PARTICULA GROUP DRUSTVO S OGRANICENOM ODGOVORNOSCU ZA ISTRAZIVANJE RAZVOJ I PROIZVODNJU

Their core work

Particula Group is a Croatian R&D SME specializing in circular economy solutions, bio-based materials, and waste valorization. They contribute to demonstration and innovation projects that convert waste streams — from fruit and vegetable residues to multilayer packaging and electronic equipment — into valuable products like biofertilizers, bionanocomposites, and recycled polymers. Their work spans the full chain from bio-based product development to industrial symbiosis and market activation, often bridging the gap between laboratory research and pilot-scale demonstration.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2018, Particula Group entered H2020 with diverse exploratory interests: microalgae biotechnology (AlgaeCeuticals), electronics circular economy (C-SERVEES), water treatment and industrial symbiosis (Project O), and bio-based market bridging (BIOBRIDGES). By 2021, their portfolio sharpened dramatically toward material recycling and waste-to-value chains — biofertilizers from fruit waste (RUSTICA), multilayer packaging recycling (MERLIN), and bio-based polymer nanocomposites (BIONANOPOLYS). The trajectory shows a company that tested multiple circular economy niches early on and then consolidated around waste stream valorization and advanced recycling as its core identity.

Moving toward industrial-scale waste-to-product demonstration, particularly in packaging recycling and agricultural waste conversion — expect them to seek projects in plastic circularity and bio-based material scale-up.

How they like to work

Particula Group operates exclusively as a consortium participant, never leading projects, which suggests they bring specialized technical or coordination support rather than driving research agendas. With 134 unique partners across 27 countries from just 8 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia — typical of Innovation Actions and demonstration projects. This makes them an adaptable, low-friction partner comfortable integrating into large international teams without territorial overlap.

Remarkably broad network for an SME: 134 unique consortium partners spanning 27 countries built through 8 projects. Their partnerships are pan-European with no obvious geographic concentration, reflecting the diverse, large-consortium Innovation Actions they favour.

What sets them apart

For a small Croatian SME, Particula Group has an unusually wide cross-sector reach — spanning food waste, packaging, textiles, electronics, and energy in a single portfolio. This breadth makes them a valuable connector in multi-sector circular economy consortia where waste from one industry becomes feedstock for another. Their Rijeka base also offers a cost-effective Southern European demonstration site for pilot activities.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BIONANOPOLYS
  Their largest single grant (EUR 219,782), developing an open innovation test bed for nano-enabled bio-based materials across packaging, textile, and automotive sectors.
• MERLIN
  Addresses the high-impact challenge of multilayer packaging recycling through chemical recycling and delamination — a growing regulatory priority in EU waste policy.
• RUSTICA
  Demonstrates circular biofertiliser production from fruit and vegetable waste, bridging their food/agriculture and environment expertise into a single applied project.