Circular Economy Center makes progress in Sancti Spíritus
Through a joint project between Cuba and Italy, funded by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Circular Economy Center in Sancti Spíritus has been established.
The initiative envisions connecting four laboratories to this facility, dedicated to the characterization of materials and waste such as plastics, tires, and other refuse, as well as bioenergy. These laboratories include the Center for Energy and Industrial Processes Studies at the José Martí University of Sancti Spíritus, the Territorial Standardization Unit, the Villa Clara Biotechnology Company (Labiofam), and the Sancti Spíritus Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. There is also the potential to increase collaboration with other universities in Cuba and Italy to foster academic exchange.
Dr. Enrique Pérez Cruz, a researcher and director of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Sancti Spíritus, discusses the project’s participation, emphasizing the importance of partnerships for Cuba’s transition to a circular economy. “In the case of CIGB’s participation, it’s about leveraging our resources to identify potential microorganisms that can be used in the biodegradation of compounds or in the transformation of those compounds into innovative, high-value-added products. That’s our role.”
“This will allow for the development of human resources in innovative and advanced techniques within the circular economy, especially regarding waste that, with the application of technology, can be transformed into a high-value-added product, thus reducing the polluting burden of existing waste.”
The Deputy Delegate of the Environment in Sancti Spíritus, Néstor Álvarez Cruz, affirmed that, to ensure the project’s sustainability, a business portfolio has been designed to offer various studies and improvement options to national entities participating in this strategy for transitioning to a circular economy on the Caribbean island.
