Bios Factory, Sardinia’s innovation hub, is launched

BIOS – Bio-Based Innovation Outpost in Sardinia, the new innovation hub dedicated to the bioeconomy, biomaterials, green chemistry, agritech, and waste management, has officially launched. It aims to foster collaboration among startups, local companies, and industrial partners.

The programme targets startups with already validated solutions and high scalability potential, as well as Sardinian companies interested in integrating bio-based and circular technologies into their production processes.

The selected projects will develop a Proof of Concept (PoC) in Sardinia, benefiting from technical, financial, logistical, and operational support. This initiative aims to foster industrial synergies and accelerate industrialisation processes within a circular economy framework.

The initiative is promoted by Eni through Joule, its school of entrepreneurship, Fondazione di Sardegna and its instrumental company Innois, BF Educational (BFE – BF Group), and is run by Zest and The Net Value (TNV), with the involvement of the University of Sassari, the University of Cagliari, Confindustria Sardegna, Coldiretti, and the technical partner Versalis, Eni’s chemical company.

“For Eni,” commented Mattia Voltaggio, Head of Joule, the Eni school of entrepreneurship, “BIOS represents a mission of responsibility toward the Sardinian , aiming to promote sustainable growth and innovation across supply chains. Through BIOS, we aim to connect innovative startups with large companies and SMEs, helping them to test advanced bio-based technological solutions and bringing them to market.”

The “From Vision to Factory” event, held on 17 March 2026, at the Fondazione Sardegna headquarters in Sassari, was organised to officially present the initiative to the press and connect the pre-selected startups with companies in the Sardinian region.

The meeting was divided into two distinct parts. The morning session was dedicated to the presentation of the programme and its operational model, delivered by Zest Innovation’s CEO, Antonella Zullo.

“For Zest, contributing to the launch of BIOS means being able to support and enhance Sardinia’s innovation ecosystem,” explained Antonella Zullo. “We can do this by providing expertise and networks to foster collaboration among businesses, SMEs, universities, startups, and institutions. This will accelerate the testing and commercialisation of technological solutions within the circular economy, a sector in which Zest has gained significant experience. We are now ready,” she concluded, “to launch the next phases of the project, from matching start-ups with local businesses to defining use cases and developing proof of concepts.’”

This was followed by speakers including the Sardinian Councillor for Industry, Emanuele Cani; the Mayor of Sassari, Giuseppe Mascia; the Mayor of Porto Torres, Massimo Mulas; the President of the Fondazione Sardegna, Giacomo Spissu; and Antonio Funiciello, Head of Identity Management at Eni.

In the afternoon, the focus shifted to presentations from startups operating in the biomaterials, green chemistry, agritech, and waste management sectors, as well as in the area of the valorisation of agro-industrial waste and sustainable solutions for industry. The aim was to arrange meetings with local businesses, collect expressions of interest for further exploration and launch the operational phases of the programme.

The day concluded with a strategic networking session dedicated to fostering collaboration among companies, partners, and stakeholders within the ecosystem.