The BIOMAC Team

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) is an academic Institution which is composed of 11 faculties consisting of 36 Schools and involves a critical mass of Faculty approximately equal to 40000 active students (31000 undergraduate and 9,000 postgraduate of which 3952 at doctorate level) and 2366 faculty members. AUTH is the largest University in Greece and in the Balkans and in terms of promoting innovation, 32 patents have been granted during the last 3 years on a national, European and international level. Based on recent data from international ranking lists, of 20372 higher institutions in the world, AUTH from the 407th position in 2011 moved to the 158th in 2012, ranking first among 23 Greek Universities. AUTH has a funding (2009-2013) (nationally and internationally) for the three major faculties: Health, Sciences and Engineering of a total of 138,330,059 million of euros, with the faculty of science having 38,153,623 million of euros. It is also worth to mention that AUTH has 864 international partners and 2355 active research programs (year 2013) and showing an enhancement the last years not only to funding but also in international cooperation. The School of Chemistry (Faculty of Sciences) established at the AUTh in 1927. From the School of chemistry, an undergraduate programme can lead to different specializations of i) theoretical chemistry and chemical education, ii) chemical analysis-environmental chemistry-electrochemistry, iii) chemical synthesisbiochemistry and bioapplications and iv) chemical technology and industrial chemistry. The school has also 11 postgraduate studies, covering the area of chemistry and a vast area of other sciences. The school has 78 faculty members and 10 laboratories. Finally, it has to be noted the EChemTest® which is an electronic selfassessment and assessment tool developed by the European Chemistry Thematic Network Association and aimed at evaluating knowledge and competences in chemical subjects. It has a wide-ranging impact, both formal and informal, in Europe and outside its borders. In the present proposal, two Laboratories will be involved, the Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology (LCET) and the Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Technology (LPCT). LCET has expertise and infrastructure on thermochemical and (bio)catalytic processes for biomass valorisation to fuels, chemicals, and materials. LPCT focuses on (bio)polymer and (bio)composites synthesis and characterization, as well as applications of (bio)polymers in several areas including pipes, films, bottles, fibers, etc.

EUBIA, the European Biomass Industry Association, was established in 1996 as an international non-profit association in Brussels, Belgium. It groups together market actors, technology providers, and knowledge centres, all of them active in the field of biomass. The main objective of EUBIA is to support the European biomass industries at all levels, promoting the use of biomass as an energy source, developing innovative bioenergy concepts and fostering international co-operation within the bioenergy field. As an industrial association, EUBIA aims at helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to keep up with relevant technological legal developments. EUBIA acts as an information multiplier, disseminating technologies and know-how to SMEs across the entire biomass industry. EUBIA also acts as an aggregator of demand, identifying shared problems and ensuring that research focuses on real business needs. EUBIA is co-organizer of the European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, the largest biomass event in Europe, taking place every year and gathering hundreds of stakeholders and experts.

The Biochemical Process Engineering research group at LTU (Division of Chemical Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering) consists of 20 people working with biomass pretreatment, design and use of enzymes and microorganisms for production of fuels, chemicals and materials from lignocellulose materials. Their expertise ranges from molecular biology, metabolic engineering, microbial physiology, fermentation, enzyme discovery and technology, protein chemistry, process technology to modeling of bioprocesses. The research group is working in the field of microbial and chemoenzymatic production of fuels and chemicals since 1989. Ethanol, butanol, butyric acid, butyl butyrate, biogas, lipids, prebiotic cello- and xylo-oligosaccharides, antioxidants, novel enzyme activities, biocatalysis in non-conventional media, using fungi, yeasts, bacteria and algae are the group’s recent key activities. Moreover, a recently installed steam explosion/organosolv reactor, upgraded to a semi-continuous system, that also allows the solid/liquid separation to take place at high temperature and pressure , allows the group to study the fractionation of lignocellulosics for different applications such as lignin catalytic conversion to aromatic monomers, production of lignin nanoparticles, use of lignin/(poly) ethylene glycol mixtures as anti-wear agents, use of lignin/ethylene glycol mixtures as marine fuels and also use of delignified carbohydrate fraction for the production of ethanol and lipids using yeasts and microalgae as microbial platforms.

Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (www.bbeu.org) is a flexible and diversified pilot plant for the development and scale up of new, bio-based and sustainable processes. It is capable of development of new bioprocesses, optimization of existing processes and scale up of a broad variety of bio-based processes up to an industrial level (from 5L to 50m3 scale, depending on the process). It can perform the entire value chain, from the green resources up to the final product. BBEU intends to close the gap in the innovation chain of the bio-based economy, bridging science and industrial production. BBEU was selected by the European Commission as a multi-KET Pilot Lines demonstrator (www.mkpl.eu). It is located in Ghent, Belgium.
The activities of BBEU can be categorized in:

• Development of bio-based and sustainable processes (TRL 2-4)
• Scale up (TRL 5-6)
• Pilot and demo production to allow market introduction (TRL 7-8)

The BBEU team combines over 100 years of experience in fermentation development and scale-up, and also has extensive expertise in biomass pretreatment, biocatalysis, green chemistry, and the development of industrial purification techniques. It is responsible for these tasks in several publicly funded projects of which 24 are ongoing. In addition, BBEU is a service provider to many companies in the biotech domain and bio-based economy. In the period 2012-2019 it served > 120 customers in > 300 projects for development, scale up or pilot production. BBEU has built up a significant expertise in the pretreatment of various biomasses such as lignin, forestry waste, tree bark in projects such as Biohart, Falcon, Rehap and Erifore. For performing these processes, Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant has 4 process halls, and a supporting lab for analysis: a biomass pre-treatment hall of 907m2 with hydrolysis reactors, milling equipment, jet cooking, centrifuges, presses and evaporators; a fermentation hall of 500 m2 for industrial biotechnology processes and product purification (centrifugation, filtration, ion exchange, crystallization, extraction, drying equipment). An ATEX-proof ‘green process hall’ of 285 m2 is available for working with solvents, green chemistry and anaerobic fermentations. Since 2018, a new 1600 m2 process hall for biorefining and downstream processing with reactors, filtration units, dryers, etc. was placed into operation. A full list of the equipment at BBEPP can be found here.

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a mission-driven Research and Technology Organization (RTO) that develops advanced technologies and delivers innovative products and services to industry and society. As a major engine of the diversification and growth of Luxembourg’s economy through innovation, LIST supports the deployment of a number of solutions to a wide range of sectors, including energy, IT, telecommunications, environment, agriculture, and advanced manufacturing at national and European level.
It is formed by three departments:

• The “Environmental Research & Innovation” (ERIN) department develops strategies, technologies and tools to monitor, assess, use and safeguard natural and renewable resources. Its research topics are water security and safety, plants for biomass, biopolymers and bioenergy, life cycle sustainability and risk assessment, and e-Science for environmental and biological applications.
• The “IT for Innovative Services” (ITIS) department develops innovative IT services within an open innovation process integrating all stakeholders concerned. Its research focuses on “big data” operational issues for decision making, use of information systems in measuring and controlling the quality of services, and tools for innovation processes in IT services.
• The “Materials Research and Technology” (MRT) department focuses its activities on advanced materials and nanotechnologies. MRT translates cutting edge materials research into applicable technology. For this, the department cultivates close relationships and joint projects with both academic and industrial partners, and contributes to Luxembourg's and Europe's innovation agenda in materials research. Its research and technology activities target two main areas: nanomaterials and nanotechnology, and functional (bio)composite materials. Biobased polymers and related biocomposites is one of the fields in which the MRT department is growing.

