Italian company looking for innovative solutions for sustainable food packaging and accessories in catering to reduce environmental impact

Summary

An Italian company, active in catering, is looking for start-ups or scale-ups offering green materials and innovative services for sustainable single portions of food packaging and catering accessories. Partners will work together in proofs of concept or pilot projects under technical cooperation agreement. This request is part of an open innovation challenges programme.

Description

A leading Italian company, operating in the sectors of collective catering, commercial catering and employees welfare services to business, is present in 17 regions in Italy, as well as abroad, producing over 100 million meals per year. Therefore, the sustainability of the materials and products used is extremely important to reduce the company’s environmental impact.

In particular, the company is looking for innovative, green solutions for the packaging of single portions of food, which are made in a protected atmosphere (ATP) and must meet certain requirements (e.g. asepticity, microwave adaptability, insulation).

In addition to this, the company is seeking sustainable solutions for catering accessories such as cutlery, glasses, bags, etc. The scouting of solutions is not limited to green materials to replace plastics, but includes innovative services or business models for recycling and reusing products.

The company is interested in collaborating with mature start-ups or scale-ups under technical cooperation agreement for the co-development of PoCs (proof of concept) or pilot projects, but does not exclude potential M&A operations in the long run.


--- IMPORTANT: This technical cooperation request refers to an open innovation challenges program published on a separate online platform (b2match). If an organization expresses interest before the program closing date, it will be guided towards the open innovation platform.

During registration, interested organizations will be asked to select the challenge that corresponds with this technology request profile. If admitted to the programme, start-ups and scale-ups will benefit from training and will be able to create their (presentation) profile to connect with the companies in order to organize 1to1 matchmaking meetings.

The company will select the organisations that they would like to meet for the development of the solution.

The challenge closes on November the 30th 2021. Once the challenge is closed, expressions of Interest for this technology request will be treated in the traditional way.

Expertise sought

The Italian company is looking for innovative, sustainable solutions for the packaging of single portions of food, which must meet specific requirements including asepticity, microwave adaptability and insulation.

The company is also looking for solutions for catering accessories (cutlery, glasses, bags, etc.) in green materials to replace plastics, but also innovative services or business models for recycling and reusing products (whether packaging or accessories).

The solutions sought could be based on green materials or innovative services to put in place enabling the recycling and reusing of products.

Solutions proposed should have a minimum TRL of 6 - system/subsystem model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment (ground or space).

Requested Partner

Potential partners are start-ups or scale-ups from any country, with knowledge and/or expertise in green materials, or innovative services, for sustainable food packaging and catering accessories.

Start-ups or scale-ups are required to propose innovative ideas and/or solutions for the packaging of single portions of food, as well as for new sustainable solutions for catering accessories (both materials and innovative business models) to reduce the environmental impact of the company.

Suitable companies are invited to propose their expertise. After being selected, the goal is to co-develop PoCs (proofs of concept) or pilot projects under technical cooperation agreement, but potential M&A can be envisaged in the future.