Transforming agro-industrial waste into new green raw materials at the service of the plastic industry. This is the project of AgroMateriae, startup from Emilia Romagna, absolute winner of the National Award for Innovation (PNI) 2020, recognition promoted by PNICube (the Italian Association of University Incubators) in collaboration with the University of Bologna and Almacube, the University and Confindustria Emilia Area Centro incubator and conferred on 4 December in Bologna. In the 18th edition of the business plan competition they took part in over 900 business ideas from all over Italy.
From the berries an eco-friendly powder
The potential market estimated by the startup only for disposable products is enormous, which would consist of 13 billion euros, while packaging, agriculture and consumer goods would reach 40-50 billion. The first launch product is the WinePLastics filler (WPL), a technological powder obtained from wine waste that can be mixed up to 60% with all existing plastics and bioplastics. WPL increases the mechanical properties of the material, lowers production costs up to 48% and makes the material highly eco-friendly.
"Winning this award is fundamental for us - commented the CEO Alessandro Nanni - it will allow us to increase our R&D commitment to extend industrial transformation know-how to other natural waste to solve the waste management problems of new sectors of the agricultural sector ». AgroMateriae also won the Iren CleanTech & Energy Award (for environmental sustainability).
PNI 2020: the other category winners
Three other startups were awarded in the different categories of PNI 2020. Eye4nir (Industrial Award, for innovative industrial production) has designed an infrared hyperspectral camera for smartphones for photos in poor visibility conditions. SAMS Technology (ICT Award, for information technologies and new media) develops processes and devices for an innovative marking of packaging for anti-counterfeiting and traceability. U-Care Medical (Life Sciences Award) has created a device for the early diagnosis of acute renal failure, reducing costs for the health system and increasing the likelihood of saving lives.
The award is promoted by PNICube, the Italian association of university incubators and regional business plan competitions, called StartCup. Founded in 2004, it aims to stimulate the birth and accompany the market to new companies with a high content of knowledge generated by the academic world. Today PNICube has 50 associates between Universities and academic incubators and 14 StartCups active throughout the national territory.
«An edition, that of 2020, which reminds us of the importance and role of research and how decisive its contribution can be in responding to the great issues of our time. - he comments Alessandro Grandi, president of PNICube - The awarding of a startup that deals with transforming agro-industrial waste into new green raw materials, at the service of the plastics industry, demonstrates how innovation from Italian universities and public research institutions is at the service of a sustainable development of our planet ».
Amounts to 1.5 million euros the total prize money disbursed along the entire path that leads from the regional competitions to the final challenge: about 500 thousand euros in cash and 1 million in services, offered by the universities and incubators members of PNICube and by the vast ecosystem of support for entrepreneurial innovation that PNICube has been able to build over the years.