• The Agència de Residus de Catalunya has recently published the provisional resolution of the subsidies for the promotion of circular economy projects, where 7 of the 8 projects in which the Packaging Cluster has participated have been approved
• With 90% success, the entity stands as one of the applicants that receives the most funding from the ARC, with a total of more than € 420,000 in budget

The Packaging Cluster will draw 7 of the 8 projects presented in February during the call for subsidies for circular economy projects of the Agència de Residus de Catalunya, as it recently published in its provisional resolution.

These are 7 innovative proposals that shape one of the strategic axes of the entity, which is the generation of collaborative innovation projects that are committed to the sustainability of packaging throughout its life cycle, which will receive sufficient public funding as to make them possible. 

On the one hand, 2 sectoral studies that involve more than 20 companies from the preliminary draft presented and that intend to involve more than 50 entities that are part of all the subsectors of the value chain.

On the other, 4 projects to implement a novel product in line with the principles of ecodesign and reuse and 1 demonstration pilot of a sustainable packaging design for frozen products. 

16 key agents have been part of the 7 proposals presented, with a total budget of more than € 420,000 and almost € 250,000 in direct amount of aid granted:

• 3 catalan clusters: AEI Tèxtils, Clúster Foodservice de Cataluña and Packaging Cluster
• 3 technological centers: AIMPLAS, IRTA and Leitat
• 2 ecodesign studies: Inèdit and Oiko
• 5 producers: Enplater, IFLEX, Inka Palet, Multivac and Saica Pack
• 3 packers: Balfegó, Delafruit and Embotits Monells

Collaboration between all the agents has been fundamental for the preparation of all the proposals, both between the associated companies, the clusters involved and the external collaborators, since they have allowed the generation of actions that will provide knowledge and value to connected sectors, such as that of the packaging, food and textiles.

The final resolution has left an economic injection of 3.75 million euros distributed among 91 approved projects, among which are the 7 in which the cluster participates. In this case, it is a recurring and periodic call, which year after year supports Catalan entities and associations in the process of implementing the circular economy through: new products or services, the analysis and testing of demonstrative prototypes or the preparation of studies that promote communication and awareness of a new circular model.

Do you have any idea or concept in mind that is related to the circular economy and the packaging that you want to materialize? Tell us about your project and we will help you to devise a memory that can have a place in the next call this year, here. You can also send us your project proposal to the New Next Generation Project Office, which aims to be a dynamic space where members can contribute innovation ideas, find consortia and see what calls are active. You can find more information in the Next Generation Projects Office.

____

The Packaging Cluster is perfectly qualified for the development and promotion of R&D&I projects as it is one of the 6 Catalan clusters recognized in its extraordinary management of the entity, with the Gold Label certification by the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA), in addition to positioning itself as one of the 15 clusters nationwide that has the accreditation as an Agrupación Empresarial Innovadora by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, as well as being part of the ACCIÓ Catalonia Clusters program.