Partner Search

Summary

A Flemish SME offers an open innovation service model including a well equipped pilot plant, for developing new bioprocesses, build-up technological know-how, or manufacture new products on demand, starting from green resources. The objective is to close the gap between scientific feasibility and industrial application of new biotechnological processes. The pilot plant can handle the whole value chain in one location. The SME is looking for technical cooperation and manufacturing agreements.

Full description

The Flemish SME, a flexible and diversified pilot plant, offers support in development, optimization and scaling-up of a broad variety of biobased processes (industrial biotech, green chemistry) to an industrial level.
The pilot plant is equipped (state of the art) to evaluate and valorize every aspect of the bioprocess in a single location; from the biomass green resource up to the final product. But also assistance for the assessment of a new process step in an existing production process is possible. It enables partners to assess operating costs, specific strengths and weaknesses of new biotechnological processes before costly, large-scale investments are made.
The SME adheres a service model. It realizes the development of new processes with the innovative partner, who maintains the rights to the developed technology.
A team of engineers and process operators is available to collaborate with the partners in full confidentiality and operate the innovative processes, feasibility trials and process optimizationsn reporting to the partner. When needed they can assist in experimental design, process analysis and design, mass-and energy balances and translation of unit operations to dimensionless numbers for the purpose of process scale-up.

Skills and expertise:
- Development of bio-based products and processes
- Scale-up and optimization of bioprocesses
- Custom manufacturing of bio-based products at the ideal scale (kg up to ton scale)
- Enhancing the inherent sustainability of bioprocesses by efficient energy management, water reuse, effluent management, waste control.
-The processes that can be developed, scaled-up and optimized are: upstream processing, fermentation, biocatalysis, downstream processing, product purification, etc.

Flexible set up : product lines can be built up by connecting units, fermentors can be run in batch, fed-batch or continuous modes.
Production and product quality are followed-up in the laboratory.

The SME intends to grow towards further diversification of technologies and is therefore permanently seeking to integrate new state-of-the-art equipment for the biobased industry

Innovative Aspects

One-stop-shop : from biomass resource to refined final product in the same pilot plant (= the whole value chain in one location)
Scale up : from kilograms to multi ton scale, from 5dm³-15m³ scale.
Independent,no industrial stakeholders
Multi-purpose pilot plant for biobased processes with specialized personnel
Development and optimization of integrated processes: biomass pretreatment, fermentation, biocatalysis, green chemistry
Flexible set up : different combinations possible; testing of one or more process steps

Partner expertise sought:

- Type of partner sought: Industry and research centers looking to upgrade a process (step) to (semi) industrial scale.
Companies or research partners from the chemical, (bio-)energy, agro-industrial or food sectors.
The SME intends to grow towards further diversification of technologies and seeks to integrate new state-of-the-art equipment for the biobased industry.
- Specific area of activity of the partner:
- Task to be performed by the partner sought: