Circular Economy, Business Model Innovation and Environmental Upgrading: the case of eyewear global value chain

The undeniable growing environmental issues being noticed from day to day and the repercussions they are having on the daily lives of the world population, and which will inevitably also negatively influence the lives of future generations, is proving to be one of the main issues that countries around the world must urgently deal with at different levels. For this reason, in today’s business world, a company that wants to grow and succeed needs to face the increasing challenges deriving from the dynamic and often extremely competitive context that surrounds it, but in addition of paying attention to make profits, it strongly has to take action to respect the environment and minimize the potential negative impact of its business activities. The growing environmental problems that are characterizing the planet require, therefore, a transition, in the short term, to an economic model that is more environmentally sustainable: the starting point of this study is motivated by the need to emphasize this. The present research, through an initial theoretical background aimed at introducing the concept of Circular Economy and the necessary shift from a linear to a circular economic model, underlines the transition to a circular approach by putting it in the broader context of Business Model Innovation and by considering Global Value Chains, with a particular focus on Environmental Upgrading trajectories and collaborative perspective as key points for the circular transition process itself. On the basis of this theoretical analysis, an empirical study reporting six real case studies from the eyewear industry is carried out to deepen the circular practices and initiatives that are currently in place in the Italian eyewear industry, in order to underline the most widespread difficulties, drivers that push companies in the sector to embark on a circular transition path, and potential dynamics of innovation and collaboration along the supply chain, with the aim of identifying the crucial players in the circular transition and environmental upgrading process within the global value chain at the center of the study.