ROMEI SRL

Their core work

ROMEI SRL is an Italian SME specializing in sustainable packaging materials, bio-based coatings, and circular economy solutions for packaging and textiles. Their core work sits at the intersection of material science and industrial application: developing bioplastic coatings, barrier films, and multilayer packaging systems that are both functional and designed for end-of-life recovery. They bring industrial manufacturing know-how to research consortia, bridging the gap between laboratory-scale biomaterial development and real-world packaging performance requirements. Their participation in consecutive EU projects on bio-based packaging indicates a company actively building technical depth in the transition from fossil-based to bio-derived materials.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ROMEI's H2020 trajectory shows a focused deepening rather than a pivot. Their first project (BIOnTop, 2019) established the foundation: PLA-based bioplastics, barrier coatings, biodegradation pathways, and end-of-life concepts covering food, textile, and personal care markets. Their second project (PRESERVE, 2021) built directly on this base but pushed into greater material complexity — multilayer structures, rigid packaging formats, microfiber reinforcement, and more advanced processing routes like electron beam curing and enzymatic upcycling. The shift from "biodegradation and composting" toward "upcycling and secondary use" also signals a strategic alignment with circular bioeconomy thinking beyond simple disposal.

ROMEI is moving toward higher-performance bio-based packaging systems that combine multiple materials and processing technologies, positioning them as a practical industrial partner for projects where bioplastics must compete directly with conventional packaging on performance metrics.

How they like to work

ROMEI participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for industrial SMEs that contribute manufacturing or application expertise rather than project management. Their two projects involved large RIA consortia (evidenced by 43 unique partners across 12 countries from only 2 projects), suggesting they are comfortable operating within complex multi-partner structures. This profile — specialist industrial contributor embedded in large research consortia — means they are likely valued for translating material research into processable, manufacturable formats rather than for leading scientific direction.

Despite only two projects, ROMEI has built a surprisingly broad network of 43 unique consortium partners spanning 12 countries, suggesting their two projects were large, well-connected RIA consortia rather than small bilateral collaborations. No repeated partner patterns can be confirmed with this dataset, but their European reach covers a meaningful share of the EU research landscape for sustainable packaging.

What sets them apart

ROMEI occupies a specific and increasingly valuable niche: they are an industrial SME that understands both the material science of bioplastics and the practical manufacturing constraints of packaging production. This makes them rare in EU research consortia, where academic labs often lack the industrial grounding to assess whether a bio-based coating is actually processable at scale. For a consortium building around sustainable packaging, ROMEI provides the industrial credibility that funding agencies and industry reviewers look for.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PRESERVE
  Their largest project by funding (€375K), covering the most technically advanced scope — multilayer bio-based packaging with electron beam processing and enzyme-enabled upcycling — making it the clearest signal of ROMEI's current capabilities.
• BIOnTop
  Their entry into H2020 research, notable for its cross-sector scope spanning food packaging, textiles, and personal care within a single bioplastic coating platform, establishing ROMEI's versatility across end markets.