About Us

SPRING, acronym of Sustainable Processes and Resources for Innovation and National Growth, is the Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster.

It was created as a non-profit association in 2014, in response to the “Notice for the development and enhancement of national technology clusters” referred to by Directorial Decree no. 257 of 30 May 2012 of the Ministry of Education, University and Research.

In November 2017 the SPRING Association obtained legal recognition from the Milan Prefecture. On 27 May 2019, through Ministry of Education, University and Research Decree no. 393/2019 (19A03307) (Official Gazette General Series no. 122 of 27/05/2019) Cluster SPRING was formally recognised as a component of the national bioeconomy steering committee “for the coordination of industrial research policies at the local and national level, as well as linking the measures promoted at central and regional levels, and with respect to the regions of Southern Italy, also as a tool to facilitate the implementation and use of interventions in the territory”.

Today SPRING has over 150 members, representing all the entities operating in the circular bioeconomy: large industrial players, SMEs, universities, public and private research centers, farmers and business associations, regional clusters, etc. The Cluster also includes numerous entities working in technology transfer, training, education and communication.

SPRING manages different events focused on circular bioeconomy: IFIB (Italian Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy), Bioeconomy Day, BioInvestIT, where circular bioeconomy meets investors.

SPRING is a non-profit association, whose organisational structure consists of a General Assembly, comprising representatives of all members, a Board of Directors, comprising twenty Directors, including the President, four Thematic Committees and a Technical and Scientific Committee.

The General Assembly is the association’s sovereign body; it represents all members and expresses the will of the association through its resolutions.

The Board of Directors is the Cluster's strategic policy-making body; as such it draws up the association's programme of activities to be submitted to the Assembly in order to pursue the statutory aims, and approves and promotes project proposals from Members in the appropriate forms and venues.

Each member of the Cluster is a member of one of the association’s three thematic committees, according to their nature and in accordance with the Statute:

1. Industrial Innovation Committee, which brings together all members of an entrepreneurial nature and is responsible for developing research, development and industrial innovation strategies;
2. Dissemination and Territorial Development Committee is tasked with verifying innovation needs in the territories and with disseminating the results obtained by the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster in the territory and/or, in the case of associations or consortia, among their own members, and/or ensures synergy and coherence between territorial policies and the activities of the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster. It brings together all members belonging to categories such as, but not limited to: trade associations, territorial associations, foundations, consortia, innovation centres, science and technology parks, consultancy firms, advertising and publishing companies, regional development agencies and local authorities.
3. Research Committee, which brings together universities and research centres falling under the definition of “Research Organisations” in European Commission Communication 2014/C 198/01. It is responsible for drawing up research strategies.

The Cluster’s Technical and Scientific Committee is an advisory body appointed by the Board of Directors, comprising representatives of the Thematic Committees with up to 12 members.

The Permanent Round Table between SPRING and the Regions was set up by SPRING and representatives of Italian Regions with the aim of facilitating regular discussion between territories. To date the Round Table is composed of thirteen Regions – Basilicata, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Latium, Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicilia, Tuscany, Umbria, Veneto and the Autonomous Province of Trento. They have all committed to supporting the Cluster's activities, reaffirming that their own development strategies and programming documents are consistent with the association’s vision and objectives, and their willingness to continue in this direction by supporting activities underpinning the development and enhancement of the Cluster.
The Round Table is intended as a shared platform for defining coordinated, common positions and possible lines of intervention relating to technological innovation, interregional collaboration, development policies and strategies, as well as access to regional or multi-regional programmes co-financed at the national level and forming part of a unified Italian strategy, the sharing of tools and cases of excellence, training activities and incentives for local employment in the circular bioeconomy sector.

Discover the board of directors

Discover the contributions received in 2022