ecosystem. This shift to a more inclusive model presents unique challenges for resource allocation, energy management, and symbiotic matchmaking—areas where OR tools can play an important role.
We will explore early-stage work within the project, where OR techniques such as integer programming, stochastic optimization, and reinforcement learning are being applied to optimize resource flows within an H4C, manage its energy system, and facilitate industrial symbiosis. The ultimate goal is to integrate these decision-support tools in a digital collaboration platform to be used by the hubs in the project and beyond.
7 MARCH 2025 WEBINAR RECORDING
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