03 febrero 2026
Lucart strengthens its collaboration with the IMT School in Lucca to drive innovation in paper recycling
Lucart is taking a new step forward in its path towards innovation and sustainability by strengthening its collaboration with the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca for the joint management of a patent dedicated to the valorisation of paper mill sludge, one of the most abundant by-products of the recycled paper production process.
The agreement covers 50% co-management of the intellectual property relating to a patent application and the future industrial development of the research results. The initiative is part of programmes supported by PNRR funds, aimed at enhancing innovative PhD programmes and supporting the digital and ecological transition.
The collaboration began in 2022, when Lucart co-funded a PhD scholarship within the IMT School’s PhD programme in Management of Digital Transformation, with the goal of developing advanced technological solutions for the recovery and reuse of paper mill sludge generated by the mechanical separation of fibres. This waste stream can amount to around 40,000 tonnes per year at industrial scale and poses significant management challenges.
The research activities, carried out at the MUSAM-Lab, led to the development of new methods for enhancing the value of paper mill sludge, based on experimental and modelling approaches. The results enabled the identification of an innovative application considered worthy of patent protection, opening concrete perspectives for transforming an industrial by-product into a resource, in full compliance with environmental regulations and required performance standards.
For Lucart, this project represents another milestone in building an increasingly complete and circular recycling value chain. Collaboration with the academic world confirms the Group’s commitment to turning sustainability into tangible industrial solutions capable of generating environmental, technological and local value.
Lucart and the IMT School will continue to work together in the next stages of industrial development and valorisation, with the aim of promoting new safe and sustainable market applications and contributing to the evolution of the paper industry within a circular economy framework.
The agreement covers 50% co-management of the intellectual property relating to a patent application and the future industrial development of the research results. The initiative is part of programmes supported by PNRR funds, aimed at enhancing innovative PhD programmes and supporting the digital and ecological transition.
The collaboration began in 2022, when Lucart co-funded a PhD scholarship within the IMT School’s PhD programme in Management of Digital Transformation, with the goal of developing advanced technological solutions for the recovery and reuse of paper mill sludge generated by the mechanical separation of fibres. This waste stream can amount to around 40,000 tonnes per year at industrial scale and poses significant management challenges.
The research activities, carried out at the MUSAM-Lab, led to the development of new methods for enhancing the value of paper mill sludge, based on experimental and modelling approaches. The results enabled the identification of an innovative application considered worthy of patent protection, opening concrete perspectives for transforming an industrial by-product into a resource, in full compliance with environmental regulations and required performance standards.
For Lucart, this project represents another milestone in building an increasingly complete and circular recycling value chain. Collaboration with the academic world confirms the Group’s commitment to turning sustainability into tangible industrial solutions capable of generating environmental, technological and local value.
Lucart and the IMT School will continue to work together in the next stages of industrial development and valorisation, with the aim of promoting new safe and sustainable market applications and contributing to the evolution of the paper industry within a circular economy framework.
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