Last week, the MoeBIOS M24 consortium meeting Barcelona brought together 21 partners from six European countries. Two years in. One city. Researchers, industry partners, waste managers and brand owners gathered at DFactory Barcelona to review progress and plan the next six months.
Two days, three value chains, one shared direction
The agenda centred on the three recycling value chains at the heart of MoeBIOS: packaging, agriculture and textiles. On the first day, the consortium split into working groups. Each group went deep into technical progress for their stream – covering sorting methods, recycling process updates, pre-treatment steps and demonstrator progress. These are the conversations that happen when the right people are finally in the same room.
The second day brought everyone back together. Work Package 5 shared the latest advances in sustainability, safety and cost assessment. Moreover, Work Package 4 covered how the circular value chains connect across sectors. In addition, Work Package 6 presented dissemination progress and exploitation updates – including the outreach work that helps bring this research to a wider audience.
To close, the consortium aligned on the main priorities for the next six months. Each work package identified its key actions before the Month 30 checkpoint.
Leaving the meeting room: a visit to LEITAT
One of the highlights of the two days was a visit to the LEITAT facilities in Terrassa. It served as a reminder of why in-person meetings exist.
Who is LEITAT?
LEITAT – officially Acondicionamiento Tarrasense Association – is a private research and technology centre established in 1906. With more than 110 years of experience in R&D and technology transfer, LEITAT brings applied research to clients across chemistry, energy, environment, materials, engineering and life sciences. Furthermore, the centre works across materials science, surface treatments, renewable energies, advanced manufacturing, robotics and biotechnologies. In short, LEITAT turns scientific challenges into practical industrial solutions.
LEITAT’s role in MoeBIOS
Within MoeBIOS, LEITAT is one of the most active partners. Specifically, their core work sits in Work Package 1, where they lead the development of improved sorting and separation systems for bioplastic waste streams.
In practice, this means LEITAT studies how robotic grippers interact with bioplastic materials on conveyor belts. They also develop the tracking and picking systems that allow automated equipment to handle plastic items of unknown shapes at speed. This includes building picking algorithms, testing different gripper designs for soft and flexible objects, and setting up the calibration between robotic systems and conveyor infrastructure.
As the project moves into its final phases, LEITAT will additionally contribute to integrating these sorting solutions into real waste management plants. They will provide a database of bioplastic material signatures captured through near-infrared imaging, covering packaging, textile and agricultural waste streams.
Walking through the lab gave the whole consortium a clearer picture of what sits behind the technical reports. Seeing the equipment, the test setups and the researchers in person brought the work to life.
Seeing the technology run: a visit to the PICVISA Test Center
After the morning sessions, the full consortium travelled to the PICVISA Test Center in Calaf – about 90 kilometres from Barcelona. For many partners, this was the moment they had been most looking forward to.
Who is PICVISA?
PICVISA is a technology company focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions for waste sorting and recycling. Their core strength is building systems that automate the classification of waste materials – including plastics, paper, metals, glass and textiles. By combining AI with optical recognition tools, PICVISA helps recycling facilities sort materials faster and more accurately.
Founded in 2003, PICVISA designs and builds selection and classification equipment based on their own software. Today, their product range covers optical sorting, robotics, artificial intelligence and deep learning. As a result, they serve clients across Spain, Portugal and several international markets.
PICVISA’s role in MoeBIOS
PICVISA focuses almost all of their project effort on Work Package 1. Their Test Center in Calaf is where the sorting technology gets tested under real conditions.
In concrete terms, the sorting methods and algorithms developed together with LEITAT are validated at PICVISA’s facility. The Test Center runs a small to medium-scale production line, set up to replicate the different waste scenarios from the three MoeBIOS sectors. In addition, PICVISA leads the upscaling studies on their pilot line and contributes to the economic analysis of bringing these sorting technologies into commercial use.
Visiting the Test Center gave the consortium something no slide deck can provide. Partners saw the AI-powered vision system identifying bioplastic materials on a moving conveyor. They watched the separation mechanisms respond in real time. For those working upstream — on material chemistry, recycling processes or consumer research – it was a concrete anchor for everything the project is working toward.
What Month 24 means for MoeBIOS
Halfway through its four-year duration, MoeBIOS is no longer in its early stages. The technical work now produces real results. The value chains are taking shape. Furthermore, the partnerships between organisations like LEITAT and PICVISA – connecting robotic sorting research to industrial-scale testing – show what a truly integrated consortium looks like.
The circular economy for bioplastics is not an abstract goal. Instead, it is an engineering challenge being solved step by step, in labs and test centers and working sessions. Barcelona was a chance to see how far the work has come – and then get back to it.
About the meeting venue
The Month 24 meeting was hosted at DFactory Barcelona, the Industry 4.0 innovation hub located in the Zona Franca district of Barcelona. DFactory brings together technology companies, research centres and industrial partners in a purpose-built environment for advanced manufacturing and digital innovation.