RISE Processum AB is a research institute located in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. It is part of the governmentally owned RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden, 60% ownership in RISE Processum). RISE Processum supports and initiates research and development mostly within the biorefinery sector. Together with partners from the industry and academia we act as a hub for development of new products, processes and energy solutions from the forest and residual streams from the process industry. The competence at RISE Processum, the pilot park of equipment designed for working with biorefinery processes, industrial experience and network of partners create a research hub within the biorefinery field. The organization with scientists and experts with complementing experiences are front runners in the development of new techniques, methods and products that can be directly applied by the industry. RISE Processum has gained expertise in several areas of research through participation in a large number of research projects. These areas include, among others, single cell protein production, lactic acid fermentation, bacterial protein expression, enzymatic hydrolysis, bacterial nanocellulose production, high temperature/pressure processes and lignin valorization processes. In addition, there is broad experience at RISE Processum within project management, communication, networking, patent and IPR-management and handling.
The biotechnology group at RISE Processum are focusing on projects where biotechnology methods are applied to develop new processes and products from forest raw material. Enzymes and microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, algae and fungi are used as important tools for turning lignocellulose and industrial side streams to valuable products such as fuel, chemicals, materials and proteins. The biotechnology group has access to well-equipped laboratories for laboratory scale optimization. For upscaling of processes there are pilot scale equipment at hand for thermochemical pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, separation and fermentation up to 600 litres per batch. The pilot equipment is approved for genetically modified organisms. In addition, there is equipment available for molecular biology research applications.
The organic chemistry group at RISE Processum are working in several fields, among which are chemical synthesis, flow chemistry and hydrothermal liquefaction and carbonization. For large scale process development there is an ATEX-facility at hand where processes can be performed batch-wise or continuously. For downstream processing there are pilot equipment for filtration, extraction, de-watering, distillation and upgrading.

The Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy is a nationally and internationally operating research centre. At the interface of biological and technical systems, the institute follows an interdisciplinary approach, combining basic research with a high degree of application orientated research. The Institute’s mission is to develop sustainable and highly innovative technologies for the resource efficient utilization of biological systems to produce food, raw materials and energy. Climate change and the incipient changes in the structure of agriculture represent particular challenges for agricultural engineering research. ATB research activities are of interdisciplinary nature and follow a systems approach covering the entire spectrum from primary production and consumption of food, feed and non-food biomass including technology assessment. Founded in 1992, the ATB is today one of the largest agricultural research institutions in Europe and operates - in part as a coordinator - in large national research networks as well as in numerous EU and DFG projects. The ATB has state-of-the-art infrastructure, including special laboratories, large-scale facilities, pilot plants (e.g. pilot plant for lactic acid) and experimental facilities as well as the newly established Centre for Technology and Knowledge Transfer.

The University of Edinburgh is one of the largest and most successful universities in the UK with an international reputation as a centre of academic excellence. Its international character is reflected in its student population, which comprises of over 3,800 European students and over 9,500 International students (out of a total population of around 26,500 students at undergraduate level and 15,300 postgraduate) from over 120 different countries worldwide. It can also be found in its truly international staff and in its joint research and other links with overseas universities, institutes, companies and governments.
The University is the leading research university in Scotland and is amongst the top ten in the United Kingdom. Almost all members of staff at the university are research active. Following the announcement of the results of the 2014 Research Assessment Exercise some 63% of the University’s research activity is in the highest categories (4* and 3*), of which one third is recognised as “world-leading”. A total of 1,852 individuals, more than 83% of the institution’s academic staff, saw their research assessed across 31 subject areas. The results place the University in the top 5 in the UK and number one in Scotland by volume of 4* “world-leading” research. The University is home to 35% of Scotland’s 4* research.
On a European level, traditionally the University has been very successful in participating in European Framework Programmes. During the Sixth and Seventh Framework Programmes the University was involved in over 600 projects, total award value of approximately €320M, and 308 projects in Horizon 2020 with a value of over €213m. This includes 52 ERC grants under FP7 a (with a total value of €88.5m) and 68 ERC grants in Horizon 2020 (19 Advanced, 18 Consolidator, 4 proof of concept, and 27 Starting) with a total value of over €105m. In addition 83 projects in Horizon 2020 have been MSCA projects. These consist of: 1 COFUND, which we coordinate; 3 RISE, one of which we coordinate; 24 ITNs and 56 Individual fellowships.
It is the University's stated aim that it wishes as far as possible to conduct its research and development activities on a trans-national basis. The pooling of research expertise, equipment and database resources contributes to major advances in science, technology and medicine worldwide. Role in the

AIMPLAS, Plastic Technology Center located in Valencia, is a private, non-profit Association with more than 600 associated companies created in 1990. AIMPLAS is formed by +170 highly skilled professional, more than 70% with a Masters, Engineering or equivalent degree in Chemistry, polymer engineering, materials engineering or equivalent, including 20 PhD.
AIMPLAS’ fields of work are related to technological research and development on thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials & products, its transformation processes and their recyclability and sustainability. AIMPLAS generates new knowledge and technologies that can be transferred to companies in order to help them to increase their effectiveness and competitiveness.
AIMPLAS has a broad expertise in the fields of recycling, compatibilization, reactive extrusion, biopolymers and renewable source materials, special assisted processing technologies and nanocomposites, gained during the last years in the frame of EU and national projects. Nowadays, AIMPLAS is involved in more than 27 European projects and has participated in 79 projects in FP5, FP6, FP7, LIFE+, CIP-EcoInnovation EU Programmes, among others, coordinating 27 of them. At National and Regional levels AIMPLAS participates in around 100 projects yearly. AIMPLAS develops tailored R&D projects to meet the needs of companies in the packaging and food sector. Some of the investigation lines which stand out in packaging sector are:

• Development of biodegradable and bio-based materials
• Improved properties: antimicrobial, barrier properties, functional barriers
• Processing of biodegradable materials: extrusion, foaming, injection
• Active packaging

AIMPLAS commitment to corporate social responsibility policies. In AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, we develop solutions for the present and we research to contribute to the progress. We pre-empt the needs of the industry and the society. For that purpose, one of the premises for the success of our project is the sustainable development and the well-being of individuals, an end to which we contribute through the performance of our activity and our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
AIMPLAS’ strategy on CSR is based on the commitment to the Global Compact of the United Nations, to which we have joined. Regarding equality, a plan has been implemented to allow obtaining an equality seal from the Regional Government of Valencia. At the same time, we have implemented a flexibility policy in the work calendar to make possible the conciliation of work and family life and we have developed actions aimed at promoting healthy habits among employees.
For years now, we are committed to social development through its implementation with the support of AIMPLAS Board of Directors.

Fraunhofer is Europe’s leading application-oriented research organization. Our research efforts are geared entirely to people’s needs: health, security, communication, energy and the environment. As a result, the work undertaken by our researchers and developers has a significant impact on people’s lives. We are creative. We shape technology. We design products. We improve methods and techniques. We open up new vistas. In short, we forge the future. The research activities of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are conducted by 74 institutes and research institutions at locations throughout Germany. International collaboration with outstanding research partners and companies from around the world brings Fraunhofer into direct contact with the key regions that drive scientific progress and economic development.
The Fraunhofer WKI is one of the 74 research institutes within the Fraunhofer Society. The research and development activities of the WKI serve to achieve a better utilization of the raw material wood and other renewable raw materials as well as an increase in the quality of the products produced therefrom. As an accredited testing body, the Fraunhofer WKI undertakes tasks concerning material testing and quality monitoring. It assesses cases of damage and provides advice regarding damage restoration.
The Department of Surface Technology at the Fraunhofer WKI develops paints and adhesives on the basis of vegetable oils, sugars, lignin and waste materials. The research focusses on the entire value chain of wood coatings and adhesion, including the synthesis of binders, formulation and application of coatings. Method development of weather-related aging processes, standard tests and damage analysis complete the profile.

