PhD in ENTERPRISE ENGINEERING

email: costa@dii.uniroma2.it
phone: 06/72597799

ACADEMIC STATUS
• Associate Professor of Management Engineering at the Department of Enterprise Engineering “Mario Lucertini” – University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (2020-present).
• Assistant Professor of Management Engineering at the Department of Enterprise Engineering “Mario Lucertini” – University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (2008-2020).

RESEARCH INTERESTS/AREA OF EXPERTISE
• Circular Economy
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• CSR communication
• Green marketing
• Healthcare Service Management
• Industry 4.0
• Knowledge Management
• Multi-criteria Decision-Making Methods applied to sustainability
• Sustainability
• Sustainability Reporting
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

EDUCATION
• PhD in Economic and Management Engineering – Faculty of Engineering – University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
• II level University Master Degree in Management Engineering – Faculty of Engineering – University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
• Master Degree (5 years single course) in Management Engineering (Summa Cum Laude) – Faculty of Engineering – University of Rome “Tor Vergata”

DIRECTION OR PARTICIPATION IN EDITORIAL COMMITTEES OF JOURNALS
• Associate Editor of the journal Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley.
• Member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, Elsevier.
• Member of the Editorial Board of Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Wiley.
• Member of the Editorial Board of the international journal Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship, Elsevier.
• Guest Editor for the international journal Knowledge and Process Management for the Special Issue “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): the Central Role of Stakeholders” (2014).
• Since 2024, Member of the Design and Development Team of Tor Vergata University Press, currently serving as a member of the Management Committee and Editorial Committee. I have contributed to the design and development of Tor Vergata University Press, which is dedicated to publishing high-quality works and journals, both in open access and print. Tor Vergata University Press supports the dissemination of knowledge in alignment with national and international strategies, ensuring a peer review process that meets the highest international standards and editorial excellence through collaboration with industry professionals. I am currently part of the working team coordinating the activities of Tor Vergata University Press.

REFEREE FOR THE FOLLOWING INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS
1. Abacus – A Journal of Accounting Finance and Business Studies
2. Annals of Operations Research
3. Business Strategy and the Environment
4. Cleaner Environmental Systems
5. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
6. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal
7. European Accounting Review
8. Industrial Marketing Management
9. INNOVAR – Journal of Administrative and Social Sciences
10. International Journal of Engineering Business Management
11. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business
12. International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making
13. Journal of Business Economics and Management
14. Journal of Business Research
15. Journal of Cleaner Production
16. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
17. Journal of Knowledge Management
18. Journal of Knowledge and Innovation
19. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
20. Journal of Internet Technology
21. Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital
22. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
23. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
24. Knowledge Management Research and Practice
25. Knowledge and Process Management
26. Measuring Business Excellence
27. Management Research Review
28. PLoS ONE
29. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship
30. Sustainable Development
31. Sustainable Production and Consumption
32. Sustainability
33. Technological and Economic Development of Economy
34. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence
35. World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development

FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS
- Project ECHO DRS (Enhanced Circularity through Holistic Optimization of Deposit-Refund Systems) (2024 – 2026). Principal investigator of this university-funded research initiative, aimed at addressing the broader challenges of DRS design and implementation across various materials and regulatory contexts. The two-year project, supported by Ateneo funds, seeks to develop a systematic framework for designing DRS tailored to different waste streams, including PET beverage containers and other recyclable materials. The research focuses on economic and legal feasibility, operational performance, and policy alignment to facilitate DRS adoption in diverse regulatory landscapes. By integrating economic, managerial, legal, and environmental perspectives, the project aims to provide standardized guidelines for effective DRS deployment, aligning with the broader objectives of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and Directive 2019/904.
- Project “Heal Italy”, PE 6 – PNRR (2022-2025): Health Extended Alliance for Innovative Therapies, Advanced Lab-research and Integrated Approaches of Precision Medicine - a national supply chain dedicated to research and innovation in the field of Precision Medicine. The project has a budget of 114.7 million euros and involves 12 Universities, the National Institute of Health, 5 Scientific Research and Treatment Institutes (IRCCS), 6 companies, and a research foundation. As part of the research group activities, the candidate contributed to the drafting of a scientific publication currently under second review in the journal Expert Systems with Applications.
- Project COBAT (2022 - 2023): aim of the project was the development of a Deposit-Refund System (DRS) for the paint and varnish market, commissioned by COBAT SpA SB. The designed system is under review by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and, if approved, will be the first non-mandatory national DRS globally. The project followed the publication of a study that established the authors as experts. It involved creating a technical report and an economic feasibility study for the national-scale system. Future activities include designing a packaging waste management infrastructure for COBAT SpA SB.
- Project CORIPET (2022 - ongoing): aim of the project was the development of a DRS for PET beverage packaging for the CORIPET consortium. Based on a prior study that established the authors as experts, the project addresses the SUP Directive 2019/904 EU and D.lgs. 116/2020, which impose strict collection and recycled PET usage requirements. It includes a technical report and an economic feasibility study of various DRS models, aiming to design the best prototype for Italy, considering the growing need to manage PET waste through dedicated supply chains.
- Project DRIADE (2023-2024): aim of the project is the development of operational guidelines for Deposit-Refund Systems (DRS) for packaging waste in Italy, funded by the Department of Business Engineering “Mario Lucertini” at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata.” Based on the EU Directive 2018/852, implemented with legislative decree 116/2020, the project supports producers in creating necessary infrastructure for waste collection. It aims to help economic operators meet collection targets by designing and implementing specific DRS systems, facilitating compliance with the mandated recycling goals.
- Project “SI-PAC - Information System for Safety Management of Diagnostic Clinical Pathways” - CYBER 4.0 (2021) for the Selection and Co-Financing of Innovation Projects, Industrial Research and Experimental Development funded by MISE (Ministry of Economic Development). Duration: April 2022 - October 2023
- Project “For a Fair Justice: Innovation and Efficiency in Judicial Offices”, PON GOV 2014-2020 (Governance and Institutional Capacity 2014-2020). The project includes, among other things, the development of performance monitoring indicators in Judicial Offices and the simultaneous application of procedures to improve efficiency in the disposal of procedures. Funding: European Social Fund - European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Agency Territorial, Ministry of Justice), total financing: € 8.002.078,90. Duration: April 2022 - October 2023
- Project “Sustainable and Efficient Production of Solvents from Industrial Waste Using Innovative Tools”, winner in 2018 of the public selection promoted by the Lazio Region in the framework of the ERDF Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020 for Entrepreneurial Projects on the “Circular Economy”. Purpose of the project: to develop technologies for the production of solvents by recycling industrial waste with a view to Circular Economy. Duration: 18 months.
- Project “Integrating Risk Management and Organizational Performance in the State Administration for the Creation of Public Value”, winner in 2017 of the public selection promoted by the Department of Public Service (Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Italian Government) for the realization of experimental and innovative projects on measuring and evaluating performance. Duration: 2018-2020.
- Project “Coffee for Building Renewed Engagement and Awareness by Knowledge Sharing (Coffee B.R.E.A.K.S.)”– National Research Council, Italy (2016-2017) - Principal investigator on behalf of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. Purpose of the project: the project is aimed at structuring a reward system for staff NRC through direct involvement of staff through innovative techniques of employee engagement.