Open Innovation Ecosystem for Sustainable Nano-functionalized Flexible Plastic and Paper Surfaces and Membranes

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Plastic and paper based flexible materials and films are used in a wide range of daily life products e.g. in packaging, furniture surface finish, consumer electronic devices, architecture or in car windows. Applications represent well established multi-billion Euro markets. Key Enabling Technologies for a majority of these applications are based on nano-enabled functionalization of the surfaces. Today, Industry faces game-changing, critical challenges for societal acceptance and economic competitiveness: (1) Overcome plastic waste pollution and follow the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy towards the development of sustainable materials; (2) Keep pace with digitisation and get products ready for integration of smart systems and intelligent products. FlexFunction2Sustain will be the first European Initiative to support the Industry in overcoming these challenges through a sustainable Open Innovation Ecosystem. FlexFunction2Sustain will develop dedicated services to boost innovation for nano-functionalised flexible plastic and paper surfaces and membranes and offer those services to users, in particular SMEs, in all 28 EU countries through an independent single entry point (SEP) legal entity with multiple regional front offices. FlexFunction2Sustain connects complementary pilot lines to a set of 9 connected lab-2-fab facilities covering all major nano-surface processing techniques for (flexible) plastic and paper surfaces and membranes. The facilities and novel surface functionality will be demonstrated in six relevant industrial application scenarios. 20 pre-commercial pilot cases will demonstrate the Services of the FlexFunction2Sustain OITB The FlexFunction2Sustain OITB is prepared to support the client at any point in the innovation chain from TRL4 to TRL7 with and integrated technological, business development and verification/pre-certification service portfolio that helps the client to progress quickly through the innovation chain.