IONIQA TECHNOLOGIES BV

Their core work

Ioniqa Technologies is a Dutch cleantech SME specializing in chemical recycling of plastics, particularly PET, using proprietary magnetic catalyst and microwave-based depolymerization technology. Based in Eindhoven, they focus on breaking down hard-to-recycle plastic waste — including multilayer packaging and colored PET — back into virgin-quality raw materials. Their work spans the full recycling value chain from sorting and delamination to chemical processing, serving industries including automotive, packaging, and chemical manufacturing.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Ioniqa's H2020 journey shows a clear trajectory from advanced materials manufacturing toward circular economy and plastic recycling. Their earliest project (CO-PILOT, 2015) focused on nanocomposite manufacturing, but from 2018 onward they pivoted entirely to plastic waste recycling — first broad polymer recycling across multiple industries in POLYNSPIRE, then narrowing to the specific challenge of multilayer packaging in MERLIN. The recent keyword profile — heavy on specific polymers (PET, PE, PP, polyamide, polyurethane), recycling processes (chemical recycling, delamination), and industrial sectors (automotive, steel, chemical industry) — confirms they have deepened their specialization rather than broadened it.

Ioniqa is moving toward increasingly specific and commercially viable recycling challenges — expect them to target hard-to-recycle plastic streams like multilayer and mixed-polymer waste in future projects.

How they like to work

Ioniqa consistently participates as a technology partner rather than a coordinator, contributing their proprietary recycling process to larger demonstration consortia. With 55 unique partners across just 3 projects, they operate in large, multi-stakeholder consortia typical of SPIRE and circular economy initiatives. This suggests they are comfortable integrating their technology into broader industrial value chains and are experienced at working with diverse partners from chemical companies to waste management operators.

Ioniqa has built a substantial network of 55 partners across 14 countries through just three projects, reflecting the large-scale industrial consortia they participate in. Their European reach is broad, consistent with the cross-border nature of plastic waste and recycling supply chains.

What sets them apart

Ioniqa brings a proprietary chemical recycling technology based on magnetic catalysts and microwave processing — a distinctive technical approach that few other SMEs can offer. Unlike generic recycling consultancies, they are a technology owner with a scalable industrial process, making them a high-value partner for any consortium that needs to demonstrate actual plastic-to-feedstock conversion. Their Eindhoven base places them in one of Europe's strongest technology ecosystems, and their SME status means they move faster than corporate R&D departments.

Highlights from their portfolio

• POLYNSPIRE
  Largest funding (EUR 827,750) and broadest scope — a SPIRE demonstration project covering recycling across automotive, chemical, and steel industries with multiple polymer types.
• MERLIN
  Addresses one of the hardest problems in plastic recycling — multilayer packaging — targeting PET, PE, and PP separation through delamination and chemical recycling.