NEWS

Today, organizations are increasingly required to transparently disclose their environmental impacts, resource flows, circular practices, and related sustainability activities. How can complex environmental information be prepared in a way that is understandable, credible, actionable, and digitally transparent? How are such disclosures interpreted and evaluated by different stakeholder groups? Under what conditions does digital transparency actually lead to circular or sustainable behavior? These and related questions will be addressed within the doctoral research project.

Academic supervision will be provided by Prof. Dr. Christine Vallaster (Department of Business Administration, Marketing Unit). The project is embedded in the interdisciplinary research environment of the DSP “Organization Studies” and benefits from established research networks, collaboration with practice partners, digital tools (including FoodCycle.ai), access to life cycle assessment (LCA) software, and state-of-the-art infrastructure for qualitative and quantitative research.

If you are interested, further information about the position can be found on the University of Salzburg’s job portal:  Predoctoral Research Assistant (University Assistant) – DSP “Organization Studies”.

This brochure, developed as part of the Interreg Italy-Austria AMBRA project, presents a diverse collection of innovative biorefinery models from the Alpine region and beyond. The selected best-practice examples demonstrate how agricultural and forestry byproducts, food waste, or plant biomass can be transformed into high-quality products such as natural dyes, textile fibers, cosmetics, food ingredients, or renewable energy. The brochure provides an overview of effective approaches to the circular bioeconomy, highlights opportunities for regional value creation, and serves as a practical guide for businesses, municipalities, and initiatives looking to develop their own sustainable utilization concepts.

Interested? Click here for the AMBRA_Brochure_Best_Practices!

We are delighted that our contribution, “Towards an Integrated Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Framework for Small-Scale Alpine Biorefineries Based on Agricultural Side Streams,” has been accepted for presentation at the 6th International RETASTE Conference in Rethymno, Greece, taking place from 16–18 September 2026.

Our presentation will be featured in the session on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) along the Farm-to-Fork value chain.

The paper demonstrates how the sustainability of small-scale, decentralized biorefineries in Alpine regions can be assessed in a comprehensive manner. The developed framework integrates environmental, economic, and social criteria while also incorporating the perspectives of regional stakeholders. In doing so, the research supports the sustainable utilization of agricultural side streams, the development of innovative bio-based products, and the strengthening of regional value chains.

#CircularEconomy #FoodWaste #LCA #Sustainability

Sustainability and responsible corporate leadership matter to you? Then the new specialization “Corporate Governance & Sustainable Management” within the Master’s Program in Law and Economics is exactly what you’re looking for. Discover how legal, economic, and sustainability-related considerations can be integrated into modern corporate governance and management practices. Click here for more information!

On May 6, 2026, three European State Prizes were awarded at the Federal Chancellery.

The CEFoodCycle project was honored in the category “Shaping Europe” for its innovative contribution to reducing food waste and promoting a sustainable circular economy in Europe.

At the heart of the EU-funded Interreg Alpine Space project CEFoodCycle is the question of how food flows along the entire value chain—from production to disposal—can be used more efficiently. Together with partners from Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and Slovenia, the project developed practical solutions for a circular food economy.

A key outcome is the digital platform  FoodCycle.ai, which supports companies, municipalities, and organizations in analyzing food surpluses, identifying utilization opportunities, and connecting with suitable partners along the value chain. The project was complemented by so-called “Circular Food Hubs,” regional networks bringing together stakeholders from agriculture, trade, energy production, and social services.

As part of the Interreg Italy-Austria project AMBRA, the University of Salzburg and Salzburg University of Applied Sciences invited researchers and practitioners from various disciplines on 24 March 2026 to discuss innovative approaches to the sustainable use of regional biomass resources.

Following a keynote presentation on the bioeconomy and biorefineries, participants jointly explored opportunities for (new) business models, biodiversity considerations, and biomass value chains, while also addressing the challenges, potential risks, and barriers associated with the bioeconomy. The interdisciplinary composition of the participants, including representatives from agriculture, municipalities, waste management and environmental consultancy, schools, and associations, generated new perspectives and valuable networking opportunities on this topic. The workshop findings will contribute to the implementation of activities within the AMBRA project.

We would like to sincerely thank all participants for their valuable contributions to the discussions!

And if we have sparked your interest, we invite you to take a look at the AMBRA brochure “Best Practices & Ideas for Biorefinery Models”.

The Doctoral School PLUS (DSP) “Organization Studies” is a research platform at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg that focuses on the institutional expectations and demands placed on organizations and their responses to these.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration and a broad theoretical foundation from the fields of organizational and management research, communication science, psychology, and consumer behavior, the DSP “Organization Studies” examines the central role of organizations and organizational practices in shaping and adapting to dynamic challenges in business and society. A key goal of the DSP is to empirically test and further develop existing organizational theories.

The five research focuses of the DSP for Organization Studies are:
– Adoption of Structures and Practices
– Circular Economy and Organizations
– Psychological Diagnostics
– Human Resource Management (HRM)
– Organizational Communication

For more information, please visit the DSP College for Organization Studies page.

Recent debates on circular economy and bio-based value creation often assume that residual materials can be readily transformed into economic opportunity. Our empirical evidence shows that waste does not become a resource by default. Value creation from residual materials depends on the alignment of material conditions, institutional frameworks, and business model logics. In practice, this alignment is often missing.
 
Our recent research on waste valorization in material-intensive industries demonstrates three recurring challenges.

🎯 Material constraints
Residual materials are heterogeneous, geographically dispersed, and often contaminated. Availability, quality, and timing rarely match industrial demand.
 
🎯 Institutional fragmentation
Regulations, standards, and subsidies are frequently inconsistent or contested. Without regulatory clarity and shared definitions of what counts as “circular,” investment risks remain high.
 
🎯 Business model misfit
High logistics costs, limited market demand for secondary materials, and weak price signals undermine value capture, even when recycling is technically feasible.
 
The key insight is sobering but necessary: Circular economy is not about maximizing utilization, but about selective valorization under systemic conditions.
Rather than asking “How can we monetize waste?”, a more productive question is:
 
Under which institutional, material, and organizational conditions does waste actually become valuable?
 
Only by addressing these conditions jointly across policy, markets, and value chains can circular economy move beyond symbolic narratives toward structurally viable models.

Has your interest been sparked? Then you can find more information in the original paper and in the   podcast.

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Image credit: iessephoto on pixabay.com

Under the title “Circular Solutions in Textile & Food – Bridging Sectors, Borders & Strategies” researchers, students, NGOs, representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as larger companies, and decision-makers from politics and public administration came together in the Great Hall of the University of Salzburg to discuss circular solutions across sectors and national borders.

Couldn’t make it? Would you like to get a first impression of the event? Then take a look at the highlights video.

Have you developed a taste for more and would like to learn more about the event? Then watch the full recording of the event on UniTV Salzburg under  Circular Solutions in Textile & Food.