Creative Nano (Cnano) is a research and commercialization SME focusing on technological product-based solutions specialized in the field of nanotechnology. The company was founded in 2013 (as Artia Nanoengineering and Consulting) and has reached its final form after a merging in summer of 2018. Cnano’s team consists of MSc and PhD level scientists and engineers with extensive experience on working and collaborating with companies, research institutes and universities across Europe to solve technical impasses and create innovations that establish a competitive advantage for its clients. Cnano specializes in the field of development, production, sales and application of high performance composite protective coatings. Our technical know-how lies in the manufacturing, deposition, dispersion, upgrading and processing of in-organic nano- and microparticles into functional coatings. The company aims to commercialize coating materials and acquire research and development projects through corporate collaborations producing tailor-made solutions for its customers. With the help of nanotechnology Cnano is developing consumer-based solutions in synthesis, processing and manufacturing of nanomaterials, composite nanocoatings, nanoparticles, hybrid systems and liquid systems. Cnano develops products with enhanced properties such as corrosion resistance, high transparency, water repellence, self-cleaning, anti-finger-print, abrasionresistance, temperature resistance, anti-delamination and photocatalytic.

ITENE is the specialist Technological Centre in R&D in packaging, logistics, transport and mobility. Its mission is to generate scientific and technological knowledge and adding value to companies through the implementation of R+D+I in these areas. ITENE provides business solutions with an integrated view of the supply chain, from raw materials, design and development of packaging and packaging systems, optimisation of the movement and distribution of goods, until the products reach the consumer and are ultimately managed as residues, all within a framework of sustainable performance. The centre has advanced facilities and a multidisciplinary team of researchers and technicians with proven and constantly evolving technologies for novel solutions.
ITENE was founded in 1994 and currently employs 153 persons. Located in Valencia, Spain, the centre has 7,105m2 of facilities covering laboratories and experimentation infrastructures equipped with the most modern technology.
ITENE research area covers:

• New Advanced Materials (Development strategies to obtain new packaging materials with better properties)
• Functional surfaces and Intelligent Packaging.
• Food safety and Active Packaging (Materials that release active substances from the packaging or absorb undesirable substances from the product to prolong the shelf life)
• Packaging Technologies (vacuum, modified atmosphere)
• Packaging Engineering (Transport simulation technologies)
• Sustainability (Waste valorisation, LCA, LCC, Carbon Footprint)
• Transport and Logistics (route optimization, distribution modelling, urban mobility)
• Electronics, Robotics and Industry 4.0

ITENE has participated in 39 projects from FP6 and FP7 and is involved in 25 H2020 projects (most of them under execution).
The advanced materials department provides expertise and new facilities to support the study and development of new materials in the nanometer range, including the design, synthesis and application of nanomaterials in relevant industrial sectors. This group has relevant experience in the development of biocoating, including Synthesis and characterization of bio-based materials, formulation and production of new bio-plastics solutions with advanced properties and advanced compounding for high performance and cost-efficient bio-based plastics. Our Food safety department has relevant experincie on food Contact issues (participating in technical committees, both Spanish and European, related to Food Contact Materials Regulations).

AIMEN Technology Centre is a Non-Profit Innovation and Technology Centre, that was set up in 1967, highly specialized in materials and in advanced manufacturing technologies applied to high performance materials development and processing, robotics and automation. It provides technological support to more than 500 companies dedicated to industrial or commercial activity in the fields of Automotive, Aeronautics, Shipbuilding, Metal- Mechanical, Wind Energy, Metallurgy, Chemical and Building. AIMEN promotes and undertakes research, as well as improves design, simulation and manufacturing technologies. AIMEN's Research and Development office has been registered as a Technology Transfer Office since April, 2002 by the Inter-ministry Commission for Science and Technology, under the Number 166, and registered as a Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) under number 38 in the Registry of the Inter-ministry Commission for Science and Technology.
Located in the Northwest of Spain (headquarters, Error! Reference source not found.) with office also in Madrid, Basque Country and Sevilla, AIMEN is a highly professionalized organisation, with more than 240 employees specialised in the fields of Materials Science, Welding, Manufacturing Process Engineering, Robotics and Control Engineering, Testing, and Laser Processing. Its mission is to improve the competitiveness and the technological knowhow of the manufacturing industry through the following activities: (i) R&D projects, (ii) Technology forecasting, (iii) Acquisition and development of emergent technologies, (iv) Promotion of technological innovation inside the companies. Around 2/3 of all R&D projects are in collaboration with the industry, with the objective of providing new technological solutions in the medium term. AIMEN is aware of the importance of quality together with protecting the environment, safety of people, security information and R&D&I management.
The R&D activity in AIMEN can be grouped into the following research fields:

• High Performance Materials: Multimaterial systems, hybrid materials, processing of polymeric matrix composites (thermoplastic and thermosetting), thermoplastic welding, coatings technologies, polymer compounding, embedded control systems for polymer manufacturing.
• Laser Based Manufacturing: additive manufacturing, laser assisted processing, high quality laser production, high power / high throughput laser processing, laser surface activation of polymers and fibres.
• High Precision Manufacturing: production of functional surfaces, 3D micropart production, microfabrication and micro-manufacturing systems.
• Robotics: mobile and collaborative manipulators, robotics for transport and logistics, mechatronics.
• Smart Manufacturing: advanced assembly and disassembly technologies, robotics and flexible automation, embedded monitoring and control.
• Environmental technologies: waste management, water quality and treatment, wetlands, life cycle.management, environmental monitoring

AIMEN has experience in R&D collaborative projects as a coordinator of several National and European projects It has been involved in the design, production and monitoring of different polymeric matrix composites, the automation, control and robotizing of different welding, and with the development of new manufacturing processes of thermoplastic composites.
AIMEN has active presence in the main European and National technology platforms and initiatives related with materials and manufacturing technologies, as for example the EFFRA (related to Factories of the Future PPP), EuRobotics (linked to SPARC PPP) and EU Platforms like SUSCHEM, EuMAT, ManuFUTURE or Photonics21. AIMEN has an active role in these initiatives, and has contributed to the definition of R&D priorities at national and European level, including the RIS3-Galicia strategy. AIMEN is also present in other national and international expert panels, consulting committees, groups and societies, like the International Institute of Welding, EARTO, the European Laser Institute ELI, sectorial industry clusters (automotive, shipbuilding, metalworking), as well as in EPIC (European Photonics Industry Cluster) and SECPhO (Southern European Cluster in Photonics and Optics.

With approximately 40,000 students and approximately 1,500 faculty members, Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) is the largest university in Italy for Engineering, Architecture and Industrial Design and it is ranked as one of the most outstanding European and global universities in these fields (QS World Ranking 2020: 149th “Global”; 20th “Engineering and Technology”; 7th “Architecture”; 6th “Art & Design”). The university has seven campuses located in Milan and in other nearby Italian cities. It is organised in 12 Departments, devoted to research and in 4 Schools, devoted to education. Thanks to a strong internationalization policy, many programmes are entirely taught in English, thus attracting an ever-increasing number of talented international students, who form a diverse community from more than 100 countries. POLIMI is member of IDEA League, a strategic alliance among five leading European universities of technology that aims to educate a new generation of Engineers with extra-curricular activities for selected, highly talented students.
The POLIMI unit will mainly operate in the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” (www.cmic.polimi.it/en) through the Laboratory of Chemistry and Characterization of Innovative Polymers (ChIPlab, http://chiplab.chem.polimi.it). The research unit possesses a strong long-lasting experience in the field of polymer and composite science, macromolecular chemistry and materials characterization, physical chemistry of surfaces and interfaces, fluorinated polymers and rheology. More specifically, the ChIPlab research unit is currently particularly interested in the design, development and characterization of polymeric and composite materials for sustainability. The ChIPlab research unit is fully equipped with an extensive range of facilities for the synthesis, characterization, processing and testing of polymeric and composite materials that will be fully exploited during the project.

