Imagine you run a factory that processes powders, minerals, or ceramics — bulky equipment, slow batch steps, and a lot of wasted energy. IbD built a digital design platform that helps engineers rethink and compress those clunky production lines into smaller, faster, continuous systems. Think of it like going from a massive desktop computer to a laptop that does the same job — but for chemical reactors and industrial mixers. They tested it across 5 real industries including mining, ceramics, and pharmaceuticals.
By the numbers
5
Industrial case studies validated (mining, ceramics, pharma, non-ferrous metals, chemicals)
25
Partners in consortium
8
Countries represented
12
Industry partners involved
7
SMEs in the consortium
15
Total project deliverables
The business problem
What needed solving
Factories processing solid materials — powders, minerals, ceramics, pharmaceutical compounds — rely on oversized, energy-hungry batch equipment that is slow to adapt and expensive to run. Redesigning these processes into compact, continuous systems requires specialized engineering expertise and validated reactor designs that most companies cannot develop in-house. The result is lost competitiveness: higher costs, slower production cycles, and larger environmental footprints than necessary.
The solution
What was built
The project delivered an ICT design platform for process intensification, with ready-made modules for rotating fluidized beds, micro-structured reactors, and spinning disk reactors, plus a generic Module Builder for custom designs. It also produced industrial prototype demonstrators for each of the 5 case studies (mining, ceramics, pharmaceutical, non-ferrous metals, chemicals), along with fouling remediation strategies and optimized process designs with economic and environmental impact projections — totaling 15 deliverables.
Audience
Who needs this
Ceramics producers modernizing from batch to continuous productionPharmaceutical manufacturers scaling up solid drug formulationsMining companies seeking to intensify mineral processingChemical companies processing powders or solid intermediatesNon-ferrous metals processors looking to reduce equipment footprint
Business applications
Who can put this to work
Ceramics Manufacturing
mid-size
Target: Ceramics producers looking to modernize batch production lines
If you are a ceramics manufacturer dealing with slow batch processing, high energy costs, and inconsistent product quality — this project developed a design platform with intensified reactor modules that can help you redesign production into a continuous, compact process. The platform was validated through an industrial case study specifically in ceramics, with a working prototype demonstrator.
Pharmaceutical Production
enterprise
Target: Pharma companies processing solid drug formulations
If you are a pharmaceutical company struggling with scaling up solid-handling processes like milling, mixing, or crystallization — this project built design tools for intensified reactors (micro-structured reactors, spinning disks) that handle solids continuously. One of the 5 industrial case studies focused specifically on pharmaceutical processes, producing a prototype demonstrator.
Mining & Minerals Processing
enterprise
Target: Mining companies and mineral processors seeking efficiency gains
If you are a mining or minerals company dealing with oversized equipment, high throughput variability, and fouling problems — this project created intensified process designs with built-in fouling remediation strategies. The mining sector was one of 5 validated case studies, and the platform delivers ready-to-build reactor designs with expected economic and environmental impact data.
Frequently asked
Quick answers
What would it cost to implement this in my plant?+
The project data does not include specific licensing or implementation costs. The platform produces ready-to-build reactor designs with expected economic impact estimates, so you would get cost projections as part of the design output. Contact the consortium coordinator to discuss pricing for access to the IbD platform.
Can this work at full industrial scale?+
The project ran 5 industrial case studies across mining, ceramics, pharmaceutical, non-ferrous metals, and chemical processes, each producing a prototype demonstrator. As an Innovation Action with 12 industry partners, the designs target industrial implementation, though scaling from prototype to full production would require further engineering.
What about intellectual property and licensing?+
The IbD® name is a registered trademark. The platform includes both proprietary and third-party design tools. IP arrangements would need to be discussed with the coordinator IRIS Technology Solutions (Spain). With 25 partners across 8 countries, licensing terms likely vary by module.
Which reactor types does the platform support?+
The platform includes design modules for rotating fluidized beds, micro-structured reactors, and spinning disk reactors. It also has a generic Module Builder for custom reactor designs. All modules include upstream and downstream unit operations with solids handling capability.
How long would implementation take?+
The project ran for 3 years (2015-2018) to develop and validate the platform across 5 case studies. Based on available project data, the platform outputs a complete data set including reactor design ready to be built or assembled, plus optimized whole-process design — which should significantly compress the typical redesign timeline.
Does this address regulatory compliance?+
The platform incorporates risk management methodologies in design and development, which supports regulatory documentation. For pharmaceuticals specifically, the continuous processing approach aligns with current regulatory trends toward continuous manufacturing. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications were not detailed.
Consortium
Who built it
The IbD consortium is unusually strong for industrial adoption: 25 partners across 8 countries with 12 industry players (48% of the consortium) and 7 SMEs. This near-equal split between industry and research means the technology was developed with real manufacturing constraints in mind, not just lab conditions. The coordinator is IRIS Technology Solutions, a Spanish SME specializing in technology solutions, which suggests a commercially minded project lead. The spread across CH, DE, ES, FI, IT, NL, NO, and UK gives broad European market access. With 6 universities and 6 research organizations providing the scientific backbone, and industry partners pulling the results toward practical deployment, this consortium was built for technology transfer.
IRIS Technology Solutions, S.L. (Spain) — an SME specializing in technology solutions. Search for their team contacts via the project website or LinkedIn.
Want to explore whether IbD's process intensification platform fits your production line? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction to the right consortium partner for your sector.
