Author: Simone Mazzola, Vice chair RSF & COO at 3bee
Over the last three centuries, scientific knowledge has underpinned humanity’s most significant innovations. From the steam engine revolutionizing industry in the 18th century to the digital transformations of the 21st century, progress has always been intertwined with scientific advancement. Today, this tradition of innovation is not just pivotal for technological progress but also crucial for societal regeneration.
The journey of scientific exploration typically begins within academic settings, fueled by research centers (particularly at Universities) and funding. As these concepts mature, industries adopt and adapt them, bringing scientific advances into practical, real-world applications.
Artificial intelligence (AI) serves as a prime example of this dynamic. AI, first studied in the 1950s at Dartmouth College by pioneers like John McCarthy, has evolved into a major industry force. Today, global tech leaders – the so-called Magnificent 7 – invest over €50 billion annually in its development in order to capture its potential value in the next decades.
Nowaday the principles of regeneration – i.e. the adoption of practices to sustain overtime anthropic activities – are currently within research and academia, except for a few pioneering companies incorporating these strategies into their operations. With the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss and widening poverty gaps intensifying, there is an urgent need to translate scientific discoveries into actionable and regenerative practices and technologies in the real world.
The existing and forthcoming scientific knowledge represents an invaluable asset that must be leveraged more extensively. Transitioning technologies from academia to practical business applications not only addresses ethical responsibilities but also opens economic opportunities, promising significant returns by mitigating environmental risks and pioneering new markets.
The Regenerative Society Foundation stands at the forefront of this transformation, facilitating knowledge transfer with more than ten international university/research centers and fifteen corporate members. Our initiatives span across a variety of crucial areas, facilitating the creation of scientific know-how and making available tools to help companies and society in this transition.
In particular, we are actively developing a framework to help companies and entities to assess the regenerative capabilities of their projects, ensuring they contribute positively to both the environment and society. In addition to this, we foster vertical studies on specific topics, including regenerative agriculture, circularity and human wellbeing, putting at the same table universities and companies.
As participants in the Regenerative Society Foundation and the broader community, we hold the responsibility to advocate for and invest in scientific research geared toward regenerative practices. This commitment addresses both immediate and long-term environmental and social challenges, paving the way for a sustainable future that is beneficial for all. Now is the time to act. By harnessing the collective expertise and resources of the academic and business sectors, together with the most recent advancement in technology, we can expedite the shift toward a regenerative society.
It is crucial to focus on regeneration now, while we still have the opportunity. If we delay and allow these challenges to escalate, we will be forced to shift our efforts to adaptation and that would be far more difficult to handle for governments, individuals, and society as a whole.