DTI is the largest technological service provider in Denmark and one of the biggest in northern Europe. Founded over 100 years ago, the institute's core business lies in providing technological services to industry, especially SMEs. SMEs constitute over 90% of DTI's client base with over 14,000 assignments annually to this sector. The institute's expertise is divided into eight divisions covering building and construction, materials, life sciences, industrial management, production technology, energy & climate, meat research and technologies and agriculture. These together contain some 33 specialist competence centres with over 22 accredited laboratories providing testing and certification services. The institute is recognized as the leading training and educational institution with focus on industry in Denmark and abroad. DTI also advises SMEs in the electronics sector on new business development opportunities and assists in the transfer of new technologies.
Within the production division the Centre for Nano Production and Micro Analysis (N&M) works within the commercialization of nanotechnologies. N&M’s conducts commercial surveys annually for over 200 different companies with nano characterization and micro machining and is ISO17025 certified. On top of this, N&M is involved in several national and European projects focused on development and production of nanomaterials for nano-catalyst and printed electronics applications as well as digital production technologies and energy systems. The nano-ink section of N&M is currently working with development of nano Ag and nano Cu materials, ink formulation as well as digital production using ink-jet printing.

Nanotypos is a private start-up company founded in 2012 and located in Thessaloniki (Greece). Nanotypos is a pioneering research and technology development company whose mission is to create, develop and commercialize products that are realized by means of roll-to-roll nanoimprint lithography processes. Nanotypos develops imprint based processes based on core expertise in optical devices, photonic applications, biotechnology, energy harvesting and organic electronic applications.

IDENER R&D investigates in the multidisciplinary field of Computational Science and its application to the optimization of systems and processes in key areas: Industrial Technologies; ICTs; Biotechnology; Energy; and Resource and Raw Materials Efficiency.
The company has extensive experience in national and European research and is currently participating in up to eleven H2020 projects and three nationally funded projects. Besides, the company participates in major European research communities, such as Bio-based Industries (BIC), SPIRE, BIOPLAT, PLANETIC and The European Materials Modelling Council (EMMC).
The Biotech area develops new biotechnology industrial processes for the production of (new) products from unconventional and sustainable sources. The experimental developments in this area are benefited by the synergy with computational tools for process and system modelling and optimization. Thanks to this approach, the required number of experimental assays is significantly reduced with the subsequent saving of costs and time. Besides, the development of predictive models will pave the scale- up of the developed processes. The final result is a high added value that sharpens the competitive edge of complex systems by providing improvements in performance and costeffectiveness. To that end, IDENER integrates concepts from four interrelated and complementary areas: Mathematical Modelling and Simulation; Multidisciplinary Design Optimization; Control Engineering; and Software Engineering. The main work lines in the area: (1) Metabolic engineering, (2) Process design and development and (3) Process assessment.

Axia Innovation offers services specialized in accompanying and supporting companies in all phases of business development and product’s commercialization. Located in Germany, we pride ourselves in engineering excellence, creating business opportunities for entrepreneurs, independent enterprises and academic institutions. Our company strives to offer a comprehensive approach, responding to customer needs in the most effective way, from strategic thinking to project implementation. Axia Innovation is built from the synergy between four main service lines: Project Management, Innovation Management, Knowledge Transfer, and Communication & Design. AXIA offers services and technology transfer targeting business development, coordination and implementation. This is achieved by offering full-service concept to develop projects and networks that build a sustainable European community.
AXIA provides insightful, timely and focused research on Engineering solutions and services. Liaising with stakeholders, companies and public institutions in the implementation of technological innovations, AXIA is enabling them to strengthen their competitive position over the long-term. This is achieved in collaboration with well-established European Universities and Research Institutes as well as with a large network of industrial partners.
AXIA provides its clients the best support tools for the success of their business initiatives and assists them in the preparation and management of strategic plans: business projects, research projects and technology transfer, under National and International support frameworks. In particular, Axia offers to its client the following services in the field of marketing:

• Strategic Marketing Plan Creation. This includes all programs, product marketing, and integrated communications efforts to help a company or a consortium grow its business, improve revenue generation, and promote a more rapid sales cycle.
• Messaging Matrixes. By laying out and plotting all products of the company and corporate positioning to make sure that our client is in the best possible spot for success.
• Brand Creation & Definition. In close collaboration with our customers we help defining and creating a brand that is compelling and appeals to customers target audiences.
• Strategic Support and Counsel. Setting up growth plans, including new market and vertical identification, channel/OEM opportunity identification, key titles and prospect targets, presence in executive meetings when needed.

AXIA has recently expanded its activities towards the computational support of developments. The team includes personnel with strong experience in process synthesis and concept-based optimization models. This great step will allow the acceleration of technological practices and will give the opportunity to state environmental friendly and economically feasible techniques. Joining new emerging areas, AXIA undertake work related to the development of screening tools towards the selection of optimal solutions among numerous technological possibilities towards the emerging markets of recycling materials, plastics and bio-based chemicals.

The University of Burgos (UBU) was founded in 1994 and has assumed its role in the local and regional economy and in the larger scientific development responding to market demands (e.g. new grades in accordance to the needs of the labor market) and developing wide research networks (e.g. integrated research between the university, the private sector, public institutions, and civil society organizations). According to the ranking of normalized impact on research production elaborated by the CyD (Foundation for Knowledge and Development, 2011), the University of Burgos holds the 13th position among Spanish Universities with a 1.22 impact index. Likewise, according to SCImago Institutions Ranking (SIR 2012), the University of Burgos holds the ES.R 105 with a Q1 of 55.8 and Excellence Rate of 13.7, being leader among regional universities. UBU has 67 research groups classified in five main research fields: Sciences, Social sciences, Engineering-Construction, Humanities and Health sciences. These Research groups have a consolidated prestige not only at national but also at international level with a relevant number of publications in the best research journals. Under this structure, two interdisciplinary groups of the University of Burgos are joining the BIOMAC project: International Research Center in Critical Raw Materials for Advanced Industrial Technologies (ICCRAM) and Analysis and Modelling of Materials Group (AdF).
ICCRAM is a part of the Science and Technology Park, integrated by ICCRAM, the Research Center in Food Biotechnology (CIBA), the Center for Innovation and Research in Industrial Technology (CITI), as well as a new experimental facility in Applied Nanotechnology, and Nano/Toxicity. ICCRAM was born in 2014 conceived to integrate within its structure an "intrinsic path into innovation", and it is supported by an industrial board of more than 26 industries, SMEs and clusters. ICCRAM is a leading actor in international organizations as PROMETIA, the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials, the Nanosafety Cluster or the International Association of Nanotechnology Industries.
ICCRAM integrates different researching activities in four principal lines: Synthesis of nanomaterials, Computational simulation, Nanosafety and Sustainability. From these lines, ICCRAM approaches different topics of interest at European level such as definition of recovery, recycling and replacement strategies for critical raw materials, application of circular economy principles for new materials design, evaluation of new materials to control their environmental, health and safety aspects and biotechnology technologies for industrial, health and environmental applications. In this thematic areas, ICCRAM is participating in H2020 projects (MSCA-RISE, MSCA-ITN, MSCA-IF, FET-OPEN, NMBP, SC5 and Spreading Excellence) being the coordinator of the H2020- MSCA-RISE NANOGENTOOLS, H2020-FET-OPEN ICARUS, H2020-BIOTEC-08 GREENER and H2020-FET-Innnovation Launchpad ICARUS-INAS.
AdF (Analysis and Modelling of Materials) research group was established in 2008 in the Department of Chemistry of UBU. The group is leaded by Prof. Santiago Aparicio with 10 current members with interdisciplinary backgrounds in chemistry, physics and chemical engineering. The research activities of the group are devoted to the development and characterization of new materials for energy and environmental applications using combined experimental and theoretical approaches. The group has developed research activities in the fields of CO2 capture and utilization considering many different types of materials. Research activities have been funded by national and international agencies and they are developed in collaboration with research groups in USA, Qatar, UK, Brazil and South Korea. The group has published more than 100 papers in the last 10 years.
ICCRAM and AdF has a consolidated collaboration trajectory participating in several European projects and their researchers have requested for the distinction of “Consolidated Research Unit” by the Regional Government of the Castilla y León Region, the highest consideration given to a research group. This Consolidated Research Unit is focused on multiscale materials modelling and toxicity evaluation.

