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Research & Development Request

URGENT- EMFF-BlueEconomy-2018 - Industrial and Public Authorities partners sought for bridging research to commercial exploitation and developing pilot test in the Mediterranean basin

Country of Origin: Italy
Reference Number: RDIT20181211001
Publication Date: 11 December 2018

Summary

An Italian University is seeking technical/industrial partners in the bioremediation field and public authorities to implement a BlueLab network for COSME-EMFF-BlueEconomy-2018.The Labs will work in the field of environmental biotechnologies to develop, test and pilot innovative devices & methods for the removal of oil-derived pollutants from sea water and sediment and to reduce the release of contaminated wastes derived from human activities (i.e. bilge water, industrial  wastewater,oil spill).

Description

An Italian University is seeking industrial partners for the COSME call EMFF-BlueEconomy-2018 that are willing to cooperate with academia in shortening the time to market for the product developed and tested by the project. Moreover the coordinator is seeking private o public authorities  willing to facilitate testing the product in an operational environment..

The project objective is to create a “diffuse” multidisciplinary Blue laboratory that will be set up in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea to work on bioremediation solutions for contaminated seawater. The BlueLab will include young researchers from different domains (material engineers, microbiologists, biotechnologists and chemists) together with tutors/senior researchers of the research bodies and business agents who will work together to bring research results from previous projects to the market and promote their exploitation. The young researchers supported by senior scientists from academia and industry will work together to develop innovative devices & methods for the removal of oil-derived pollutants from sea water and sediment. The devices/methods will  be tested at a pilot scale in the field under different conditions in collaboration and synergy with industrial partners. 

The following specific objectives (SO) have been defined:

SO1: To produce raw materials that will be used to create the scaffold-bacteria based devices both for lab-scale experiments and field trials

SO2: to demonstrate the developed technology and its advantages in term of production costs and non-invasive approach for the environment and bridging research to commercial exploitation

The operative objectives (OO) are detailed below:



- OO1: Biomaterial production in the BlueLab 

- OO2: Lab and field trials and pilot plant 

- OO3: Scientific training and hands-on training to spin off generation on bioremediation

- OO6: To elaborate a successful exploitation plan, in order to design the most profitable potential business models considering economic, financial and strategic aspects.

- OO7: To disseminate project information and project results in different settings, including academic and scientific, industrial and divulgation environments.



EOI Deadline 21st December 2018

Call Deadline 31st January 2019 

Duration: 24 months

Advantages and Innovations

The project will provide for the development and optimization of ecologically sound porous 3D biopolymers and bio-membranes and gels to accelerate and maximize oil-contaminated water bioremediation processes either by encapsulating selected hydrocarbon-degrading microbes or by stimulating natural microbial growth as active biofilms on their surfaces.

Stage Of Development

Proposal under development

Requested partner

Partner 1 Industrial partners specialized in the production of scaffold biomaterial 

Role: to demonstrate the developed technology and its advantages in term of production costs and non-invasive approach for the environment and bridging research to commercial exploitation 

Partner 2: SMS and/or public authorities or located around the Med basin 

Role: hosting and piloting innovative devices & methods for the removal of oil-derived pollutants from sea water and sediment and to reduce the release of contaminated waste derived from human activities (i.e. bilge water, industrial  wastewater, oil spill etc.)

Dissemination Countries

Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Malta, Portugal