Over the next three years, BIOntier aims to develop a new generation of recyclable, lightweight, sustainable, and competitive biocomposites, which will then be used to create demonstration components for the automotive sector, such as semi-structural aesthetic parts for vehicle interiors.

The research project involves 25 participants from 12 countries, including automotive OEMs like CRF Stellantis and Dawn Aerospace, Tier 1 suppliers such as Faurecia, material compounders like Italy's Maip Compounding (together with Bio On), research institutes (Fraunhofer Institute and RISE Research Institute), and several European universities.

Maip Group leads Task 3.3 of the project, focusing on the production of polymer matrix and reinforcing fibers.
Among the materials being considered for the development of these new biocomposites are polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), biobased polymers that are both biodegradable and compostable.
Bio On, a subsidiary of Maip, will also be involved, contributing its proprietary fermentation technologies and utilizing its Italy plant in Castel San Pietro, which is currently undergoing restructuring after a forced shutdown due to legal issues.

Maip's Research Center will manage the formulation and production of PHA-based compounds, selecting the powder produced at the Bio On facility, and integrating additives, reinforcements, and modifiers to meet the strict standards required by the automotive industry.
One of the most promising areas of research, according to the Turin-based group, will be the integration of natural fibers into the materials, a step that will further enhance the environmental sustainability of the products. Tackling these challenges, emphasizes Maip, will be essential to developing biocomposites with a bio-based content exceeding 95%, while ensuring the required performance for these specific applications.

The BIOntier project represents another milestone in Maip Group's journey toward vertical integration in PHA, following the operational revival of Zeropack, a joint venture between Bio On and RKG, and the relaunch of the RAF pilot plant (Recovery and Fermentation) in Castel San Pietro, which has produced the first quantities of PHB Minerv.

Maip Group continues its €50 million industrial plan, which, in addition to acquiring all of Bio On's assets last June, has also seen the construction of a new compounding plant in Settimo Torinese, in northern Italy.

"One year after the acquisition, Bio On has increased in value, driven not only by its vast production and research facilities but also by the company's intellectual property, encompassing both manufacturing processes and application and formulation patents," says Eligio Martini, President of Maip Group. "The IP includes more than 30 core patents already granted, as well as others in the registration phase, in strategic sectors such as cosmetics. These achievements confirm Maip Group's commitment to leading innovation and sustainability in the biopolymer market, a technology that is gaining a central role globally."

 

Project partners: CRF, Fraunhofer ICT, Fraunhofer LBF, Fraunhofer IWU, Tecnalia, Faurecia, Dawn Aerospace, DLR, Northumbria University, BCMaterials, Farplas, TNO, CTAG, IRIS SRL, Eurecat, RISE, MateriaNova, MAIP Compounding srl, Aksa Akrylic, HydroSolid, CIMNE-CERCA, Graphenea, Polymeris, UC3M, UPV, Etelätär