Abis is an independent engineering company that was established in 1994 and specialises in robotics integration, production process monitoring, manufacturing and programming industrial control devices. The company has experience of programming industrial control devices and computer based process monitoring systems. This includes computer control of technological processes and vision systems for quality control. and computer control of technological processes and robotics. Since the beginning Abis has accomplished over 600 projects in different branches of industry and municipal company. These have been supported through the use of MS Project and their trained knowledge of Prince 2 and 6 Sigma methodologies. We rely on modern technologies provided by the world most valued companies enriched with Abis tailor-made innovative modules. Excellent training and experience of Abis engineers give our customers reliability and high quality of our services.
The main fields of Abis activities are presented below:

Monitoring and production suport:</strong >

• SCADA visualization of process lines,
• data acquisition and reporting using common databases,
• application on industrial databases solution (Historian),
• analysis and optimizations of machine work efficiency,
• administrations of productions orders MES class,
• delivering and presentation data's through the intranet / internet.
• quality control systems and statistical data processing, SPC,
• supplying media accounting solutions.

Vision quality control:

• reproducibility with high precision (micrometers scale),
• detection of splits and scratches in product surface,
• presents control of multiple objects in package,
• one and two dimensional barcode reading,
• recognition of printed texts and stamps,
• recognition of colors.

Programming PLC

• PLC replacement, controls modernization
• MCC and control cabinets projects and delivery
• data acquisitions from production lines
• manufacturing processes and systems,
• waste water treatment plants,
• chemical and petrochemical systems,
• emergency shut down (ESD) installation according to SIL standards,
• dosing and weighting systems,
• boiler houses for hot water, steam, fueled by cool, oil and gas.

Design and implementing robotic and mechatronics solution

EXELISIS is an engineering-based consulting company located in Athens, Greece. EXE was created by engineers and entrepreneurs with extensive experience in business development and innovation specially emphasizing in the materials, processes and energy field. EXE IT department, specializes in providing high quality research services developing novel computational tools, conducting various types of engineering studies and offering modern technological solutions as well as implementing them on multiple applications. Thus, EXELISIS maintains numerous ongoing collaborations with stakeholders and municipalities, large industrial enterprises, SMEs, academic and public institutions creating a wide, cooperative and beneficial business ecosystem. EXELISIS is providing its services in preparation of action plans for the implementation of vehicle electrification in municipalities establishing open innovation environments and creation roadmaps. The current situation and its prospects are depicted on a national as well as on a local level, setting specific targets for municipalities in their electrification project and taking into account key purposes. EXELISIS is providing propositions of the project's strategic planning, the financial instruments to fund this planning’s implementation as well as an outline of the necessary infrastructure to be developed. Additionally, EXELISIS is conducting multi actor assessments of the current European and national legislative framework surrounding business ecosystems, identifying and proposing possible incentives for the penetration of in multiple cutting edge market.

European Bioplastics is the industry association representing the bioplastics industry in Europe across the entire bioplastics value chain. Established over 20 years ago, EUBP now has 70 member companies from across the globe. EUBP’s members primarily produce, refine, and distribute bioplastics, i.e. plastics that are bio-based, biodegradable, or both. In addition, biomass feedstock producers, bioplastics converters and compounders, and several renowned academic and private research institutions are also members of EUBP. The association’s key objectives are:

• to serve as a contact and network platform, as a primary resource for information about the bioplastics industry, and as a catalyst for advancing the objectives of the growing bioplastics industry as a whole.
• Coordination of various working groups and product groups focussed on bioplastic-related themes, such as the PG Bio-based and PG Biodegradable is also in focus.
• Introduction and monitoring of industry standards (such as EN 13432) and best practices are actively supported.
• Contribution to Circular Economy and political processes in Europe by linking to the legislation impacting on the bioplastics industry’s ability to fully bring to bear its innovative potential.

The University of Padua is one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious seats of learning; it is a multi-disciplinary university that aims to provide its students with both professional training and a solid cultural background. A qualification from the University of Padua is a symbol of having achieved an ambitious objective, one that is recognised and coveted by both students and employers alike. Courses at the University of Padua are constantly updated in order to meet the ever-changing needs of the labour market. Its Healthcare degrees, for instance, cover a wide range of new courses such as Pediatric Nursing (Medical School), or Neuroscience and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (Psychology). Engineering degree programmes are available in the fields of Civil, Architectural, Environmental, Industrial and Information Engineering. University of Padua degrees also reflect today’s needs to safeguard both the environment with courses in Environmental Sciences and Technology (Agriculture Sciences), and consumers with Safety and Hygiene of Food Products (Veterinary Medicine). Research into pharmaceuticals is also covered with Pharmaceutical Biotechnologies (Pharmacy), as is research into hi-tech products with a course in Materials Science (Sciences). Great emphasis is also placed on Humanities, such as History and Conservation of Artistic and Cultural Heritage (Arts and Philosophy), and on teacher training with a course in Primary Education (Education).The University’s traditional courses for professionals in Law, Economics, and Business Management are run alongside courses that analyse complex social systems such as Sociological Sciences (Political Sciences) and Statistics, Population and Society (Statistical Sciences). Furthermore, highly motivated University students may also apply for admission to the Galilean School of Higher Education. After a demanding selection process, each year 30 students are chosen to attend the School’s high-level in-house courses and to use its special services.

Overview of the Department of Economics and Management- Intro</strong >
The Department of Economics and Management Marco Fanno (DSEA) was founded in 1989 and it soon became a leading centre in delivering high-quality research and teaching within the higher education Institutions in both fields of economics and business. Currently, the DSEA counts 67 faculty members, 25 admin staff and approximately 2000 students. According to the Italian regulations, the working language of the Department is Italian, whereas the teaching offer is provided mainly in English. As far as research is concerned, the DSEA was ranked fourth out of 94 Departments at national level – according to the Valutazione Qualitativa della Ricerca (VQR) 2004-10. About 36% of publications were rated as 'excellent' compared to the average 18% at the national level. In the subsequent round of VQR (2011-14), the DSEA further improved its performance and has been ranked third out of the 48 midsized departments in economics and business in Italy. The percentage of 'excellent' publications has further increased, totaling 50% of the total number of scientific products. The Italian Ministry of University and Research included the DSEA amongst the Departments of Excellence for the period 2018-22. In 2016 the University guide Grande Guida ranked DSEA at the first place among large universities for teaching quality in the areas of Economics and Statistics. Out of 850 Universities, our Department is also at the top of the U-Multirank international ranking.

