“Ragusa Innovation Lab” launched

Joule comes to Sicily with the “Ragusa Innovation Lab” business co-development initiative to support local areas of Italy. The two-day bootcamp on 12 and 13 May aims to develop new technological solutions through collaboration with innovative startups and SMEs. The event, which was attended by regional and municipal institutions, Confindustria and trade unions, was organised by Joule in collaboration with Versalis, Novamont and Eni and with the support of the Elis Consortium.

Over 1,800 companies were analysed and six of particular interest were selected in different areas: from the advanced recycling of polymers to innovative materials, from agricultural biostimulants (for biofuels and chemical supply chains from renewable sources), to additive manufacturing and the creation of value from industrial and agricultural waste.

• RUB-LAB – Circular economy (recycled rubber): startup from Santa Ninfa, Trapani, which has developed an innovative method to reuse rubber from end-of-life tyres in the production of eco-sustainable asphalt;
• Ohoskin – Bio-materials from agricultural waste: startup based in Catania, creator of the first vegan alternative to animal leather made from Sicilian orange and cactus by-products;
• NLComp (Northern Light Composites) – Recyclable composite materials: Friulian startup (Monfalcone) specialised in the development of advanced fully recyclable composites;
• EVJA – Agriculture 4.0 and biostimulants: a pioneering startup in digital and smart farming solutions, originally from Naples but now based in Milan and already operating in Sicily;
• MetHydor – Safe hydrogen storage: Genoese high-tech startup focused on solid-state hydrogen storage systems, ideal for stationary applications, in the transport and maritime sector;
• Kymia – Bio-materials from agricultural waste: a startup based in Catania, deals with the recovery of a hitherto little-exploited by-product, pistachio husk (the outer shell of the fruit) and its transformation into a high-value ingredient for the cosmetic and nutraceutical sectors.

Over the two days, opportunities for collaboration in the field of research and development were identified in partnership with Eni, Versalis and Novamont and subsequent potential commercial roadmaps were drawn up.

The initiative is part of a broader programme carried out by the Eni School of Entrepreneurship that aims to develop Italy’s regions. The programme was launched with the Gela Biorefinery in 2023 to support young people who have left the school system but are still unemployed (NEET), and offer them new professional and entrepreneurial opportunities. It then continued in 2024 with CrossConnect, the CDP Venture Capital Infratech Accelerator based at the Isola Catania hub, dedicated to startups operating in the physical and digital infrastructure sector in collaboration with Plug and Play and ELIS, and the support of companies such as Saipem, Buzzi and Sonatrach Raffineria Italiana. Through these initiatives – with the “Ragusa Innovation Lab” being the latest addition – the goal is to establish a local synergistic network where large companies, SMEs, startups, universities and communities can collaborate to promote Sicilian excellence and talent, and to attract new investments.