Two days for the SYMCRAFT idea - Workshop & Study Visit in Mestre / Venice
From design thinking to material testing: how we sharpened the SYMCRAFT portfolio and put recycled materials on the test bench
The Austrian partner IAGF travelled to Mestre/Venice on 10 and 11 April to learn more about the circular economy during the Study Visit Italy and to finalize the SYMCRAFT portfolio during a workshop with the project partners. Organized by Fondazione Ca' Foscari (FCF) and t2i - Technology Transfer & Innovation, 18 partner organizations met to work together:
- to develop the first service and product ideas for the SYMCRAFT portfolio - from upcycling materials to consulting toolkits,
- real time insight into test laboratories that make recycling materials fit for the market.
Results of the workshop:
- Three best-case examples of circular business models.
- First drafts of portfolio modules.
- Core components of the SYMCRAFT portfolio - from Circular Design Guidelines to Matchmaking Platform and
- To do list for prototyping until summer 2025.
Results of the study visit to the FisTec laboratory, IUAV University:
In the FisTec - Environmental Technical Physics Laboratory, Prof. Fabio Peron showed state-of-the-art testing equipment for doors & window frames, while Alessandro Cibin (t2i) presented the best practice "Vine wood from vineyard pruning".
Testing stations for recycled materials:
- Guarded Hot Plate: λ values of insulating and composite materials
- Climate chamber: Humidity & temperature cycles
- Acoustic room: sound insulation of recycled doors
- 3 D microscope: surface analysis of veneers
Learning points:
- Testing first! - Only tested recycled materials are marketable.
- Certification = market access.
- Cross-linking between research and SMEs accelerates innovation in the circular economy.
Next Steps:
- Piloting of collaborations between industry and craftspeople/designers in all partner regions.
- Next Transnational Session in fall 2025 in Leipzig - Germany
The quote from Diego Fiorin, t2i, puts it in a nutshell
"Workshops deliver ideas - labs deliver evidence. Real impact is only created through interaction."