Slovenia’s BioApp to become research focal point for developing smart biomass materials with Italy

In Slovenia, ERDF-funded BioApp platform has become the focal point for research ideas on developing smart biomass materials in the cross-border region of Slovenia and Italy.

The EU produces over 25 tons of plastic waste every year. In response, Slovenian and Italian scientists have joined forces to develop the BioApp platform with funding from the ERDF. Biopolymers are innovative materials which provide a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics, because they incorporate natural mechanisms for their own degradation. Consequently, they do not pose any risk of accumulation in the environment in the same way as single-use plastics do.

BioApp aims to foster research cooperation on the production of biopolymers from renewable sources, new competitive biopolymer-based products, alternative polymers or plastics, and to contribute to the emergent field of bioeconomics.

The BioApp platform will focus on the needs of the food, cosmetics and health-related industries in the border region between Slovenia and Italy. It will target researchers and industry but will also welcome engagement from the general public. The project is financed with a total budget of EUR1.3 million, 85 % of which comes from the ERDF.