BIO-ON SPA

Their core work

BIO-ON SPA is an Italian SME specializing in the production and commercialization of PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) bioplastics derived from renewable feedstocks such as sugar beet. They develop biodegradable polymer materials for food packaging applications, including barrier coatings and unit-dose formats. Their work spans the full chain from biopolymer scale-up to integration into functional packaging solutions for the food industry.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

BIO-ON started in 2015 with a focus on scaling up their core PHA polymer production technology (SCALEPHA), a typical early-stage SME move to industrialize a lab process. By 2017-2019, they shifted toward downstream applications — integrating their bioplastics into functional food packaging with barrier properties (BioBarr) and convenient unit-dose formats (BIOSNAP). This trajectory shows a company moving from material producer to applications partner, seeking to prove their bioplastics in real product contexts.

BIO-ON was moving from bioplastic material supply toward integrated packaging solutions, suggesting future work would target specific end-use applications in food and consumer goods.

How they like to work

BIO-ON coordinated one project (the smaller SME Instrument Phase 1) and participated in two larger collaborative projects, indicating they are comfortable both leading focused feasibility work and contributing specialist expertise to bigger consortia. With 10 unique partners across 5 countries, they maintained a moderately diverse European network. Their role is that of a technology provider — bringing proprietary PHA materials into consortia that need bio-based polymer expertise.

BIO-ON collaborated with 10 unique partners across 5 European countries, building connections through food packaging and bio-based materials consortia. Their network reflects a mid-sized European footprint typical of a specialized SME contributing materials expertise to application-driven projects.

What sets them apart

BIO-ON brings proprietary PHA bioplastic production technology — a specific class of biodegradable polymers that few European SMEs can manufacture at scale. Their value to consortia is concrete: they supply the actual bio-based material, not just research or consulting. For anyone building a project around biodegradable packaging or plastic alternatives, they offer a rare combination of material production capability and food-sector application experience.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BioBarr
  Largest project by funding (EUR 547,938), focused on solving the key technical barrier of bio-based packaging — achieving sufficient barrier properties to protect food.
• SCALEPHA
  Coordinated by BIO-ON as an SME Instrument Phase 1 project, representing their core ambition to industrialize PHA biopolymer production.