Description of the Activities at the Department of Economics and Management</strong >
Since its foundation, DSEA has always placed a great emphasis to both teaching and research. In July 2016 DSEA was ranked in Italy for teaching quality by Censis. The ranking is based on several indicators measuring teaching quality and likelihood for students to find good jobs. In addition, students are offered the opportunity to spend training periods in private firms, public institutions, research centres, and non-profit organizations. DSEA prides itself to being a leading and highly research-oriented institution: as a matter of fact, within DSEA there are scholars and research groups of recognized international value. This can be shown using different indicators adopted internationally to define the scientific performance in economics and business: </strong ></strong >

• the quality of the journals in which the scientific works are published;
• the international dissemination/reputation of the research conducted;
• the presence of international scientific journals on editorial boards;
• the number of invitations received by the faculty to give plenary/keynote lectures as well as appointments as visiting fellows at leading Institutions (University of Melbourne, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Queensland University of Technology, Columbia Business School);

IRIS Technology Group (http://www.iristechnologygroup.com/) is an advanced engineering Group that was established in Barcelona in 2007. Since 2011, it also operates from Dublin (Ireland) whereas the Barcelona office is referred to as IRIS Technology Solutions S.L. It specializes in the manufacture and integration of Process Analytical Technology (PAT)-based real-time quality monitoring solutions for the process industries and IoT systems for smart manufacturing, predominantly targeted at the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. In particular, our product line comprises proprietary state-of-the-art IR analyzers for at-line and in-line process monitoring. On the one hand, our solutions are based on the latest developments in photonics in the fields of MEMs, Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Hyperspectral Imaging, and Raman. On the other hand, we leverage ICTs, whereby we apply Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining techniques for predictive and active control, as well as for decision support systems. In addition to photonics-based analyzers, we also work with IoT sensors for enabling equipment and machinery for smart manufacturing and transitioning industry to the Industry4.0 paradigm. Our solutions are cloud-based for mobility, remote monitoring and multi-site applications.
Our Innovation Division which is governed by an Innovation Committee comprising Senior Management, and an Innovation Unit for managing and executing the company’s innovation roadmap, has 3 core strategic lines, for shaping the Factory of the Future:

• New optical photonics-based technologies and PAT systems for production process optimization
• ICTs (Artificial intelligence / machine learning, IOT & cloud platforms)
• Circular and Bio-based Economy: digitalization and waste valorization

In addition, to running an internal R&D program, as well as carrying our various joint private projects with industry partners, our Innovation Division is highly experienced in working in collaborative R&D projects in H2020 (both as coordinators and partners), principally in the SPIRE, FoF, and BBI programs. The company was established in 2007 and currently employs 60+ staff with a turnover of € 5 M. It is equipped with engineering workshops (3), food testing and wet chemistry laboratory, optics labs (2), and an electronics/telecommunications lab. IRIS is ISO 9001:2008 certified and also is certified under UNE-EN-ISO 166002: Management Systems R&D&i. We are also certified by the local (Catalonian) government as a provider of technological R&D services (Tecnio Certification). IRIS is a member of the following sectorial networks: SPIRE, SPIE and SECPHO, in addition to regional industrial collectives such as Smart Space (association of companies and organizations that specialize in the ‘smartification’ of industry). IRIS has a matrix of multidisciplinary knowledge groups in the company with strong expertise in engineering and science. With its team and resources, including electronics, mechatronics, mechanical, optical, industrial design engineers, as well as specialists in system engineering, application programming and web development etc. the group can carry out full system design and engineering, including electronic design and assembly, firmware and software development, electrical harnesses and interconnections, mechanical design for enclosure and prototype integration, as well as installation, validation and industrialization of prototypes and equipment in production plants. As such they have recently delivered advanced plastic sorting devices. In addition to this broad cross-disciplinary engineering team, IRIS’ research team consists of data scientists, chemometricians, chemists and physicists, among others, who have the expertise to validate the technologies developed.

RDC Informatics is specialized in applied innovative solutions for cloud-based technology areas, providing services for creative design, digital marketing, web & mobile application development and business software implementations. Management & R&D teams have a significant 20-years’ experience in developing both national (Greece) and international projects (United Kingdom, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Russia). Today, RDC Informatics offers innovative ICT software products organized in three discrete business divisions:

• Business Software Applications, SaaS Solutions (Software as a Service) & Cloud Solutions
• Web design - Web & Mobile Applications Development
• Digital Marketing Applications and Services

Strategic initiatives regarding research activities are focused on:

• Adaptive Learning, Machine Learning, Social Learning – Social Engagement
• Operational Excellence through business automation
• Quality & Risk Management of Corporate Governance

RDC Informatics software engineers team uses state-of-the-art software development tools developing stand alone and cloud-based software applications for web & mobile. Apart from software developers our software design team consists of UX experts, UI specialized designers and social phycologists able to transform every business need to human-centric software applications.
RDC Informatics is ISO 9001 Quality Management System & ISO 27001 Information Security System certified.

DIAD Group is a fast growing company in the sector of the advanced technologies, with a strong partnership all over the world, and find its success factor in the constant transformation of the knowledge produced by applied innovation into products, technologies and services for the automotive and the manufacturing industrial sectors. Member of the Board of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing (AMRC), one of most advanced facility for manufacturing technology in the world, located in Sheffield (UK), where global players as Rolls Royce, Airbus, BAE, Mori Seiki, Bombardier, etc. are involved. Chair of the "Industrialisation and Nanomanufacturing" working group on the NANOFutures ETIP. Member of the Board of the International Research Center in Critical Raw Materials for Advanced Industrial Technologies (ICCRAM). The main activities of DIAD Group (short name DIGRO) are in the design, the development, the testing and the application of advanced components for the automotive and the aerospace sectors, using the most advanced engineering tools and innovative materials (like high performance composites, exotic materials, hyperfunctionalized surfaces, nanostructured based massive and coating materials). This target is achieved with a integrated approach that cover the design and engineering excellency and the setup of the related manufacturing technologies (intelligent and reconfigurable production systems and processing) always looking at the environmental aspects and the total life cycle approach. Our targeted customers and markets are large tier1 suppliers, high tech small and medium companies, and motorsport companies/teams, interested to sustainable and clean manufacturing and assembly of high tech components.
Thanks to the large network of customers and industrial partners, the DIGRO exploitation capabilities are covering also other sectors like the new renewable energy, the eco-building, the industrial application of the nanotechnology and others.
The DIAD Group offers a series of industrial and highly qualified engineering services:

• Full design, development and zero series of advanced components and optimization of the related manufacturing systems, using innovative materials, custom technologies and state of the art functionalized surface engineering;
• Development of technologies for sustainable and clean manufacturing and assembly of high tech components;
• Methods to reuse innovative materials;
• Nanotechnology engineering to manufacturing and processing industry;
• Product and Process Life Cycle and recovery /recycling methods;
• Industrial implementation of energy saving policies;
• Automotive testing of developed parts in extreme conditions and weather (like Nordic and desert climates);

PRECURE is developing smart wearable IoT devices, which analyze muscular activity and provide biofeedback using machine learning. The user will change behavior, hence experience less pain, recover faster, and avoid further injuries. This has a positive impact on people´s quality of life, adds cost and time efficiencies to companies, and it enables more effective and efficient treatment. Lastly it will be a huge benefit for society. PRECURE will help people and companies avoid the pain and consequences of Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD). To achieve this, we are developing a series of solutions for areas of the human body exposed to MSD.

