The Process Design Unit of the Chemical Engineering School at the National Technical University of Athens. Research is aligned with our membership in the Industrial Biotechnology Accelerator IBISBA (www.ibisba.eu) that aspires to connect biocatalyst and process design. The Unit operates in Process Systems Engineering and is certified to undertake design engineering work (IChemE, UK) collaborating with industry in several projects. Applications include the

• Design and scale-up of several biorefineries (ligno-cellulosic, oleo-chemical, aquatic, waste-based)
• Modeling of nonconventional substrates, materials, and processes that are not included in conventional thermodynamic databases or flowhseeting libraries.
• Advanced simulation that rely on hybrid and data embedded models as well as digital twins. The latter are demonstrated in the development of bioreactors with technology that integrates process and biocatalyst design as well as options to implement advanced (model-based) control
• A pilot facility on Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) that produces biocrude for conventional refineries from a variety of resources
• Sustainability analysis and TCA including Ex-ante and Social-LCA

Process Design offers technology that combines data analytics (data embedding, machine learning) with first-principle based models  and flowsheeting technology (Aspen, HYSIS, gProms) to address

• Process integration of industrial flowsheets through state-of-the-art methods that target efficiencies for energy, water and material efficiency
• Process Synthesis methods to select integration schemes, chemical paths, unit operations, and solvents.
• Advanced designs for multi-phase reactors, thermal separation (simple and complex distillation design and sequencing), separation of azeotropes, non-thermal separations and reactive-separation schemes to intensify productio

Sustainability advocates a multi-scale approach using a variety of industrial and academic software (SimaPro, CCalC) to develop

• LCA technology exploiting data from commercial and public repositories to assess sustainability and/or to predict performance ahead of design
• Scale-up and engineering costing (including the use of custom-made models and in-house tools

Optimization of large and complex systems involves separate work for applications and new methods. Technology includes methods for

• Superstructure optimization and conceptual programming
• Supply chain and Total Site analysis to configure business models in energy networks

With the company vision stating that "Biocatalysis should be your first choice" the direction for EnginZyme going forward is defined from a theme perspective as well as the ambitious goal to make the technology a leading capability for preparing and manufacturing value-added chemical products in various parts of the supply chain.

Given the unique properties of enzymes with their exquisite selectivity and efficiency, a switch to bio-catalytic processes from conventional counterparts is bound to have a great impact on process efficiencies, reduction in amounts of chemical building blocks needed fora given manufacture, a profound reduction in effluent st reams with an associated reduction in environmental impact. The unique feature of EnginZyme' s technology allows this all to be handled at maximum efficiency with the enzyme in question being attached onto a controlled pore glass bead (CPG) ready for use in a continuous production set up. The intact enzyme on the glass bead can be recycled or charged with another enzyme after a simple removal of the previous one.

SUSPACC (Sustainable Products and Chemicals Cluster) is an organization of SME companies in the region Drenthe (the Netherlands) with different fields of expertise and one unifying factor; the green chemistry. It is founded in 2016 and is expecting to expand with new companies in the near future.

Every member develops/manufactures projects for more sustainable use of materials. This varies from production of monofilaments based on – mainly – PLA, the use of bio-composites in furniture, the production of PBS – a biopolymer – and the development of other sustainable applications.

The future ambition of SUSPACC is to increase their efforts regarding the development of sustainable products. SUSPACC wants to extend their network in order to get more cooperation with other European companies and organizations for sustainable developments.

AEP Polymers is an innovation based company located in Northern Italy that develops new polymers and formulations starting from bio-based raw materials (purified natural oils or molecular building blocks from fermentation/biorefinery processes).

AEP Polymers focuses on applied R&D in the field of industrial polymers and intelligent formulations from non-edible biomasses, from algae and fish oils to bio-aromatics, like Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) and lignin. Their peculiar chemical structures are a perfect starting point to pursue innovative chemical routes and deliver performing materials for demanding industrial applications in composites, polyurethanes, coatings and adhesives.

The company was born in 2013 from the idea of 4 researchers in the biopolymers field and the financial backup of a Luxembourg-based investor. AEP focuses mainly on applied research, bespoke formulation and process troubleshooting, scale-up and industrialization of the new developed polymers and formulations.

AEP also performs preliminary market evaluation and market penetration analysis to identify the key properties that the new materials should exhibit and the best angle to generate customer interest/acceptance. AEP does not perform direct production above the lab-scale but teams up with industrial partners that follow the scale-up, logistics and commercialization aspects.

A4F is a biotechnology company, located in Portugal, with more than 20 years of accumulated experience in microalgae Research & Development and microalgae production (up to industrial scale). A4F is specialized in the design, build, operation and transfer (DBOT) of commercial-scale microalgae production units, using different technologies that better adapt to our Customers' business.

Complementing our long experience, A4F distinguishes itself through its methodology which includes sealing-up from prototypes in our Experimental Unit in Lisbon to large-scale facilities. Additionally, A4F also develops standard operating procedures for optimized microalgae production, according to production goals and with industry best practices.

A4F has a very close relationship with the leading research groups in national and international universities and institutes in microalgae biotechnology (and related R&D fields), as well as with the largest microalgae producers worldwide. This international networking positions A4F as the first choice for any large-scale contract as the best specialist company in most aspects of microalgae production.

A4F is associated with an innovative project, the first dedicated multi-process and multi-product microalgae biorefinery plant worldwide, that aims to achieve a sustainable and economically viable solution for the production of proteins and other high value products from microalgae biomass.