PROTEG SPA

Their core work

PROTEG SPA is a private Italian company based in Naples that operates at the intersection of circular economy strategy and sustainable supply chain management. In EU research consortia, they function as an industry partner — contributing practical business experience to academic-led projects focused on circular transitions and sustainable business models. Their engagement spans both broad industrial ecology frameworks and sector-specific food supply chain sustainability, suggesting they apply circular economy principles across multiple industry contexts. As a non-SME private company joining Marie Skłodowska-Curie training and staff exchange networks, they likely provide industry mentorship, real-world case material, and a direct link between circular economy research and commercial implementation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

PROTEG's earliest H2020 engagement (ReTraCE, 2018) was broad and conceptual — covering circular economy transition models, industrial ecology, life cycle analysis, closed-loop supply chains, and sustainable business models across general industry. By 2019, their second project (ProCEedS) showed a clear narrowing toward a specific application domain: agri-food supply chains. This shift suggests the organisation moved from building theoretical circular economy competency to applying it in a commercially concrete sector where food waste and packaging circularity have direct business implications. The trajectory points toward sector-specialisation within circular economy, rather than broadening across new fields.

PROTEG appears to be deepening its circular economy focus into food and agriculture — a sector with growing regulatory pressure and business demand, making them a credible partner for food industry sustainability projects.

How they like to work

PROTEG has never led an H2020 project as coordinator — they exclusively join as a participant or third party, which is typical for private companies entering Marie Skłodowska-Curie consortia as industry partners. Despite only two projects, they have accumulated 38 unique partners across 16 countries, reflecting the large, multinational consortia characteristic of MSCA-ITN and MSCA-RISE programmes. This suggests they are comfortable operating within complex international networks while contributing a focused industry role rather than leading research agendas.

Across just two projects, PROTEG has connected with 38 distinct consortium partners in 16 countries — a large reach attributable to the inherently pan-European structure of MSCA funding schemes. No geographic concentration is discernible from the available data.

What sets them apart

PROTEG occupies an unusual niche as a non-SME Italian private company that consistently joins Marie Skłodowska-Curie research training networks — a role that requires demonstrated industry credibility rather than just research capability. Their dual involvement in both a broad industrial circular economy programme and a food-specific circular economy programme positions them as one of the few Italian private sector actors with verifiable cross-sector circular economy experience documented in H2020 data. For consortium builders needing an Italian industry voice on circular economy or sustainable supply chains, PROTEG represents a documented partner with established MSCA collaboration experience.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ReTraCE
  A five-year MSCA Innovative Training Network (2018–2023) building doctoral-level circular economy competency across models, methods, and real-world applications — PROTEG's role as an industry partner in a training network signals they were trusted to shape the next generation of circular economy researchers.
• ProCEedS
  A food-system-focused MSCA-RISE project (2019–2023) promoting circular economy in agri-food supply chains — notable for its sector specificity and the direct commercial relevance of food waste and circular packaging to PROTEG's apparent market.