Agreement between Bio-on and Innova Imagen for the production of Bioplastic in Mexico

• Bio-on and Innova Imagen (Himes Group) announce the signing of a new agreement to produce ultra-green PHA biopolymers in Mexico
• The two companies start the first collaboration in the central / north America, to exploit the Bio-on technologies for the industrial production of PHA bioplastics valorizing different local feedstock
• In the coming months Bio-on will work in exclusive with Innova Imagen to bring natural and biodegradable bioplastics for many market sectors into Mexico, with particular attention to the textile and fashion industry

Bologna (Italy) – Monterrey (Mexico), 19th February 2019 – Bio-on, listed on the AIM segment of the Italian Stock Market - Borsa Italiana and operating in the sector of high quality bioplastic, and Innova Imagen, a company of the Himes Group, with operations in the textile sector in Mexico and the United States with particular attention to eco-sustainable innovation, announce to have signed an exclusive agreement to design the realization of the first plant in Mexico for the production of 100% natural and biodegradable bioplastic, obtained from agro-industrial residues and by-products.

The agreement grants to Innova Imagen the exclusive right to realise on the field the development of the investment and evaluate the business initiative regarding the use of the Bio-on technologies in Mexico for a period of 18 months. To Bio-on this is an agreement worth half a million euros, the first of its kind in Central-North American region and confirms the success of the business model based on the licensing of one of the most innovative technologies in the world in the sector of biopolymers.

The collaborative initiative will begin in the next weeks with the use of different feedstock largely available in Mexico, including wastes from the agave processing, in order to implement an engineering project of an industrial plant for the production of PHA bioplastics with different possible scenarios which combine different raw materials to be valorized and numerous market segments to be satisfied.

«The technology developed and demonstrated at industrial level by Bio-On is promising in the face of the global problem of contamination by plastics and its consequences on human health – declares Rogelio Himes, Co-Founder and CSO of Innova Imagen – and the possible development of PHAs applications for textile and fashion industry particularly attracted our interest, because they have the potential to replace synthetic fibers such as polyester, one of the largest sources of pollution of our oceans caused by microfiber shredding when the clothes are washed and become in contact with our ecosystems and remain for centuries just as many of the existing plastics».

The tasks related to the engineering and business plan will be implemented by both teams while the ENG (Engineering) e RAF (Recovery And Fermentation) Bio-on units will work in the development and improvements of synergies and interconnections between the future PHA plant and other production sites available in the geographical area to be identified. The market approach will be elaborated taking into account three important and increasingly evident drivers, also in the central and north American markets: the constantly and strongly rising consumers’ demand for eco-sustainable products, the brand-owners’ commercial strategies and the emerging worldwide regulations that ban the traditional plastics and push toward bio-based and biodegradable materials.

«The PHA revolution is already a reality – underlines Marco Astorri, President and CEO of Bio-on – and those who really want implement radically green technologies and shift towards a really sustainable production systems have no more excuses. Himes Group, particularly sensible about the environment protection and concerned by bad human habits in plastic consumption, made the right choice and Bio-on team really looks forward to starting this new collaboration in Latin America in order to satisfy the fast-growing market of PHA bioplastics».

All bioplastics developed by Bio-on (PHAs or polyhydroxyalkanoates and PHBs or polyhydroxybutyrate) are obtained from renewable plant and lipid sources without any competition with food supply chains. In most cases, they guarantee the same thermo-mechanical properties of conventional plastics with the advantage of being completely eco-sustainable and 100% naturally biodegradable in natural way. In addition, they offer application possibilities, even completely unpublished, in sectors where traditional plastics are not used.

Press Information
Bio-on: Simona Vecchies +393351245190 – press@bio-on.it – twitter @BioOnBioplastic

Innova Imagen

Innova Imagen, a company of the Himes Group is a Mexican private company with more than 15 years of operations of manufacturing and merchandising in the clothing industry. The Himes Group has become a promoter of sustainable and environmentally friendly enterprises, aimed to contribute to the culture change needed to cope environmental issues affecting our planet. Himes LLC is a US based company dedicated to develop and distribute clothing elaborated from sustainable materials. (www.himeswear.com)

Bio-on S.p.A.

Bio-on S.p.A., an Italian Intellectual Property Company (IPC), operates in the bioplastic sector conducting applied research and development of modern bio-fermentation technologies in the field of eco-sustainable and completely naturally biodegradable materials. In particular, Bio-On develops industrial applications through the creation of product characterisations, components and plastic items. Since February 2015, Bio-on S.p.A. has also been operating in the development of natural and sustainable chemicals for the future. Bio-On has developed an exclusive process for the production of a family of polymers called PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) from agricultural waste (including molasses and sugar cane and sugar beet syrups). The bioplastic produced in this way is able to replace the main families of traditional plastics in terms of performance, thermo-mechanical properties and versatility. Bio-on PHAs is a bioplastic that can be classified as 100% natural and completely biodegradable: this has been certified by Vincotte and by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). The Issuer's strategy envisages the marketing of licenses for PHAs production and related ancillary services, the development of R&D (also through new collaborations with universities, research centres and industrial partners), as well as the realisation of industrial plants designed by Bio-on.

Attachment

• CS_78_BIO-ON_HIMES_19_02_2019_ENG