TwInn4MicroUp Showcases Plastic Upcycling Innovation at the GreenTech Challenge
The Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis Group of NTUA participated in this year’s GreenTech Challenge, the leading national programme promoting green innovation in Greece. Organized under the scientific supervision of the UNESCO Chair on Green Innovation and Circular Economy, the GreenTech Challenge brings together universities, start-ups, researchers, and companies to address environmental challenges with cutting-edge technologies.
During a dedicated thematic session, our research team presented the global issue of plastic pollution and the innovative biotechnological solutions being developed at NTUA. Dr. Stratos Nikolaivits introduced the team’s work on plastic biorefineries, focusing on enzymatic depolymerization and microbial valorization strategies currently being advanced within our EU-funded project TwInn4MicroUp – Twinning Innovation Hub for microbial platforms in plastic upcycling.
The presentation highlighted how TwInn4MicroUp is building scientific capacity and promoting new technological pathways for transforming plastic waste into valuable products through biotechnology. These approaches contribute directly to Europe’s transition toward a circular and climate-neutral economy.
In the same session, Prof. A. Tsakanikas from the Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics emphasized the importance of strong connections between academia and industry for effective technology transfer. He underlined that sustainable innovation requires collaboration across scientific, economic, and industrial domains to ensure that research results can be translated into real-world applications.
Our participation in the GreenTech Challenge strengthened TwInn4MicroUp’s engagement with Greece’s innovation ecosystem, offering opportunities for new collaborations and enhancing public awareness of microbial plastic upcycling technologies.
TwInn4MicroUp remains committed to advancing biotechnology-driven solutions for plastic circularity and to supporting the partnerships necessary to bring these innovations closer to society and industry.
