Funding Body: Campania Region

Project title: Innovation management services for the development of new business ideas in the advanced materials sector - SIM_MAT

Objective: The aim of the project is to develop advanced innovation management services, through the use of digital tools.

Funding: A cost of € 603,904 for project activities has been granted, financed with a grant of 80% for research activities (RI) and 60% for development activities (SS).

Funding Body: INVITALIA - National Agency for Inward Investment and Economic Development - Ministry of Economy.

Project title: Materias operating model

Objective: The business plan presented by Materias foresees the creation of innovative services to allow industrial companies to acquire cutting-edge technologies in the field of advanced materials in the following industrial sectors: LifeScience; Agrifood; Healthcare; Civil Engineering.

Funding: The project activities have been funded with 1,089,000, of which 80% in the form of a financial contribution and Euro 153,000 as a grant.

Funding Body: Campania Region

Project title: MINETRA-Microneedle devices for transdermal administration of molecules

Objective: The objective of the project concerns the development of a process to produce microneedles for the controlled administration of drugs, compatible with the active ingredients with which the microneedles themselves must be loaded. The materials intended to be used are biocompatible and biodegradable, pure or in appropriate mixtures, to avoid the release of toxic products for the health of the people who will use these devices. The process to be developed will allow the low-cost industrial production of patches with microneedles based on polymers or hybrid polymeric blends thanks to “Very Large-Scale Integration” methods.

Funding: The project activities have been funded with Euro 426,609.60 of which 65% in the form of a grant (Euro 277,296.24).

Funding Body: Campania Region

Project title: RARE.PLAT.NET - Diagnostic and therapeutic innovations for neuroendocrine, endocrine, and glioblastoma tumors through an integrated technological platform of clinical, genomic, ICT, pharmacological and pharmaceutical skills

Objective: The objective of the project, as regards the role of Materias, is the design and production of biodegradable NPs coated with HA for the intracellular targeting of chemotherapeutic agents. In particular, a new strategy is proposed for the self-assembly of HA on NPs based on poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) and containing chemotherapeutic drugs.

Funding: € 450,000 has been granted for the project activities, of which € 315,000 was non-repayable.

Partners: Neatec s.p.a., CA.Re.BioS "Campus Regi Biologia" s.r.l., Laboratorio Cesare Pandolfi & c Sas, S.D.N. S.p.A., Softlab S.p.A., Sync Lab S.r.l., Technova S.C.A.R.L., eHealthNet s.c.a.r.l., Genomix4Life S.r.l., Institute for Endocrinology and Experimental Oncology (IEOS) of the National Research Council (CNR), University of Salerno, San Raffaele Telematic University , University of Naples Federico II, Institute of Computing and High Performance Networks (ICAR) of the National Research Council (CNR).

Funding Body: Campania Region

Project title: PERSIA - Innovative packaging based on antimicrobial peptides for food safety

Objective: The objective of the project is the design of specific peptide sequences, potentially usable to increase microbiological safety in the context of food preservation. This process will take place through the functionalization of materials suitable for food packaging, through techniques of immobilization of peptide sequences, to promote a prolonged shelf life and an improvement of the microbiological safety and properties of the packaging as well as to preserve the organoleptic and nutritional values ​​of the food. In particular, the knowledge of bacterial adhesion mechanisms to surfaces and biofilm formation will allow the design and implementation of effective and easily transferable solutions to production plants.

Funding: The project has been funded with 1,079,000, in particular Materias has been granted for the activities with 215,700, of which Euro 150,000 non-repayable.

Partners: Materias is the leader of the consortium formed by ICIMEN2 S.p.a., SELEPACK s.r.l., 4. National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources - (IBBR) and Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM), University of Naples, Department of Veterinary and Food Production.

Funding Body: Campania Region

Project title: Peptidi antimicrobici

Description: Materias Srl carries out its activity of enhancement of innovative technologies in the advanced materials sector making use of the know-how and technical-scientific and managerial skills of its founders and its Key Persons in the field of academic networking in the private and public research system. Among the research lines that have been exploited, one of the most interesting is that relating to antibacterial peptides. In fact, starting from bovine cathelicidins, a specific peptide sequence has been designed and patented, very stable in wide ranges of pH and temperatures, which has a strong antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity. The action of peptides, both in solution and covalently linked to supports, was verified with bactericidal activity analysis and inhibition of biofilm formation test against Gram– and Gram + bacteria. The results obtained support the production of "ad hoc" functionalized materials for applications in various industrial sectors with reference to medical devices with antibacterial properties, antimicrobial packaging to improve the shelf life and conservation of food and spray solutions for the sanitization of industrial equipment in the agri-food sector.

Objectives: The project is focused on identifying potential investors (corporate or financial) interested in the technology related to antimicrobial peptides to increase food safety, in countries such as Canada and the United States, which are very sensitive to the issue of food preservation and safety of the consumer. Opening up to foreign markets and internationalization is one of the key elements of Materias Srl's business activity.

Results: The Materias Srl Internationalization Program provided for:

• realization of a Marketing Plan for internationalization;
• identification of potential North American partners;
• the expansion of the presence of Materias Srl on new foreign markets;
• use of a temporary office of Materias Srl in Canada;
• bilateral meetings with foreign operators;
• realization of an Italy-Québec webinar on the scientific evolutions and industrial applications of the antimicrobial peptide.

Funding: For the project activities € 100,767 has been granted for the project activities, of which 70% in the form of a grant (€ 70,536.9).

Funding Body: Puglia Sviluppo

Project title: Materias

Objective: The Program has three objectives:
i) carry out scouting of science-based technologies with a high level of innovation present in the Puglia Region;
ii) design and implement an innovative ICT platform in which to converge the database of technologies identified and analyzed by Materias;
iii) launch an acceleration program for at least 1 initiative in human health and environmental sector.

Financing: a cost of € 125,000 has been granted for project activities (of which € 100,000 for operating costs, € 22,000 for intangible assets and € 3,000 for equipment). Puglia Sviluppo grants the following non-repayable grant of Euro 110,000, of which Euro 10,000 for investment costs and Euro 80,000 for management costs.

Funding Body: Campania Region

Project title: AdVantGuard – Advanced Guard

Objective: The objective of the project concerns the introduction of new impact protection devices in sports, such as helmets and bumpers (shin guards and shoulder pads), obtained through the gradient foaming technology patented by Materias.

Funding: For the project activities a sum of € 239,605.05 has been granted for the project activities, of which 70% in the form of a grant (€ 167,723.54).

Funding Body: INVITALIA - National Agency for Inward Investment and Economic Development - Ministry of Economy.

Project title: IN SITU GELIFYING POWDER

Objective: The objective of the project is the enhancement of intellectual property relating to the gelling powder technology for wound healing.

Funding: € 67,200 has been granted for the project activities, financed with the non-repayable fund (100%).