Professor Paolo Bevilacqua is an Associate Professor of Raw Materials Engineering at the University of Trieste (Italy), where he has taught since 2000, and currently serves as a member of the National Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security. He earned his degree in Mining Engineering "Summa cum laude" from the University of Trieste in 1987. His extensive professional career includes roles such as the Rector's Delegate for waste management and former Director of the National Interuniversity Consortium for Georesources Engineering (CINIGeo). Additionally, he was a member of the National Integrated Environmental Authorization (IPPC) Commission from 2009 to 2024 and has served as an expert for international engineering cooperation in Angola. A specialist in the circular economy and environmental sustainability, Professor Bevilacqua has authored 130 scientific publications and is the inventor of three patents related to plastic recycling and industrial waste treatment. He is also currently involved as an environmental engineer for the PNRR task force in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, focusing on digitalization and environmental monitoring.