Ecomondo 2025 will bring together start-ups, research and enterprises to showcase solutions spanning the water cycle and the circular bioeconomy. The international event organized by Italian Exhibition Group is scheduled at Rimini Expo Centre from 4 to 7 November, with an Innovation District that will host 40 Italian and international start-ups selected for the technological content of their proposals. The portfolio ranges from regenerative bioeconomy and intelligent water management to advanced material recycling and circular agritech, connecting digital tools, environmental objectives and productivity. The edition marks a comprehensive platform that links innovation with market readiness through exhibitions, awards and skills initiatives targeting the ecological transition.
The start-up component is structured in two streams. Ecomondo has selected 20 start-ups featuring, among others, high-efficiency aquaponic systems for integrated vegetable and fish production with minimal water and energy consumption, a digital platform to measure and improve soil health, patents that convert complex waste into high-performance polymers, and hybrid operating software that controls machines and plants in real time while learning to optimize over time. In parallel, 20 companies from Morocco and Tunisia will participate through the Lab Innova for Africa "Luca Attanasio" project promoted by the Italian Trade Agency in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, reinforcing the bridge between Europe and the Mediterranean.
Innovation map and application trends
The Ecomondo 2025 Call for Start-ups received more than 100 applications from Italy and abroad, reflecting priority areas of the ecological transition and the event’s macro sectors. The distribution was as follows:
- Waste as Resource: 26 applications
- Circular and regenerative bio-economy: 20 applications
- Environmental monitoring and earth observation: 25 applications
- Water cycle and blue economy: 12 applications
- Bioenergy and agriculture: 6 applications
- Site and soil restoration: 2 applications
The resulting pipeline highlights sustained interest in intelligent recycling, environmental monitoring and bioenergy integrated with agriculture.
Technology awards and recognitions
Ecomondo will host the Lorenzo Cagnoni Award, which distinguishes advanced and promising technologies across the show’s sectors. The award will be presented during a gala dinner on 4 November attended by policy makers, companies and journalists, with speeches and accounts from international "green leaders". The evening will be a charity dinner with proceeds donated to Go Green, a company that, by recovering rubber, specializes in building running tracks and games for children.
The Award for Sustainable Development, established by the Sustainable Development Foundation and Ecomondo, returns for its 15th edition. It recognizes companies, start-ups and local administrations for eco-innovation, environmental and economic results, and potential for wider uptake. Over previous editions, 43 first prizes have been awarded, 379 companies or projects have been recommended and more than 2,300 candidates have participated. The President of the Italian Republic has supported several editions of the award.
The 2025 award will focus on: Circular economy, with an enterprise section in collaboration with the Circular Economy Network and a start-up section in collaboration with CONAI and supported by STEP SB - Innovation Hub; Decarbonization and climate adaptation, organized with Italy for Climate, GSE – Energy Services Manager and ISPRA, with the participation of ENEA; Nature restoration interventions, in collaboration with the Green City Network, the Nature Positive Network and the Po River Basin District Authority. The awards ceremony is scheduled on 5 November from 2.15 to 4.00 pm in the Innovation District.
Young generation, science and skills
Ecomondo 2025 will also strengthen the link between innovation and training. The 6 November program includes a speech on STEM professions and a meeting with astronaut Walter Villadei, aiming to inspire younger audiences and promote technical and scientific careers. Within the Innovation District, the Green Jobs & Skills area will act as a facilitator between job supply and demand for recent university and high school graduates, young professionals, workers transitioning toward sustainability and companies engaged in the ecological transition.