EVERSIA INNOVA is a company specialized in Integral solutions in packaging and big manufacture of bags, waste bags and paper bags. Eversia was founded in 1979 by Romero´s Family. Last year Eversia closed 2019 year with a turnover of 82 M€ (20 M€ in export sales). In 2019 Eversia produced 40.000 ton of plastics and 5.000 of paper. We are working in the company about 350 people at the moment. Our facilities in Molina de Segura, Murcia, in the Southeast of Spain, cover more than 30,000 m2, produce more than 40,000 tons of plastic, 3,000 tons of paper and 2,000 tons of film for automatic packaging, which are shipped by our costumers to millions of homes in 15 different countries. We have three main processes:

• Plastics Extrusion
• Plastics and Paper Printing
• Paper and plastic Bags Converting

Eversia Innova has one of the most advanced Research and Development (R&D) departments in the country, since 2010. Our lines of investigation are aimed at developing compostable and biodegradable materials and also highly recyclable products, given our commitment to circular economy. Our research and innovation work are directed to design new innovating films, such as different standard materials coextrusion or bioplastics coextrusion; and implementing new methods and techniques that will help us gradually reduce the environmental impact of our activity. Eco-efficiency and sustainability are our two main lines of development. Our Quality Assurance Laboratory is designed to guarantee the highest quality standards of all our products. Proof of it are the International standards certificates we have been awarded year after year: ISO 9001 / UNE 53942 / OK COMPOST / Blue Angel / ISO 14001/ OHSAS 18001 / BRC Packaging./UNE 166002. This commitment can be seen in our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) aimed at creating social, workplace, economic, environmental and equal opportunities policies that focus on security, occupational health and safety, and environmental protection.
Some of these policies are based on organisational flexibility, improvements in working conditions, and a balance of personal and professional life in the workplace. Our commitment to the world around us led us some years ago to develop a line of sustainable products called EversiaBio. The EversiaBio brand is the most complete range of eco-friendly bags on the market. They are made to high environmental standards to ensure our products have optimum environmental qualities. These standards ensure our products have a very low environmental impact during their life cycle.
Our personnel are highly qualified and work continually with universities (Universidad de Murcia, and Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, etc.) and technology institutes (AIMPLAS (industrial plastics expertise), ITENE (packaging expertise), CETEC (footwear plastic expertise), CTC (food preservation expertise), etc.) to produce new products that satisfy demand in our sector. Our constant investment in technology and our new R&D and innovation projects place us at the forefront of the flexible packaging market.
Eversia manufactures 40,000 tons of polymer annuallyin the following product types. A 3% of this production is bioplastic:

• Commercial bags (39 %) 3% bio
• Rubbish (garbage) bags (32 %) 3% bio
• Polymer film (food packaging) (11 %) < 1% bio
• Industrial segmented bags (9 %) < 1% bio
• Polymer coated paper for food packaging (3 %) < 1%

ACCIONA Construcción is a leading European construction company designing, constructing and managing buildings and civil infrastructures under sustainability principles. It has an international presence in more than 30 countries and its turnover in 2019 was about 3430 million €, employing 11220 people. It is part of ACCIONA Group. ACCIONA business strategy is tightly linked to sustainability and in recognition of the company’s efforts and commitments Corporate Knights, a media group specializing in world-renowned sustainability rankings, has included ACCIONA, for the third year in a row, as one of the 100 most sustainable companies on the planet. ACCIONA uses cutting-edge technology to develop and apply the most advanced materials, components, systems and solutions for sustainability and in particular for developing added value infrastructures through better design and cost efficiency. In the whole life cycle, an area of prior interest is the enlargement of life span of new and existing infrastructure while reducing life cycle cost and environmental impact.
Acciona Construcción has its own R&D Technological Centre in Madrid (http://www.accionaconstruccion. com/about-us/acciona-construction/), composed by a multidisciplinary and international team of about 100 highly qualified researchers from a wide range of disciplines. Main research areas are Materials (Cement & Concrete; Nanotechnology & Advance materials; Roads; Environmental Technologies), Infrastructures (Design; Processes; Composite structures; Underground construction; Maritime Works), Eco-efficiency (Passive architecture; Installations) ICT (ICT technologies; Automation;Process improvement etc).
Acciona has a wide experience in R&D projects both national and European level, even international projects beyond Europe. At European level, Acciona plays an active role in the European Construction Technology Platform being part of its Presidium, leading the Energy Efficient Buildings Committee and also taking a leading role as a member of the EeB cPPP Partnership Board with the EC. It is also a member of the Executive Board of the Infrastructures & Mobility Committee as well as a member of ENCORD (European Network of construction companies for Research and Development), FIEC (European Construction Industry Federation), and it is a founding member of Building Smart Spanish Chapter (BSSC) and others ETPs construction / materials related. At international level, Acciona has recently joined to the Executive Committee of the “Caring for Climate” platform of the UN Global Compact initiative for participants seeking to demonstrate leadership on the issue of climate change.

Novamont is an Italian industrial company whose roots lie in the Montedison School of Materials Science and which was set up to implement the ambitious project of some researchers from the chemical corporation: to integrate chemistry, agriculture and the environment. Founded in 1990, it is now a Benefit Company, certified B Corporation, worldwide leader in the sector of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics and in the development of bioproducts from renewable origins, which do not pollute the soil, regeneratingit through circular models.
Novamont’s mission is to develop materials and biochemicals through the integration of chemistry and agriculture, by starting up biorefineries in the local areas and providing application solutions that ensure efficient use of resources throughout their entire life cycle, with advantages for the social, economic and environmental system. Its development model aims at building bridges between different sectors and creating new value by collaborating with all the stakeholders in the value chain: from agriculture to research, from industry to waste management, from local institutions to civil society.
Guided by these principles, Novamont promotes an approach to bioeconomy based on the efficient use of renewable resources and on the regeneration of local areas, building world-first plants based on proprietary technologies and revitalising industrial sites that are decommissioned or no longer competitive to create new industries, new products and new jobs. Examples are Mater-Biotech, the company born from the reconversion of a decommissioned industrial site in north-east Italy into the first dedicated industrial plant at world level to produce biobutanediol through fermentative processes and Mater-Biopolymer, a plant located in central Italy which produces biodegradable biopolymers and is the resulted of the conversion of a PET production plant.
Besides being an industrial company, Novamont is also a research centre which covers a wide range of expertise and specializations, with equipment and facilities ranging from laboratory scale activities to innovative pilot plants. Over the years it has developed five proprietary technologies for the production of bioplastics and bioproducts, creating synergies between the different areas of study (Bioplastics, Biotechnology, Agronomics and Organic Chemistry). Moreover, Novamont regularly implements training programs for young and experienced researchers, in collaboration with partners from the public and the private sector (more than 400 activities since 1996).
Mater-Bi is the innovative family of bioplastics developed by Novamont research. It is biodegradable and compostable according to the European standard EN 13432 and other international standards and has characteristics of use very similar to those of traditional plastics.
Mater-Bi provides solutions for specific environmental problems, such as soil and water pollution,while combining product quality and performance with an efficient use of resources. In particular, Mater-Bi has been conceived for applications in which biodegradability and compostability represent an added value, such as shopping bags that can be reused to collect organic waste or foodserviceware products “contaminated” with leftovers, or serve a function, such as mulch films. The main fields of application are: separate waste collection, agriculture, large retail sector, disposable foodserviceware, packaging.
With more than 600 people, Novamont group posted sales of €270 million in 2019 and made continuous investments in research and development activities: around 5% of its turnover, more than 20% of people (2019 consolidated financial statements). It has a portfolio of around 1,800 patents and patent applications.
The group has its headquarters in Novara, production facilities in Terni, Adria (RO), Patrica (FR), a Joint Venture with Eni Versalis -Matrìca, in Porto Torres (SS), and research and development laboratories in Novara, Terni and Piana di Monte Verna (CE). It has a representative office in Brussels (Belgium), foreign seats in Germany, France, Spain and the United States. It operates through own distributors in more than40 countries.
In 2021, with the aim of creating new alliances with international stakeholders and building innovative projects aimed at improving the separate collection of organic waste and composting systems in North America, Scandinavian countries, Eastern Europe and Australia, Novamont has acquired BioBag International.
BioBag is a world-leading group of companies working in the development, production and marketing of certified compostable and biodegradable applications for industry, waste management, retail, the HORECA sector and agriculture, with a turnover of 41 million euros and 135 employees.This acquisition represents an important step in the consolidation of Novamont's integrated valuechain of bioplastics and biochemicals.

