The “Enhancing Packaging Innovation Ecosystems for Interregional Collaboration” project, acronym EPIC, aims to build capacity in innovation ecosystems in less developed regions, enabling the opportunity for innovation actors to drive the transition towards sustainable packaging in response to environmental and regulative challenges outlined by the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

Aligned with the European Green Deal principle and the New Circular Economy Action Plan, EPIC will enable the creation of new sub-value chains in the packaging sector, aiding less developed regions in understanding market trends and feasibility for business growth. These goals will be achieved by mapping current trends, identifying innovation needs and technology requirements from end-user sectors, matching demand and supply for innovation, supporting the development of business cases for further continuation, and tuning innovation-supporting policy instruments.

The consortium coordinated by Nanoprogress (Czechia) includes 10 partners from 8 European countries representing the clusters: BalticNet-PlasmaTec (Germany), DBH InnoHub (Hungary) Clust-ER MECH (Italy), Clust-ER HEALTH (Italy), LITMEA- Smart Food Cluster (Lithuania), Bydgoszcz Industrial Cluster Tool Valley (Poland), Association Packaging Cluster (Spain), Feeling Innovation by Stanpa (Spain) and research&technology competence centre: Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (Portugal) committed to tackling the upcoming fundamental transition towards a more sustainable packaging sector.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/i3-epic/

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@I3-EPIC/

Project website in ECCP: https://profile.clustercollaboration.eu/profile/cluster-partnership-initiative/9124b6e9-60b7-480e-81cd-8f03fce1a297

Duration of the Project: 01.12.2024 – 30.11.2026

Project budget: 1 212 414,00 EUR

The project is part of the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument.