Tondo LAB


The climate is changing and these changes are having major impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, human health and well-being. Limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5°C is a goal that needs to be achieved in order to contain possible environmental disasters, such as heavy rainfall, prolonged periods of drought or risks associated with water stress.


The 2018 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that a global temperature increase of 2°C above pre-industrial levels would lead to devastating consequences. In order to contain the risks of rising temperatures, a collective effort to accelerate action against climate change is required. It is indeed necessary to consistently integrate the path towards a circular economy, a key step towards achieving climate goals.


Circular economy offers a systemic response to the climate crisis by reducing emissions and increasing resilience. The benefits of this paradigm shift also include achieving other objectives such as creating more liveable cities, redistributing wealth and stimulating innovation. 


As part of the European Green Deal, a Circular Economy Action Plan has also been implemented. The plan presents new initiatives throughout the life cycle of products in order to modernise and transform our economy while respecting the environment. Meeting the challenge of moving towards a zero environmental impact society will be crucial in the coming years of rebuilding the post-Covid economy: there will be an increasing focus on assessing the circularity of companies and companies will be asked to find innovative ways to actively contribute to the implementation of the circular economy.


With this in mind, the Tondo team decided to create TondoLAB, with the aim of accelerating the transformation of companies into a circular economy. Tondo lab simplifies companies’ paths to the circular economy by enhancing their knowledge, facilitating the implementation of new projects and supporting collaboration between different corporate players, such as start-ups or research centres. The tools with which Tondo lab supports the design and implementation of circular solutions are:


Measuring circularity

Circularity is an increasingly necessary requirement in order to develop concrete actions, to make results quantifiable and to create more transparency towards investors and consumers. For this reason, TondoLAB has developed two tools with two different ways of measuring circularity: one for companies, based on the UNI/TS 11820 standard, and one for products, based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Material Circularity Indicator (MCI).


The assessment of circularity within a company can involve strategic and organizational elements, but also an analysis of the company’s incoming and outgoing materials and their waste. The initial assessment allows us to select areas of the company that need improvement and design customized workshops and educational activities;


Design of circular solutions

Based on the results of the workshop, the level of circularity or based on specific needs, we conduct an economic and environmental analysis for each potential project, such as a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Among all projects, we identify those with a tangible impact, both economic and environmental, and potentially scalable. We then define the stages of implementation and assess whether the company has all the necessary skills for implementation. We favour a supply chain approach and help companies find the most technologically appropriate solutions for their business. TondoLAB staff can play the role of Project Manager, supporting and managing the project from the idea validation phase to the actual launch on the market.          


Innovation and entrepreneurship

TondoLAB fosters the emergence of new realities in the circular economy. Through the synergy of two solid channels (hackathons and scouting), we find and select successful ideas and foster their development by adopting a circular design approach.

In particular, we organize hackathons on circular economy topics to implement successful ideas that address relevant issues and can be effectively implemented. We also develop innovation calls and scouting sessions on request by leveraging our network of experts and innovators who constantly monitor and find winning concepts. TondoLAB fosters the birth of new ventures, providing support at every stage of venture building. After the idea valuation (study of the market, potential economic impact, and growth opportunity of the idea), we provide support for the the next phase of MVP Design, which includes an analysis of the positioning of the business idea in the market and of the need for key resources and capital for the MVP, and the identification of potential industrial partners and financiers. Once the MVP has been refined and tested, we provide support in the next phase of project launch, in establishing a new company as an independent startup or as a joint venture and in the development of the business to help the new company achieve its growth goals.


Networking

Tondo has opened a community that both companies and individuals who want to learn, participate and contribute to circular economy issues can join. Joining the Tondo community means being part of an innovative network that believes in a more sustainable and circular future, drawing economic opportunities from it.

As a member of the community, you have access to special conditions in Tondo activities, with ad hoc knowledge, visibility and participation during our events. In addition, many different benefits are provided:


1. Access to the tools for measuring circularity;

2. Opportunity to participate in workshops organized by Tondo;

3. Preferential channel and discount for events and further activities organized by Tondo.


Workshops and training courses

Workshops aim to generate possible circular economy projects that can be implemented. Through a design thinking approach, companies are supported in devising new activities and projects.

Training courses, on the other hand, provide new knowledge specific about the circular economy. We offer customized courses on the most relevant topics regarding circular economy practices in order to bridge the knowledge gap of companies on specific topics related to circularity.


What characterizes TondoLAB and makes our offer unique is:


1. The international approach: we have a wide and international network that allows us to identify and monitor the most interesting circular solutions;
2. Our team’s experience in business and startups;
3. The circular disruption: we are focused on the path of accelerating and implementing the circular economy.



What the TondoLAB team pursues is to accelerate the transition to the circular economy in order to ensure better and less risky economic growth for companies and which is not in conflict with environmental protection. By pursuing this path, together we will become active agents of change for a more sustainable and circular future.



For further information, visit TondoLAB page or write to info@tondo.tech.

Francesco Castellano

Francesco Castellano holds a Master degree in Business Administration, and he has gathered almost twenty years of experience in research, finance, consulting, and business management. During this time, he was engaged in different types of projects as a consultant at Bain & Company, launched Uber operations in Turin, and worked in the FP&A department at General Electric.Lately, he founded To... Read more

Francesco Castellano holds a Master degree in Business Administration, and he has gathered almost twenty years of experience in research, finance, consulting, and business management. During this time, he was engaged in different types of projects as a consultant at Bain & Company, launched Uber operations in Turin, and worked in the FP&A department at General Electric.

Lately, he founded Tondo, a cluster of organizations focusing on spreading Circular Economy approaches and concepts, and supporting companies in the transition to a clean and circular future. Francesco is also the ideator and coordinator of the Re-think Circular Economy Forum, a format of events organized in many different locations in Italy showcasing the most relevant Circular Economy solutions.

Francesco has been a guest speaker at different universities and events, like Federico II University, Bocconi University, LIUC - Cattaneo University, Pavia University, Padua University, Catholic University, IPE Business School, 24ORE Business School, Campus Party, Torino Stratosferica, Visionary Days.

Francesco is passionate about Circular Economy, Cleantech Innovations, Venture Building and Entrepreneurship.

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