“Biomaterials Innovation Challenge” is promoted by the CINDE Biomaterials Hub, PROCOMER and the CRUSA Foundation. The initiative seeks 4 SMEs that will receive up to US$15,000 to develop solutions to the challenges posed.
CINDE, through the Biomaterials Hub, PROCOMER and the CRUSA Foundation, announce the call for SMEs and “Start-Ups” with a sustainable approach to be part of the “Biomaterials Innovation Challenge”. Registration will be open until May 17th, in order to identify micro, small and medium-sized companies that can develop solutions, linked to the circular bioeconomy and biopackaging, to meet the needs of four exporting and multinational companies operating in the country.
The objective of this innovation challenge is for more SMEs and “Start-Ups” to enter global value chains of exporting companies in the industrial sector, promoting productive chains and talent in Costa Rica. This will be done through solutions that seek both the use of biological waste from agricultural activities and the use of biomaterials.
Participating companies must propose a solution for one of the following 4 challenges posed by the “driving companies”:
Grupo Vargas- It has the challenge of finding a new material based on waste generated by agricultural activities that take place in Costa Rica (pineapple, banana, coffee, citrus, among others), which must be used in multipackaging solutions for different SKUs involving glass bottles ranging from 285ml to 355ml and aluminum cans ranging from 250ml to 350ml.
Coloplast- Looking for a solution that allows you to separate an adhesive from a plastic waste obtained from the production process of ostomy bags and thus obtaining a responsible value proposition with the environment that allows the separated material to be used.
CoopeTarrazú- In the search to revalue the coffee waste generated during its production process, it needs to create sustainable packaging with the environment for the presentation, both in beans and ground, of its products.
Videndum- It needs to replace the packaging you currently use for your filming equipment with a biodegradable one. The multinational hopes to find a new material based on paper pulp or waste generated from agricultural biomass from activities carried out in Costa Rica.
For 9 months, each of the participating companies will develop their solution with constant monitoring from the approach and development of the solution to the successful resolution of the challenge posed. Vanessa Gibson, Director of Investment Climate at CINDE highlighted the importance of this contest to promote the productive chain, and connect Costa Rican innovations with market requirements. “With this initiative, we seek to provide SMEs with technical advice and support from large companies in the industrial sector and in this way, we hope to strengthen the position of Costa Rica as the bio-business hub in Latin America. In addition, the challenge has the support of IDB Lab who will contribute, through the Biomaterials Hub, a non-reimbursable US$15,000 for the winning organizations to develop the solution”, explained Gibson.
For his part, Pedro Beirute Prada, General Manager of PROCOMER, added that sustainability and innovation are part of the work that the promoter has been developing for more than 5 years, through productive reconversion programs and training for exporting SMEs or those that have added to the value chains of our country. “It is increasingly common for international buyers to demand innovative products and services with a high sustainability component, which is why the Promoter has already worked with more than 500 SMEs in the agricultural, food, specialized industry and services sectors in reconversion productive, always oriented towards sustainability. And in this effort, other institutions have joined as strategic allies, in matters of financing, provision of seed capital and high-value productive chains, so that more companies expand their knowledge, innovate with sustainability and, in this way, can enter the chains. global value; just as we hope the companies that decide to take on these biopackaging challenges launched today by leading companies will do”,Beirute added.
“At Fundación CRUSA we promote innovation opportunities through the generation and application of new ideas, technologies, processes, products, services and/or forms of participation, in order to promote the development of companies and organizations in Costa Rica”, said Flora Montealegre, Executive Director of the CRUSA Foundation. The companies interested in participating must submit the application of their solution following the guidelines and criteria previously defined by the organizing committee in charge of the challenge. As well as complying with a series of requirements, among which are:
• Be a micro, small or medium-sized company, with up to 100 workers.
• Be duly registered in the National Registry as a natural or legal person and be registered and up to date with their tax obligations before the Ministry of Finance.
• Be registered, active and up to date with the worker-employer obligations of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
• Have at least 1 year of experience in carrying out innovation projects related/relevant to the selected innovation challenge.
• Have a work team made up of at least 1 person specialized in the subject of the selected challenge and at least one person for project assistance tasks.
Call process
SMEs can register on the PROCOMER website from April 17th to May 17th, 2023. Once the period for receiving applications is closed, CINDE, PROCOMER, and Fundación CRUSA will evaluate each of the proposals and announce the selected projects on June 6th.
For more information about the Innovation Challenge, requirements and application, you can visit the website: https://capitalsemillaprocomer.charly.io/auth/sign_in In case of questions, you can contact [email protected]
