Innovation: 1 million euro to fund projects with companies

An ENEA tender for over 1 million euros is underway to fund proof of concept (PoC) projects with companies, an internal program for overcoming the gap between research and industrial application and supporting innovation in the production sector. Interested companies can apply until 12 December 2023, following the procedures described on the ENEA website, to participate in the development of a PoC project included in the 34 technological proposals identified by the Agency in various thematic areas, some of which suggested by the ENEA Technical Scientific Committee.

The potential sectors of application mainly concern: chemistry and pharmaceuticals (41%); applications for reuse of materials and circular economy processes (38%); energy production and energy efficiency (33%); agrofood (29%), innovative technological solutions for applications in aerospace, automation of production processes, cultural heritage and smart communities. The technological proposals include for instance new hi-tech sensors, advanced monitoring systems and smart labels.

This is the first tranche of € 5 million ENEA allocated for its PoC Program in the three-year period 2023-2025. An additional 500 thousand euros, made available by the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy as part of the PNRR, have already been committed during 2023 to fund 9 PoC projects.

 “The ENEA PoC program folllows an open innovation approach and only finances projects to developd ENEA technologies in collaboration with companies and investors”, pointed out Gaetano Coletta, head of the ENEA Service for the Valorization of Innovation Initiatives. “The objective – he said –is to minimize the risk for companies of investing in technologies that still have a low level of technological maturity and, at the same time, to match the needs of the market with skills and outcomes of public research” .

Companies co-financing projects – for at least 10% of the costs - will be granted an option right, free of charge, on the exclusive license of the developed patent and any further results.

Established in 2018, the ENEA PoC program has so far funded 36 projects with industrial partners with over 1.6 million euros, with the purpose of creating strategic partnerships for innovation. Among the success stories achieved so far: the new BIOAERMAC building material, highly insulating and resistant, created from chemical industry waste, thanks to the collaboration with the Italian company Fluorsid SpA, world leader in production of inorganic fluorine derivatives; the ASCANIO project for the creation of a network of sentinel sensors to safeguard territory and infrastructures like bridges, dams and viaducts, which will give rise to an ENEA spin-off with the participation of Earth System Srl and GEI Srl; the process to produce detoxified gluten for celiacs and gluten intolerants, with nutritional and organoleptic properties superior to those of gluten-free products currently on the market.