BIOS Pitch Day: projects selected for the operational phase

The BIOS (Bio-Based Innovation Outpost in Sardinia) programme comes to life following the Pitch Day of 9 July in Sassari, with four selected projects participating in the final phase of the programme. The coming months will see an operational process of industrial experimentation, transforming ideas into concrete solutions with an impact on the development of Sardinia’s innovative ecosystem.

The programme, dedicated to bio-based and circular innovation, was promoted by Eni through Joule, Fondazione di Sardegna and Innois and BF Educational, and was also implemented by Zest and The Net Value, with the support of Sardegna Ricerche, UNISS, UNICA, Confindustria Sardegna, Coldiretti Sardegna and also thanks to the technical partner Versalis.

The BIOS programme was created to experiment new advanced technological solutions in real production contexts, aiming to connect startups, SMEs and companies, corporate partners, universities and institutions to foster the integration of innovative solutions into the fields of waste management, biomaterials, green chemistry and agritech, contributing to the sustainable growth of the Sardinian ecosystem and the enhancement of its industrial chains.

The initiative aims to transform innovation into concrete projects, accompanying startups and companies from the definition of a use case to experimentation. The programme offers technical, economic, logistical and operational support, aiming to accelerate the industrialisation of high-potential technologies while promoting new forms of cooperation between innovation, companies and the local community.

The Pitch Day was a strategic step in this acceleration path: startups and SMEs presented the eight projects defined during the PoC Design phase, developed to respond to the concrete needs of Sardinia’s production chains.

The 4 projects entering the operational development phase:

• Alkelux x Eni Joule – Development of PS/PE grades with antimicrobial activity;

• Kerline x Eni Joule – From waste wool to bio-based ingredients for cosmetics and agriculture;

• BeNewtral x F.lli Cherchi + Delmar-Industriale Monte Rosè + Eco Conglomerates – Concrete with low environmental impact and high recycled material content;

• Lebiu x Digital Uniforms – Adaptive Insole.

Mattia Voltaggio, Head of Eni Joule, stated, "BIOS was created to accompany a transformation that is more than just technological, but also industrial and ecosystemic. Leading projects to the testing and implementing phase means offering startups and companies the opportunity to validate their own solutions in actual production contexts, contributing to the development of new bio-based and circular supply chains. In Sardinia we are laying the foundations to allow innovation, skills and industrial capacity to work together, supporting a development model that can generate value for the community while accelerating the transition towards increasingly sustainable chemistry focusing on the materials of the future.”

For Antonella Zullo, CEO of Zest Innovation, "The BIOS Pitch Day was a significant opportunity for discussion and validation, confirming the quality of the projects and the value of cooperation between startups, businesses and the local community. The Proofs of Concept presented enhance Sardinia’s supply chain, demonstrating how bio-based and circular innovation can generate concrete solutions, with prospects for industrial development and positive repercussions for Sardinia. Zullo concluded, “Like Zest, it is a huge satisfaction for us to have accompanied this process, contributing to the next phase of operational development and industrialisation of the selected solutions."

According to Giacomo Spissu, chairman of the Fondazione di Sardegna, "Today's meeting, and the BIOS Pitch Day, concludes the first phase of the work we started over a year ago, based on the idea of linking different people around a common goal: to activate new entrepreneurial initiatives in the fields of bio-economy, green chemistry and innovation applied to production chains. The Fondazione di Sardegna has supported this programme in order contribute to the enhancement of the skills, professionalism and resources already available in the territory, starting from Porto Torres, which has a significant industrial history which can lead to new development opportunities. The eight companies presented today are the result of the identification, selection and in-depth study involving companies, universities and public and private partners. The aim is to promote projects that can become concrete applications, creating qualified employment and strengthening the role of Sardinia in the most advanced sectors of industrial and environmental innovation."

"The launch of the implementation phase,” said Andrea Novarese, CEO of BF Educational, “is a key step in the BIOS journey, as it allows us to transform innovative ideas into concrete experiments. For BF Educational, this means contributing to the growth of an ecosystem in which training, research and technology transfer promote the development of circular economy solutions and the reduction of waste. It is a process that can turn Sardinia into a laboratory of innovation and cooperation between companies, startups and the world of research. BF has been investing in the island for a long time, and BIOS represents a further step in this direction".