Journal Article
Unveiling Taurasi's Hidden Potential: A Wine Culture-Centered Framework for Sustainable Development
Sustainability, 17(13), 5704 • 2025
A Decision Support System for Circular Economy Transition
A Circular Economy model for improving both liveability and attractiveness of Historical Small Towns (HST) and boosting their socioeconomic development.
Building a sustainable future for Italian historical small towns through circular economy principles
H-SMA-CE is a nationally relevant research project funded under PRIN 2022 that develops a Circular Economy model for improving liveability and attractiveness of Historical Small Towns (HST) in Italy, commonly known as "Borghi," while boosting their socioeconomic development.
The research follows three macro-phases organized in 4 Research Activities (RAs): Understanding (RA1 and RA2) — an in-depth empirical investigation of Taurasi Municipality as a representative case study (Material Flow Analysis, stakeholder mapping, SWOT analysis) combined with a systematic review of methodologies and tools for circular and symbiotic urban systems; Evaluating (RA3) — developing composite circularity indexes and multi-objective optimization to identify optimal interventions in waste management, renewable energy, water efficiency, agricultural by-product valorization, and building rehabilitation; Simulating (RA4) — creating a spreadsheet-based Decision Support System enabling policymakers to assess circularity levels, simulate intervention scenarios, and estimate costs and benefits.
Exploring circular economy potential in one of Italy's most prestigious wine-producing historical towns
Taurasi is a historic hill town located at 398 meters elevation in the Irpinia area of Campania, exemplifying the complex nature of Italian borghi that transcend simple categorization. Its historical core exhibits medieval origins with subsequent Renaissance and Baroque modifications, including the iconic Castello Marchionale dating to the Lombard period.
The town's economic foundation rests upon specialized viticulture developed over centuries. Taurasi wine achieved DOCG status in 1993, becoming the first wine from Campania to receive this prestigious classification. Production follows rigorous standards requiring minimum aging of 36 months, creating distinctive aromatic profiles with characteristic black cherry and licorice notes.
Beyond wine, Taurasi's agricultural economy includes significant olive cultivation, particularly the indigenous Ravece variety. The annual Taurasi Wine Fair and Film Festival demonstrate how the community successfully leverages agricultural heritage within contemporary tourism frameworks, maintaining a balanced system where tourism enhances rather than replaces traditional productive activities.
A multidisciplinary team from two Italian universities collaborating on circular economy research
Department of Economics
CUP: J53D23009390006
Principal Investigator Unit
Full Professor of Commodity Science
Full Professor of Commodity Science
Full Professor of Mathematical Economics
Department of Human and Social Sciences
CUP: C53D23004860006
Co-Principal Investigator Unit
Full Professor of Economic Policy
Full Professor of Political Economy
Researcher in Economic Policy
International expertise supporting the project's methodological and scientific development
Prof. Katarzyna Szopik-Depczyńska, Associate Professor in Management at the University of Szczecin (Poland), serves as Senior Researcher in Sustainable Innovation Management for the H-SMA-CE project. Her work focuses on technological innovation analysis, circular economy methodologies, and environmental assessment tools for Historical Small Towns, supporting DSS development and testing.
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Sustainability, 17(13), 5704 • 2025
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