ISQ is an independent, private, non-profit, technical, scientific and industrial oriented organization founded in 1965 with international presence in 16 countries, covering 4 continents. ISQ’s main activities include technical inspections, consultancy, testing, metrology, training and research and development in a wide range of technical areas such as materials, joining technologies, structural integrity and risk assessment, sustainability, eco and energy efficiency, health and safety, quality assurance, production technologies, industrial automation and robotics. ISQ provides support to different industrial sectors such as Process Industries, Energy (including renewables) and Oil &Gas, Aeronautical and Aerospace, Automotive, Construction and infrastructures, among others. It is one of the largest Portuguese technological infrastructures. ISQ’s know-how is supported by 16 accredited laboratories (accordingly with EN ISO/IEC 17025) and by a large involvement in National, European and International R&D projects, having participated in more than 400 R&D projects, in the last 30 years, in different funding programs (LIFE, LIFE+, RFCS, IEE, FP5, FP6, FP7, H2020), with a strong background of collaboration with a large number of Universities, Scientific Research Institutes, industrial companies and other institutions worldwide. Research and Development at ISQ supports all operational in-house technical areas in the enhancement of existing technologies and new solutions. It also encourages the development of breakthrough technologies and solutions that lead to new products/technologies/methodologies/services, promoting new Business areas and thus contributing to the technological development and competitiveness of the economy. ISQ headquarters are at Porto Salvo, Oeiras, Portugal, with national delegations in Oporto, Castelo Branco, Loulé and Sines. At international level, ISQ is represented at: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, China, French Guiana, Mozambique, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Timor and USA.
ISQ is a leading European Technological Infrastructure of applied research, a strong and reliable long-life partner for industry contributing to its technological development. ISQ has been selected by relevant scientific organisations as a competent and reliable partner to be involved in the main International Scientific projects as LHC-Large Hadron Collider (CERN), International Thermonuclear, Experimental Reactor (ITER), IXV - Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (ESA) and E-ELT-Extremely Large Telescope (ESO). The large experience and know-how of ISQ staff, allows us to face the future challenges in the ceaseless search for new solutions towards sustainability. ISQ has large experience in areas which are very relevant to BIOMAC namely, eco-efficiency methodologies, Life Cycle Analysis, nanosafety, risk assessment, artificial intelligence, optimization and decision support tools. ISQ has a long-term relationship with Industry, providing technical expertise, technological transfer, training, thus contributing to the improvement of its competitiveness and sustainability. ISQ participates in a number of International Networks/Associations namely The European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP); European Technology Platform for advanced Engineering Materials and Technologies (EUMAT); Energy Materials Industrial Research Initiative (EMIRI); ENERGY IN; Production Technologies Cluster (PRODUTECH); Sustainable Process Industry Through Resource Efficiency (SPIRE), National Group for Process Integration (GNIP), The European Virtual Institute for Integrated Risk Management (EU-VRi); European technology platform on industrial safety (ETPIS); Portuguese Aeronautic, Space and Defense Cluster (AED Portugal), among others.

STAM is a private engineering company with a staff of more than 25 people, based in Genoa, Italy. The main mission of the company is to provide engineering services to industries. Since its establishment in 1997, the company has been specializing in design and manufacturing of innovative mechanical systems, based on conventional and nonconventional robotics and mechatronics.
STAM has patented several devices, like transmissions and manufacturing machinery, and is experienced in design and integration of system mechatronics. STAM invests a significant part of its turnover in R&D, thus providing their customers with most qualified and edging competencies to drive development based on availability and affordability of technological trends.
STAM is a SME member of E2BA and supplier of the European Space Agency with the Technology Transfer Programme. STAM has also developed a significant experience in working with the funding instruments of the European Commission, being involved in more than 50 Projects in the last 15 years.
The Company performs all stages of the product design cycle, from conception through validation with CAD and FEA tools, to component and subsystem design and specification, down to the definition of tools, and production cycles. STAM has been deeply involved in automation, robotics and new product development in several industrial fields.
Today STAM is a successful high -tech company offering engineering services and products in a number of market sectors including: Space, Automation & Robotics, Security & Transport and Energy.
STAM has the ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management systems, proving the commitment of the company to provide products that meet customer, applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement and assurance of conformity to requirements.

Miscanthus d.o.o. (MISC) commercially cultivates Miscanthus x giganteus and develops sustainable biomass feedstock supply chains in Croatia. Miscanthus has the vision to become a leading producer/distributor of Miscanthus x giganteus planting material and supplier of cellulosic biomass feedstock in the Western Balkans region. As of today, we established and are managing over 100 hectares of Miscanthus Giganteus clone Illinois nursery plantations in Croatia. Miscanthus d.o.o. distributes the woody, rhizomatous C4 perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus as the “King of fiber”,- the best crop for energy farming, biomass energy generation, biofuels, and chemicals production. We implement turn-key solutions for the establishment of Miscanthus biomass plantations and consult development of Miscanthus feedstock supply chain in any country where an industrial off-taking facility would be located, and the required acreage of land would be available: from energy crops plantation establishment and energy farming to vertically integrated clean-tech biomass energy systems. We develop and optimize the biomass feedstock chains to reduce agricultural inputs, contribute to food security and increase the environmental sustainability of Agribusiness.

Industrielle Biotechnologie Bayern Netzwerk GmbH (IBB Netzwerk GmbH, IBB) is a network and service company in the field of Industrial Biotechnology and sustainable economy. The company's objective is to support market participants in the rapid and effective implementation of promising scientific findings from these fields into innovative, marketable products and processes and thus into efficient value creation. In January 2020, IBB Netzwerk GmbH was appointed as head office of the new cluster platform "Industrial Biotechnology" within the cluster initiative of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy. IBB Netzwerk GmbH thus forms an official interface between industry, academia, and politics in the field of sustainable economy in Southern Germany.

IBB’s network consists of several hundreds of contacts to companies and research institutions, thematically related clusters and networks through to federal and national ministry level, as well as other players and multipliers in this sector – also on European level. 

IBB Netzwerk GmbH:
- conducts technology scouting and market monitoring;
- identifies suitable project partners;
- connects companies and academia across sectors;
- organizes meetings for network members;
- initiates and accompanies research and development projects;
- writes or revises applications for funding;
- represents the interface for appropriate financial sources and funding agencies;
- performs administrative project management;
- facilitates and accompanies spin-offs and start-ups as well as the settlement of companies in Bavaria;
- initiates commercial transactions and deals;
- arranges events for professionals and the general public;
- abets the dialogue with policy makers by organizing dinner debates, workshops and plant visits;
- and much more.

Not least due to our large network and our participation in two large European projects (FP7 and Horizon 2020), we are already well connected with national and international operators of multi-purpose or demonstration facilities but also with other Bavarian and national clusters, such as the Cluster Nanotechnology.