The project POLYMERS-5B, coordinated by Prof. Luís Fonseca from the Department of Bioengineering at Instituto Superior Técnico and iBB, was highlighted in issue No. 176 of País Positivo, in the feature “The National Value of Polymers – An Industry Aligned with the Future.”
POLYMERS-5B is a four-year EU-funded project under the HORIZON-JU-CBE-2023-R-04 call, focused on the development of new bio-based and biodegradable polymers from renewable biological residues. Using biocatalysis and green chemistry, the project aims to support the European circular bioeconomy by designing safe and sustainable polymers that replicate or improve the properties of conventional fossil-based plastics.
By 2028, POLYMERS-5B seeks to deliver new materials incorporating over 80% bio-based content, develop AI-based models to predict polymer properties, and test real-world applications in textiles, automotive components, furniture coatings, and water purification systems. The project also foresees the creation of two spin-offs in Portugal’s Alentejo region to scale up and transfer results to industry.
📖 Read the full article (in Portuguese) here: https://encartes.newsplex.pt/encartes/sol/paispositivo/paispositivo_20251017.pdf