en.Wedoany.com Reported - Plug and Play, a global open innovation platform, has announced the launch of the FIB3R Call4Innovation initiative. Launched by the Hera Group, this initiative targets the European innovation ecosystem and aims to find new industrial applications for recycled carbon fiber produced at the multi-utility plant in Imola.
This call for projects is open to startups, companies, research centers, universities, and design studios. The goal is to collect concrete, scalable, and technologically advanced project ideas that can transform carbon fiber recovered from industrial waste into new products and solutions for sectors such as automotive, aerospace, sports, design, and civil engineering.
The project is developed by the Herambiente Group (which owns the FIB3R plant), a leader in industrial waste recovery and treatment in Italy, in collaboration with the Hera Group's open innovation team, with operational support from Plug and Play. The platform will leverage its international ecosystem of startups and innovators to facilitate the identification of the most promising solutions.
At the heart of the initiative is the FIB3R plant in Imola, an advanced technological platform and the first facility in Europe capable of regenerating carbon fiber on an industrial scale through an innovative pyrolysis gasification process. This regeneration process maintains the high mechanical properties of the carbon fiber while significantly reducing environmental impact.
The FIB3R Call4Innovation is a further step in valorizing this material, aiming to achieve a circular economy model and new production chains. It is part of the Hera Group's strategy to promote industrial innovation and external collaboration.
Participants can submit their projects through a dedicated platform, entering a structured evaluation and selection process. The best proposals will have the opportunity to initiate concrete industrial collaborations directly with the Herambiente Group through flexible and scalable cooperation models. Selected projects will also be showcased at Ecomondo 2026, one of Europe's leading trade fairs for the green and circular economy.
Applications will be evaluated by a high-level technical committee composed of representatives from industry, academia, and associations. Committee members include Salvatore Molè, Chief Innovation Officer of the Hera Group; Andrea Ramonda, CEO of Herambiente; Professor Loris Giorgini from the University of Bologna; Carlo Della Bona, CEO of the Angeloni Group in the composites sector; and Professor Roberto Frassine from Assocompositi.
The committee will select proposals based on technical quality, level of innovation, market potential, and industrial scalability. The top three finalist projects will have the opportunity to activate a long-term commercial agreement for the supply of fiber under special conditions. Additionally, the three best projects will receive a supply of FIB3R recycled carbon fiber valued at over €40,000 (approximately $46,445.8) (1,000 kg for first place, 500 kg for second place, 250 kg for third place) and/or cash prizes according to the official website rules.
The application deadline is July 19, 2026, and submissions can be made via the online platform: https://ha.gruppohera.it/fib3r-call4innovation.
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