Projects

PISA: Harnessing HPC, Granarolo’s Bio-Driven RevolutIon for Sustainable Packaging

Developing sustainable packaging with HPC

Funding: ICSC Innovation Funds

Enabling technology: Advanced Modeling and Simulation, High Performance Computing

Sustainable Development Goals

This project aims to innovate dairy product packaging through the creation of bio-based plastics, which will make materials more sustainable and easily recyclable. To achieve this goal, this proposal will strategically combine a diverse range of HPC-based modeling techniques. This holistic strategy will facilitate the selection of innovative and sustainable solutions for food packaging.

National Centre for HPC, Big Data and Quantum Computing (ICSC), a project funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU – and by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) – Mission 4, Component 2.

Objectives

Starting from the needs identified by Legacoop and Granarolo, the project’s objective is to implement sustainable production and consumption models in the medium and long term. This involves reducing the use of fossil-based plastic materials and adopting alternative materials, while also minimizing the CO2 emissions associated with the product’s entire life cycle. The new materials must be suitable and possess characteristics such as a guarantee of long-term shelf life, scalability to mass production, assurance of food safety, and preservation of the organoleptic qualities of food.

Initial challenge

The project stems from the need to adapt packaging materials for the dairy sector to the new European regulations governing environmental impacts. The entire industry, therefore, aims to adopt recyclable and recycled packaging materials by exploring alternative materials.

Solution

The project aims to develop eco-conscious polymers that have optimal characteristics, including minimal permeability to aromas and contaminants, and economically sustainable production. Workflow simulations, made possible by supercomputing facilities, will allow for precise prediction of bioplastic properties, prioritizing biodegradable or recycled options.

Benefits

The project will implement new materials and better solutions for agro-food industries, supply chains, and packaging industries: the new option will lead to longer shelf life for dairy products and a more circular economy, thanks to materials created from sustainable sources. Additionally, it will accelerate the discovery of new materials, replacing materials that are currently harmful to the environment or food products.

IFAB’s role

IFAB participated in the project in the role of facilitator, working to create favorable conditions for its implementation. IFAB’s contribution was realized by activating connections between complementary stakeholders, opening channels for access to expertise and resources, and building the relational and operational context within which the project could take shape and develop.