Descrizione del progetto
Biomateriale ecocompatibile a base di nanocellulosa presto disponibile in commercio
La startup biotecnologica danese Cellugy sta sostituendo la plastica monouso con cellulosa naturale al 100 %. Il nuovo biomateriale può sostituire la plastica in diverse applicazioni di imballaggio ed è completamente innocuo per l’ambiente. Può essere utilizzato in combinazione con carta, cartone e altri materiali di origine biologica e soddisfa i requisiti prestazionali dell’industria dell’imballaggio, pur essendo completamente riciclabile e biodegradabile. Dopo aver ottenuto i finanziamenti per lo sviluppo del nuovo biomateriale, Cellugy ora mira, nel contesto del progetto EcoFLEXY, finanziato dall’UE, ad aumentare la produzione, concentrandosi su strategie di ottimizzazione tecnica, su un impianto pilota e su attività di pre-distribuzione rilevanti.
Obiettivo
Plastic pollution is a dramatic problem of our times. A large percentage of plastic production is destined to packaging, which is designed for single use but at the same time can stay in the environment for thousands of years. Efforts to replace conventional, oil-based plastics with more environmentally friendly materials have so far failed due to their reliance on food crops and end-of-life challenges. Cellugy has designed EcoFLEXY, a biomaterial able to replace plastics in several packaging applications, which is completely harmless to the environment. EcoFLEXY is produced by bacteria and yeast starting from sugar or agro-industrial waste, in low-energy conditions. Being made of nanocellulose, EcoFLEXY can be either recycled in the paperboard stream or home composted, whereas if leaking into the environment it safely biodegrades in a short time, leaving no toxic residues behind. EcoFLEXY production emit 94% less CO2 emissions compared to conventional plastics and at the same time enables a circular economy by making use of second-generation feedstocks. Cellugy will first sell EcoFLEXY to packaging companies and chemical companies serving them. It will start marketing Cellugy in Northern Europe where consumer and customer demand for sustainable products is highest. EcoFLEXY will be sold at a price competitive to that of bioplastics, leveraging on important collaborations within the chemical and packaging industry. To reach market launch, Cellugy will expand its production from the laboratory to a full industrial volume scale in a stepwise manner, with considerable interest from prospective investors in the biotech sector to follow product development. Cellugy’s team is well-rounded and led by award-winning entrepreneur Dr Isabel Alvarez Martos.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managemententrepreneurship
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbioplastics
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020-4
Meccanismo di finanziamento
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinatore
2860 Soborg
Danimarca
L’organizzazione si è definita una PMI (piccola e media impresa) al momento della firma dell’accordo di sovvenzione.