The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) has published the results for Phase 2 of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument, the EU research and innovation programme that supports companies in developing new products and services for the market.
Out of 1,534 proposals submitted by European companies, 66 were selected for funding, with only three Italian beneficiaries.
Among the latter is ICMA San Giorgio, a company based in San Giorgio su Legnano and a member of Confindustria Alto Milanese, which has been awarded nearly €1.7 million in funding to implement the 'Ecosheet Pro' project.
The company, one of the leading manufacturers of co-rotating twin-screw extruders and extrusion lines for plastics, has developed a highly innovative and sustainable concept to produce an alternative material to plywood from recycled post-consumer plastic, with applications in various industrial sectors, starting with construction.
The grant will enable the company to develop this technology in collaboration with its project partner, a British firm already active in this field, with the aim of establishing these results internationally. The company will also benefit from 12 days of business coaching.
The final step will be Phase III, which will support the product's market entry and facilitate growth funding by easing access to capital markets.
This achievement was also made possible thanks to the support of the Sportello Europa, organised by Confindustria Lombardia and Confindustria Alto Milanese as part of the activities of the Enterprise Europe Network, of which Confindustria Lombardia is a member through the Simpler consortium.
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