The Fibrenamics Green project of the University of Minho (UMinho) – which aims the development of innovative products based on waste – organised, in partnership with the Portuguese Entrepreneurial Association (PEA), a workshop about “Sustainable Innovation Opportunities”. The event was held at the PEA building, in Leça da Palmeira, Oporto district, and marked the last public presentation session of the Fibrenamics Green project.
The workshop was inaugurated with an opening session which counted with the interventions of Luís Miguel Ribeiro, from PEA, Jorge Araújo, from the Centre for Waste Valorisation (CWV) of the UMinho, Manuel Martins, from the Business Council of the Ave and Cávado Region (CEDRAC), and also Raul Fangueiro, from the UMinho. There was a moment for the official signing of the partnership protocol between the Fibrenamics platform, CEDRAC and PEA. The event also had the lectures of Cláudia Guterres from PEA, which presented the digital platform “New Northbound”. Benedita Chaves from Lipor (management, treatment and recovery of organic waste company) spoke about “sustainable waste management solutions” and Ricardo Santos from SONAE focused on the “corporate sustainability”. In addition to the presentation of themes related to Fibrenamics Green’s areas of competence, the event included a moment of technological networking where participants could visit the exhibition "Fibrenamics Green - From Waste to Product".
Raul Fangueiro declared that this workshop allowed “to disclose the project itself, but also to invite business partners, capable of showing their strategy related to waste valorisation and its position in the circular economy”. The Fibrenamics Green’s coordinator also highlighted the added value of this event to the UMinho and its School of Engineering: “With this event, we showed society what the School of Engineering is able to do. It is important to lift off the EEUM from the University itself and make it reach other places where we are able to attract people to get to know our work. We cannot live enclosed, we must reach outside, and these events are important for this reason”, he concludes.
Innovation and sustainability are two of the characteristics which best define Fibrenamics Green – a project focusing on creating sustainable products based on industrial waste. This project is being developed by the international platform Fibrenamics, in partnership with the CWV, both of the UMinho. The Fibrenamics Green counts with a total funding of 550 thousand euros, 85% being from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Norte 2020 Programme.
