Circulating Innovation, Transforming Materials, Rethinking the Future
The Industrial Chair for the Transition to a Collaborative Circular Economy (ITECC), which stands for Chaire Industrielle pour la Transition vers une Économie Circulaire Collaborative in French, is designed to address the needs of industrial sectors and member companies, in close connection with the resources developed by academic and institutional partners at the regional, national, and international levels.
It serves as a platform for training tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, drawing on expertise in materials science and the creation and management of positive-impact activities rooted in new models of the circular economy. Its ambition is to support organizations seeking to develop such models, acting in effect as an incubator.
It is also:
- a tool for mobilizing, connecting, and engaging a community of stakeholders committed to the circular economy,
- a collaborative space for co-developing sustainable operating methods with a low environmental footprint,
- a driver of environmental transition, positioned at the crossroads of industry, academia, and public institutions.
Mission of the Industrial Chair
Today, the polymer industry is evolving in a context where minimizing environmental impact is becoming a central challenge, and where the sustainable management of Earth’s finite resources has become imperative.
In response, we have chosen to act: our mission is to guide industry toward a circular model by developing innovative solutions that bring together performance, sustainability, and responsibility.
Three Core Objectives
- Supporting value creation through the circular economy,
- Incubating new circular economy models,
- Producing knowledge and applied research.
Two Key Research Themes
- Material Traceability: tracking material flows throughout recovery and reuse cycles, complementing traditional product traceability.
- Reversible Assemblies: designing materials and products that can be easily separated during sorting and disassembly, enabling the reuse and recycling of their components.
On these topics, ITECH has proven expertise and benefits from a strong partnership with École Centrale de Lyon.
Both themes are central to research, training, and strategic monitoring activities, and could, if needed, serve as the basis for a doctoral thesis by 2027 for a more in-depth exploration.
Why become a member of the corporate chair
- Join the ITECH network: industrial, academic, and institutional partners; innovation centers, technical centers, the Orée association…
- Benefit from ITECH’s expertise and experience of collaborative work in the field of circular economy, acquired through its research activities, consultancy assignments and technological services in its four core technological fields
- Participate in the thematic working groups initially proposed by the Corporate Chair
- Prospecting new talents, gaining visibility and credibility with students through thematic interventions in their academic programs, but also by involving them in innovative research programs
- Participate in the development and dissemination of new skills
- Benefit from the connections between the corporate chair and the Advanced Master’s in Innovation Project Management for the Circular Economy
- Strengthening the CSR dimension of committed companies
How to become member of the corporate chair
| Status | Entry Fee | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Founder | €25,000 per year¹ | Participates in governance and the scientific committee, access to all WGs |
| Active Member | €4,000 per WG per year | Access to thematic groups with registration |
**Donations are tax-exempt at 60%, as this is a form of sponsorship (for companies in France).
***The year runs from September to September.
****Corporate sponsorship does not involve any compensation for the company.
