Collaboration Framework

Working Groups

 

Currently, there are four active working groups in the EIC portfolio. Each group includes representatives from all participant projects and focuses on a specific area of coordination, development and impact.

WG1

Technical synergies

The Technological Synergies Working Group coordinates cross-project collaboration to develop a new generation of nature-inspired materials and technologies that can replace fossil-based food packaging and agricultural films with locally sourced, fully biodegradable and sustainable alternatives. It brings together expertise in biotechnology, advanced biopolymer chemistry, AI-assisted polymer discovery, smart functionalities, waste-to-materials biorefineries, and circular design principles.

Objectives

  • Identify, map and leverage interdisciplinary technology collaborations across the portfolio.
  • Identify and unlock synergies between complementary technological pathways.
  • Generate a realistic strategic working plan based on promising technologies.
  • Explore innovation collaboratively in bio-based, bio-degradable and recyclable plastic materials.
  • Support the development of benchmarks and standards.

Key activities

  • Scientific strategy and strategic action plan of the Portfolio
  • Collaboration with external stakeholders
  • Thematic Workshops

Target audience

  • Participant projects and partners
  • Researchers and academics
  • Innovation managers
  • Plastic and packaging industries
  • Film producers
  • Waste managers
  • Biodegradation facilities and biorefineries

WG2

Regulation and Certification

The mission of the Regulation and Certification Working Group is to continuously assess the regulatory gaps for the research areas covered by the participant projects, as well as possible barriers in the plastic supply chains. In addition, the group explores common areas between Food-contact Legislation and the Biocidal Products Regulation for the bio-based packaging innovations generated across the Portfolio.

Objectives

  • Ensure alignment of scientific outputs and developments with policy needs.
  • Foster interaction between researchers and decision-makers.
  • Propose strategies for science-to-policy translations to overcome regulatory barriers.

Key activities

  • Policy briefs
  • Policy strategy of the Portfolio

Target audience

  • Participant projects and partners
  • Policy makers and regulators
  • Public authorities
  • EU institutions and national ministries
  • NGOs and advocacy groups working on environmental preservation
  • Plastic producers and recyclers
  • Agricultural associations

WG3

Business Model

The Portfolio Business Development Working Group aligns market understanding, exploitation strategies and industrial engagement across the six EIC projects on nature-inspired food packaging and agricultural films. Operating at a strategic level, it supports the translation of research innovations into scalable, market-ready solutions by identifying shared value chains, addressing regulatory and scale-up challenges, and strengthening connections with industry and investors, while considering project-specific intellectual property and Grant Agreement obligations.

Objectives

  • Strengthen market orientation and develop an evidence-based understanding of market needs.
  • Map and connect key actors across the value chain to enable smoother scale-up and deployment, and identify scale-up challenges, cost drivers and investment needs.
  • Upgrade interactions among portfolio projects seeking higher-impact actions that can accelerate industrial engagement.
  • Enable coherent exploitation pathways and realistic market routes.

Key activities

  • Apply for a boost grant to engage an external consultant who will support the working group.
  • Workshop in joint market mapping, common value chains and customer segments, and industrial engagement.
  • Workshop in IP protection.
  • Workshop in transition pathways.

Target audience

  • Participant projects and partners
  • Farmers
  • Film producers
  • Food packaging industry
  • Plastic industry
  • Waste managers
  • Single-use plastic producers

WG4

Communication and dissemination

The Communication and Dissemination Working Group is responsible for the visibility of the Portfolio research, aiming to maximise impact by disseminating results, organising events and generating a coherent visual identity for the Portfolio.

Objectives

  • Develop and implement a joint communication and dissemination strategy involving all Portfolio participants.
  • Generate and promote communication materials such as newsletters and brochures.
  • Provide support to other working groups and partners to amplify their results across communication channels and social media.
  • Generate a coherent and recognisable Portfolio identity.

Key activities

  • Generation of a corporative view of the portfolio including a logo, a website and communication templates.
  • Generation of communication and dissemination material such as audio-visual elements, booklets and newsletters.
  • Preparation of a common agenda of events.

Target audience

  • Participant projects and partners
  • Policy makers and regulators
  • Public authorities
  • EU institutions and national ministries
  • NGOs and advocacy groups working on environmental preservation
  • Plastic producers and recyclers
  • Agricultural associations