Matrìca: opening of the Research Centre at Porto Torres

Framework agreement signed today by Sardinia Region, the Italian National Research Council (CNR), the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari, and Matrìca. Logo unveiled and transfer of headquarters to Porto Torres confirmed.

Porto Torres, 13 February 2012 – A new Research Centre and a new logo for Matrìca, the "green chemistry" joint venture between Polimeri Europa (ENI) and Novamont, based in Porto Torres (Sassari, Italy).
The new Matrìca Research Centre was inaugurated today within the Porto Torres facility. The Centre – which currently covers 700 m2 and shortly, with the opening of the pilot plant section, will be expanded to more than 3500 m2 – will operate in close collaboration with the Novamont and Polimeri Europa research infrastructures.
Today´s inauguration is an important step forward, made possible – as stated by Daniele Ferrari, Chairman of Matrìca and CEO of Polimeri Europa – by effective partnerships with local organisations and the local area. ´At this point, after the positive outcome of the environmental impact evaluation, we are optimistically awaiting the issuing of the Integrated Environmental Authorisation, on which a planning meeting was held a few days ago by the local authorities, and the issuing of the building permits, which will enable the immediate opening of the yard for the construction of the plants envisaged in the first phase of the project´.
Catia Bastioli, CEO of both Matrìca and Novamont, illustrated the parameters of the research operations, taking account of the European strategic guidelines for the Bioeconomy, and highlighted the opportunities afforded to this part of Italy by the development of the third-generation biorefinery project. ´The partnerships with various local organisations will make it possible to gather important information on native crops, which will help with the planning of the production chain, and will also allow for the development of important synergies on the products of the Biorefinery, such as biolubricants, biofillers and bioplastics´.
Today has seen the signing of the framework agreement with the regional research system. The framework agreement, signed by the President of Sardinia Region, Ugo Cappellacci, the representative of the CNR and the Rector of the University of Cagliari, Giovanni Melis, the Rector of the University of Sassari, Attilio Mastino and Matrìca CEO, Catia Bastioli, will make it possible to exploit the potential synergies between the respective infrastructures and to make the most of the scientific and technical expertise on offer for the carrying out of research programmes.
Matrìca, in Porto Torres, also presented its new, calligraphic logo, which makes the name of the company seem as if it has been written with a free-flowing hand gesture. The shape of the ´M´ recalls the cycles of nature, whereas the final leg of the same letter forms a dynamic number one, symbolising a new beginning, the first stage of a renewed, more balanced and more self-aware pact between Man and Nature. The colour, a vibrant blue with a touch of violet, helps to differentiate the brand yet further in a sector dominated by the use of green, with an eye to the milestones of the Blue Economy.

At the opening ceremony, during which it was also confirmed that the official procedure of changing the registered offices of Matrìca to Porto Torres is now under way, included speeches by the President of Sardinia Region, Ugo Cappellacci, the President of the Province of Sassari, Alessandra Giudici, the Mayor of Sassari, Gianfranco Ganau and the Mayor of Porto Torres, Beniamino Scarpa, as well as His Eminence, Father Paolo Atzei, Archbishop of Sassari.

Matrìca Research Centre - Technical Profile
The Research Centre was designed to optimise the various phases of the production processes of the plants that will be constructed, in order to provide them with specialist analytical assistance, to support the operations associated with the development of the ´Agricultural Production Chain´ and, last but not least, to promote the development of new technologies for the full exploitation of organic raw materials.
The Research Centre is currently constituted by a 700m2 facility encompassing laboratories, offices and service areas, and by a 3,500m2 site that will, in future, play host to the pilot plants.

In its current configuration, the laboratory is split into two operational areas:

• analysis room, where all of the chemical, physical and instrumental profiling that is necessary for the management of the processes is carried out; the techniques used include chromatography, spectrophotometry and potentiometry.
• test room, where all of the preliminary tests for the pilot experiments and distillation trials (including vacuum testing) are conducted.