Aimplas, Technological Institute of Plastic, held on July 12 the opening ceremony of new facilities with which it has expanded its infrastructure in the Valencia Technology Park and which was attended by the Minister of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Commerce and Labor, rafael climent, the mayor of Paterna, John Anthony Sagredo, as well as other authorities and representatives of the business world.
The new facilities, financed by the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) with 2,47 million euros, will allow the technology center to respond to the growing demand from society and companies for solutions for promote the circular economy through R&D&i. Specifically, 2200 square meters have been inaugurated for pilot plants, laboratories and work spaces conceived from the outset with environmental sustainability criteria and which has become the first Spanish R&D building to have the BREEAM certificate.
This new facility has a pilot plant for chemical processes of polymer synthesis and also to investigate the use of CO2 as a raw material of renewable origin, as well as for the development of new chemical recycling processes and research for the medical sector. This collaboration with the Ministry of Sustainable Economy through IVACE has been key to advancing and consolidating the innovation model that both entities are committed to.
As explained by the president of Aimplas, Jose Luis Yusa, "thanks to our activity and the commitment and financial support of these entities that share our vision, we have fulfilled our purpose: to support companies so that they are the ones that bring this innovation to the market and are capable of offering products that improve people's quality of life and are respectful of the environment. Only in the last year, the companies that have participated with Aimplas in R&D projects, obtained financing of more than €55M for their innovation activities».
The impact on companies and society of the technology center is reflected, as Yusá has assured, in its sustainability report «in which the return generated by the activity of Aimplas is quantified at 13,7 euros for each euro invested. This calculation includes, in addition to the 250 R&D projects carried out each year at the regional, national and European levels, the more than 5600 laboratory services carried out and the more than 4200 hours of training in which they have participated. more than 4700 professionals from a thousand companies».
Reference in the recycling sector
Today's act also saw the inauguration of one of the technological institute's warehouses, which has been completely restructured and divided into three different spaces: a pilot recycling plant, state-of-the-art automated warehouses and a space for generating R&D&i ideas. The ground floor of the warehouse has been conditioned as a pilot plant for the development of activities related to mechanical recycling processes (shredding, washing, separation, classification...). This is an installation that will help to consolidate the Valencian Community as a reference in the plastics recycling sector.
In this regard, the director of Aimplas, José Antonio Costa, has highlighted how the promotion of the circular economy is generating "abundant European, national and regional regulations and regulations that affect products made with plastic materials". According to Costa, this new model aims to "leave behind the throwaway paradigm, to move to another in which resources are used efficiently and in which waste is converted back into resources in a closed and infinite loop" . «A model to which plastics fit perfectly due to their properties», he indicated.
Finally, the people who have attended the inauguration, both in person and remotely via streaming, have been able to visit the expansion of the facilities and learn about the results of the R&D&i lines developed by Aimplas to respond to the challenge of climate change and aligned with the challenge of the circular economy.
All of the new facilities have been interconnected by a footbridge with a peculiar and characteristic design that reproduces the hexagonal structure of a polymer. It is a metal structure that has a microperforated PVC membrane coating that has already become an iconic element of the Technology Park.
