Author: Raquel Moreno, Axia Innovation
An Open Innovation Test Bed (OITB) or Open Innovation Ecosystem is a set of entities, providing common access to physical facilities, capabilities and a wide range of services in a specific field of competence. The objective is to assist Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises and other stakeholders to bring new innovative materials, products, processes and services closer to the market, “TRL 7” (Technology Readiness Level), within the reach of companies and users.
Bionanopolys OITB for developing safe nano-enabled bio-based materials and polymer bionanocomposites for multifunctional and new advanced applications”, will strengthen the circularity of nano-enabled bio-based materials in the economy, by developing innovative bionanocomposites and bio-based nanoproducts from main feedstocks in Europe.
Bionanopolys OITB will improve technologies and processes, with the purpose to increase the acceptance of new technology by the market, ensure seasonal of feedstocks, offer price competition and market positioning, reduce regulatory constraints, and ease safety, economic and technical barriers.
The transformation of biobased materials to the nanoscale will offer new functional properties for high-volume applications such as packaging, cosmetic, medical, foam, nonwoven, coating, 3D printing, textiles and cellulose-paper.
What are the benefits?
The objective of the Bionanopolys Open Innovation Environment is to build a European reference ecosystem for the upscaling of nano-enabled bio-based materials and polymer bionanocomposites. The Ecosystem will offer a holistic solution, including their infrastructure, their capabilities and all associated services easy to find, accessible, transparent and interoperable, through a unique access contact point, called Single Entry Point (SEP), in a form of a “restaurant menu”.
Through the SEP, Bionanopolys OITB will create an integrated open environment to offer end-users technical, legal, regulatory, safety, economic and financial support. Hence, reducing risks and barriers for commercial exploitation and accelerating market uptake and innovation process.
In addition, SME, industries and potential customers will benefit from Bionanopolys OITB at reasonable costs and conditions. Any customer of the OITB, European or global, will be able to access it through the SEP at any point of a specific development stage, trying to address their needs with Bionanopolys’ know-how. Furthermore, Bionanopolys Open Innovation Test Bed will build up the network between technology providers, service providers and the industry by driving collaborative open innovation.
