Eco‐design as Driver for Circular Economy: An <scp>ICESP</scp> 's Empirical Investigation on Italian Firms

ABSTRACT The paper contributes to the debate on eco‐design as a driver for the circular economy configuration of firms' business models. The study presents the empirical evidence of a research promoted by the Working Group on the Eco‐design and Circular Business Model of ICESP, the Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. The research adopted a two‐stage qualitative investigation approach, including an online focus group and a self‐administered online survey. Findings showed that the adoption of eco‐design is conceived into a larger strategy of innovation aimed at continuous improvement, quality management, and collaboration with stakeholders. Eco‐design is also identified as a strategy for improving customer satisfaction that leverages collaborative innovation paths with suppliers, external partners, and universities. Implications for theory arise in terms of a major understanding of eco‐design as a driver for value creation, while for the practice the study highlights new directions for managerial and entrepreneurial practical applications.