Sheep’s Wool Supply Chain and Cross-Sectoral Knowledge for Sustainable Built Heritage

Featured Application: Mapping of the Italian wool supply chain to promote cross-sectoral exchange of raw materials, by-products, and processing know-how and to define shared policies among stakeholders for sustainable built heritage. This research investigates the role of sheep’s wool as a strategic bio-based material for the construction industry and for built heritage. Using a systemic approach, this research analyzes the potential of wool as a circular resource capable of integrating technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and territorial enhancement. The sustainability of the supply chain depends on the proximity of resources and the efficiency of production processes. In this context, the Italian National Observatory for the Sustainable Production of Italian Wool (FiLA) promotes systemic change through the creation of collaborative networks between supply chain actors. The mapping encompassed more than 200 supply chain actors, including 169 domestic and 31 international entities. The analysis identified 108,061 sheep farms in Italy, of which only 251 declared wool production as a business objective. The main challenges include technological innovation to compete with synthetic materials, the regulatory revision that currently classifies waste wool as special waste, and the development of systems that facilitate integration into contemporary construction processes. The results show that the use of sheep’s wool, also integrated with digital mapping approaches, can generate new local circular economies. Future developments can focus on optimizing processes, standardizing systems, and experimenting with business models that value sustainability and territoriality.