NOVAGRICA HELLAS ANONIMI EMPORIKI EXAGOGIKI KAI SYMVOULEFTIKI ETAIRIA BIOLOGIKON KAI CHIMIKON PROIONTON

Their core work

Novagrica Hellas is a Greek SME that trades in and consults on biological and chemical products for agriculture — their full legal name translates to "commercial, export and consulting company of biological and chemical products." In EU research projects they serve as a commercial and market-access partner, bridging laboratory-scale biotech innovations with practical agricultural deployment in Southern and Eastern Europe. Their two H2020 participations trace a coherent arc: first exploring biofermentation as a production route for specialty chemicals (OLEFINE), then applying that fermentation know-how specifically to insect sex pheromones for sustainable crop protection (PHERA). This makes them a niche but well-positioned actor at the intersection of biofermentation technology and biological pest management products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their first project, OLEFINE (2018), placed them in a broad biochemical production context — oleaginous yeasts as platforms for fine chemicals — with no agriculture-specific focus recorded in the keywords. By 2020, PHERA brought a sharp pivot: all recorded keywords (insect sex pheromones, mating disruption, IPM for row crops, fermentation) point directly at biological crop protection and the growing market for pesticide alternatives. The common thread across both projects is fermentation, suggesting Novagrica entered EU research through bioprocessing competence and then channelled it toward their core commercial market of agri-biological products.

Novagrica is converging on pheromone-based biological crop protection — a sector with strong regulatory tailwinds under the EU Farm to Fork strategy's pesticide reduction targets, suggesting future partnerships in biopesticide scale-up or commercialisation are a natural fit.

How they like to work

Novagrica has never coordinated an H2020 project, participating strictly as a consortium partner in both cases — consistent with a commercial SME that contributes market knowledge, end-user validation, or product distribution rather than leading R&D. Across just two projects they have engaged 14 unique partners in 11 countries, indicating participation in medium-to-large Innovation Action consortia rather than tight bilateral collaborations. Working with them likely means they bring Southern European market access and commercial translation of research outputs, not deep laboratory capacity.

Despite only two projects, Novagrica has connected with 14 distinct partners spread across 11 countries, reflecting the broad international consortia typical of Innovation Actions targeting commercial scale-up. Their network is pan-European with no apparent single-country concentration.

What sets them apart

Novagrica occupies a specific gap: a commercially-oriented Greek SME with hands-on experience in both biofermentation production and agri-biological product markets, at a moment when the EU is pushing hard to replace synthetic pesticides with biological alternatives. Very few consortium partners can simultaneously offer Southern European market access, commercial export experience in bio-based crop inputs, and demonstrated involvement in pheromone-based IPM research. For projects needing a commercial SME to validate market feasibility or handle downstream distribution in Greece and the Balkans, they are a rare and specific fit.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PHERA
  Largest funding received (€257,250) and the project that crystallises their core identity — pheromone-based mating disruption for row crops is precisely the kind of biopesticide innovation aligned with EU pesticide reduction policy and growing commercial demand.
• OLEFINE
  Their entry into EU-funded research through an oleaginous yeast platform project shows an upstream biofermentation capability that underpins their later pheromone work and hints at broader fine-chemical production interests.