The consortium
Spanning eight countries and the full value chain — from fermentation to materials — coordinated by Sapienza University of Rome under Prof. Marianna Villano.
Across eight countries
Coordinator · PHA production & recovery
Project coordinator and scientific lead on continuous PHA production and recovery. The team of Prof. Marianna Villano at the Department of Chemistry steers the consortium and runs the core bioprocess research from Rome.
Feedstock provider · hosts pilot plant
The waste-management company of the ACEA group. ACEA Ambiente supplies the organic feedstock and hosts the industrial pilot plant where the continuous process is validated.
Pilot plant engineering & infrastructure
The engineering and infrastructure arm of the ACEA group. Acea Infrastructure supports the design, permitting and integration of the pilot plant within the host facility.
Process modelling & adaptive digital control
Automation and digital-control specialist operating across the EU. AIS develops the process models and the adaptive digital control that keep the continuous line running within specification.
Extrusion & material processing
Croatian SME focused on bioplastic processing. Bio-mi handles extrusion and material processing, converting PHBV grades into semi-finished and finished items.
Aqueous PHA recovery
Portuguese SME specialised in industrial biotechnology and PHA recovery. Biotrend contributes aqueous, low-impact recovery routes that help bring down the cost and footprint of the biopolymer.
Acidogenic fermentation / upstream
Environmental-biotechnology group working on the upstream stage. Ca' Foscari develops the acidogenic fermentation that turns the organic fraction of municipal waste into the volatile fatty acids feeding PHA production.
Biomolecular monitoring (ddPCR)
The Water Research Institute of the Italian National Research Council (CNR-IRSA) will carry out the biomolecular monitoring of the microbial communities driving the bioprocesses
Dissemination & stakeholder network
European NGO active in the bio-based economy. EBB leads dissemination and builds the stakeholder network that carries project results toward policy and market.
PHBV-based materials
France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment. INRAE leads the development of PHBV-based materials, turning the recovered biopolymer into application-ready grades.
Solid/liquid separation equipment
Italian SME providing environmental process equipment. Kiepe supplies and integrates the solid/liquid separation units that condition the streams between the upstream and production sections.
Formulations & moulding
French SME specialised in bioplastic compounding. NaturePlast develops the formulations and moulding processes that make PHBV usable in real products.
Online spectroscopy monitoring (PHA)
Research and innovation association linked to NOVA University Lisbon. NOVA.ID provides the online spectroscopy monitoring that keeps the living PHA process stable and productive in real time.
PHA extraction & recycling
Dutch technology company commercialising PHA from mixed cultures. Paques Biomaterials brings industrial PHA extraction and recycling know-how to the value chain.
Continuous PHA production & extraction
Spin-off specialised in continuous PHA production and extraction. SIPHA leads the scale-up of the bioprocess to continuous mode and operates the PHA production and recovery sections of the pilot line.
Materials & end-of-life
Materials-science partner working on PHBV formulation and end-of-life. The University of Montpellier characterises the biopolymer and studies its biodegradation in natural environments.
Carboxylic-acid online sensor & fermentation
Research group focused on fermentation and process monitoring. USW develops the online carboxylic-acid sensor and supports the acidogenic fermentation strategy for a stable, continuous VFA supply.
SSbD, LCA, S-LCA
Leads the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design work package. SDU runs the life-cycle and social-life-cycle assessments that guide every decision from feedstock to end-of-life.
Marketing strategy & social acceptance
Business and marketing research group. The University of Verona defines the marketing strategy and studies the social acceptance that will support market uptake.
Green-solvent extraction & materials
European centre of excellence for sustainable water technology. Wetsus develops the green-solvent extraction and contributes to the downstream materials recovery.
Beyond the core
A wider network of associated organisations and independent experts steers the project toward real-world impact.
Affiliated partners
Linked third parties contributing equipment, feedstock and pilot-site access alongside the core beneficiaries.
3 affiliated entities
Advisory board
Independent experts in bioeconomy policy, materials and circular markets, convened twice a year.
4 advisors
