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Identifying and evaluating market relevant opportunities is an important pre-cursor to the execution of a product development process. If organizations want to innovate new products and services that will reliably connect with the market, they must develop expertise in translating market motivations into products and services that will satisfy them. This is best achieved using people who possess the ability to synesthetically connect seemingly disparate disciplines in new ways. This type of translation skill is not broadly recognized by the majority of people who work within large companies, yet it is vitally important in developing opportunities that are relevant to the market. Companies that learn to recognize this talent, and adopt a process that will make this skill accessible to the organization, will be able to reap great returns on innovation investment.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the twin transition of textile firms operating in an industrial district. The twin transition comprises two interconnected but distinct processes: the sustainable transition and the digital transition. The study specifically considers sustainability goals in terms of the triple bottom line and digitalization as the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. The study aims to understand how the characteristics of Italian districts influence the choices related to the twin transition and how it affects textile industrial firms.

The author conducts a multiple-case study involving five firms of industrial textile district of Prato.

The results show the relationship between the characteristics of the district, such as fragmentation of the supply chain, lean manufacturing, territorial proximity and attachment to origins and traditions and the sustainable goals and I4.0 technologies adoption. Moreover, the study proposes a framework for twin transition. Market and technology drive the process in which sustainability represents the aim, I4.0 serves as enablers and the relevant outcome is the implementation of the business model innovation.

These findings offer valuable insights for textile firms, policymakers and stakeholders seeking to navigate the complexities of twin transition.

The study contributes to the broader topic of twin transition. In particular, it links the particular context represented by the industrial district in which the textile firms operate to their conduct, and the two interconnected and distinct processes, sustainable transition and digital transition, with the business model innovation topic.

The purpose of this paper is to test the link between servitisation and circular economy by synthesising the effect of product-service systems (PSS) on supply chain circularity (SCC).

Following a systematic literature review methodology, the study identified 67 studies and synthesised them using content analysis.

A conceptual model is developed illustrating how PSS business models impact SCC through increased product longevity, closure of resource loops and resource efficiency. It also identifies six contextual factors affecting the implementation of SCC including: economic attractiveness of SCC; firm sustainability strategy; policy and societal environment; product category; supply chain relationships; and technology.

The conceptual model proposes that SCC increases with servitisation. It also proposes that the main circularity effect stems from increased product longevity, followed by closed resource loops and finally resource efficiency. The model is deduced from the literature by using secondary data.

The review provides practitioners with a framework to increase SCC through PSS business models. It also gives insight into the various contextual factors that may affect how a manufacturer’s servitisation strategy contributes to SCC.

This review contributes to the understanding of the relationship between servitisation and SCC by synthesising the different effects that exist. Moreover, it creates new knowledge by identifying a range of contextual factors affecting the relationship between PSS and SCC.

Circular economy (CE) disclosure is becoming urgent for firms, but an accepted and recognized approach to address it is still missing, especially at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) level. This study aims to contribute to this issue by exploring the potential of the adoption of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards as a standardized approach for CE disclosure. The paper proposes a framework that identifies the existence of specific relationships between the topics included in GRI 300 Standards and CE strategies, which can be considered as managerial guidelines for CE strategy disclosure by companies.

The paper uses an explorative research methodology based on the content analysis of secondary data taken from the sustainability reports of the SMEs listed in STAR segment of Borsa Italiana.

The analysis shows that GRI Standards are currently adopted to disclose the CE strategies by Italian SMEs across different economic sectors including construction, food, automotive, retail, personal and household goods, industrial goods and services, electronics, media and technology. In particular, GRI 301 is used for the disclosure about Recycling, Reuse, Reverse logistics, Industrial Symbiosis, Eco-Design, Product as a Service and Refurbishing/Reconditioning/Remanufacturing. GRI 302 is suited to disclose CE strategies about Eco-Design, Renewable Energy and Industrial Symbiosis. GRI 303 can be useful to disclose about Reuse and Industrial Symbiosis. GRI 305 is appropriate for Eco-Design, Renewable Energy, Product as a Service, Industrial Symbiosis and Recycling. Finally, GRI 306 is useful to communicate the CE strategies of Recycling, Reuse, Reverse Logistics, Eco-Design, Industrial Symbiosis, Maintenance/Repair, Refurbishing/Reconditioning/Remanufacturing.

The paper includes implications concerning how to report the implementation of a wide range of CE practices, mainly using GRI 301, 302, 303, 305 and 306. These implications are mainly addressed to SMEs in different economic sectors.

The use of the proposed framework, by improving the transparency and communication of the CE strategies used by companies, may contribute to accelerate the consumer awareness on CE practices fostering the CE transition, especially of SMEs, with a positive effect on society and environment.

This study extends the literature on CE by developing one among the few standardized approaches using the GRI Standards for the disclosure of CE strategies, a topic mainly investigated in the literature with reference to large companies in a few industries. The framework is also useful to explore the implementation of CE strategies across SMEs in different industrial sectors.