Belgian biotech SME applying microbial consortia to convert waste streams into bioplastics, biofertilizers, and functional ingredients across food, environment, and construction sectors.
AVECOM is a Belgian biotechnology SME based in Ghent specializing in microbial technologies for industrial and environmental applications. They develop bioprocesses using microbial consortia — engineered communities of microorganisms — to convert waste streams into valuable products like bioplastics, biofertilizers, and functional food ingredients. Their core competence lies in scaling microbial processes from lab to pilot and prototype level, bridging the gap between academic research and industrial implementation across food valorization, bioremediation, and circular economy applications.
Central to ELECTRA (bioelectrochemical systems), BioICEP (microbial depolymerisation), CAFIPLA (carboxylic acid production), RUSTICA (biofertilizers), and INGREEN (bioprocessing of side-streams).
YPACK (food waste to PHA packaging), INGREEN (agro-food side-streams to functional ingredients), CAFIPLA (fibre recovery from waste), and RUSTICA (fruit and vegetable waste to biofertilizer).
YPACK focused on PHA/PHBV-based packaging, while BioICEP addressed circular economy for plastics through biocatalysis and bioprocessing.
ELECTRA applied bio-electrochemical systems with 3D-printed biofilms for bioremediation; BioICEP tackled plastic waste degradation using microbial consortia.
SMARTINCS explored bacterial-based self-healing in cementitious systems — a departure from their food/environment core but consistent with their microbial expertise.
AVECOM's early H2020 work (2017-2019) centered on food waste valorization and bio-electrochemical systems — converting agricultural and food waste into bioplastics (PHA/PHBV) and using engineered biofilms for environmental remediation. From 2020 onward, their focus broadened into circular bioeconomy applications: microbial depolymerisation of plastics, biofertilizer production from vegetable waste, and even bacterial self-healing concrete. The consistent thread is microbial consortia as a platform technology, but the applications have diversified significantly beyond food into construction materials and plastic circularity.
AVECOM is expanding its microbial platform technology into non-food sectors like construction and plastics circularity, signaling readiness for cross-sector partnerships where microbial bioprocessing can add value.
AVECOM exclusively participates as a partner rather than leading consortia, which is typical for a specialist SME contributing deep technical know-how to larger teams. With 101 unique partners across 20 countries in just 7 projects, they consistently join large, diverse consortia — averaging over 14 partners per project. This makes them an experienced team player comfortable working in complex international setups, though their lack of coordinator roles suggests they position themselves as a technical contributor rather than a project driver.
AVECOM has built a broad European network of 101 unique partners across 20 countries through 7 projects, giving them wide reach and diverse connections across the bioeconomy research landscape. Their network spans both academic institutions (via MSCA and RIA projects) and industry players (via Innovation Actions).
AVECOM's differentiator is their ability to apply microbial consortium engineering across radically different domains — from food packaging to concrete repair to plastic degradation. While many biotech SMEs specialize narrowly, AVECOM treats microbial communities as a versatile platform and adapts them to whatever industrial problem needs solving. For consortium builders, this means a single partner that brings proven bioprocessing scale-up capability applicable to food, environment, materials, and circular economy challenges.
