News

• MEXT: Mota‑Engil Next, TMG Automotive and Super Bock Group Join AlmaScience’s Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem

• Innovation Ecosystem open to new strategic partnerships

• Three innovation awards in 2025: PaperWeight AI wins the 2025 National Innovation Award, PetriTag® wins the Innovation Award at Expo Fish Portugal 2025, CleanNote recognized by Banco de Portugal

• First spin-off from a Portuguese CoLAB, PaperWeight AI delivers technology innovation for the retail sector

   

AlmaScience, a collaborative innovation laboratory dedicated to developing sustainable functional materials and green electronics solutions, has been directing its resources towards strengthening the competitiveness of Portuguese industry and has invited new companies to join its Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem.

MEXT: Mota-Engil Next, TMG Automotive and Super Bock Group are the latest strategic members, representing, respectively, key sectors of the Portuguese economy: construction and infrastructure, the automotive industry, and beverages.

“We channel public and private R&D investment in direct service of Portuguese industry, and the results speak for themselves: three awards, a spin-off in market entry and capital-raising phase, and the trust of leaders in their respective sectors, such as MEXT: Mota‑Engil Next, TMG Automotive and Super Bock.” says Carlos Silva, President and CEO of AlmaScience. “We are inviting new companies to join this ecosystem. We want to work with visionary organizations that recognize that sustainable innovation is not just an environmental necessity, but also an extraordinary economic opportunity that Portugal cannot afford to miss.”

AlmaScience challenges innovative Portuguese industrial companies to join a collaborative ecosystem that offers direct access to a multidisciplinary team of 30 PhD researchers and product and business specialists, advanced laboratory infrastructure, and mechanisms to convert investment into hours of technological development (with eligibility for tax relief). Participating companies also benefit from commercial rights over the developed intellectual property and from integration into a community of practice that promotes specialized workshops, technical masterclasses, and technology intelligence reports.

Beyond the integration of the new strategic members, AlmaScience has created the first spin-off to emerge from a Portuguese CoLAB, PaperWeight AI, which introduces innovative technology in the service of retail, reinforcing its collaborative innovation model as a catalyst for sustainable transformation in Portugal.

AlmaScience was also recognized with three innovation awards: the 2025 National Innovation Award (PaperWeight AI), the Innovation Award at Expo Fish Portugal 2025 (PetriTag®), and the Banco de Portugal Award (CleanNote).

For more information on joining the Ecosystem, visit:  https://almascience.pt/lp/sustainable-innovation-ecosystem

Three New Strategic Members Strengthen the Ecosystem

MEXT: Mota-Engil Next: Sustainable Construction and Infrastructure

MEXT, as the innovation orchestrator, venture builder and venture capital investment arm of the Mota‑Engil Group, joined the Ecosystem with the aim of supporting the group’s diversification into five new business areas by 2030. The partnership focuses on three priority areas: sustainable construction, through the development of smart functional materials; mobility, with low-environmental-impact traceability solutions; and energy management through sustainable sensing.

“The connection to AlmaScience arises naturally, given its unique role in applied research into advanced materials, intelligent and sustainable solutions, and new paradigms of interaction between science and industry”, says Sílvia Mota, CEO of MEXT: Mota‑Engil Next. “By becoming members of this ecosystem, we seek to access cutting-edge scientific and technological knowledge, as well as to collaborate on projects that accelerate the creation of high-impact solutions to current and future societal challenges.”

This partnership positions the Mota-Engil Group at the forefront of sustainable construction in Portugal, demonstrating that major groups, rooted in traditional engineering, can lead the green transition through applied R&D.

TMG Automotive: Sustainable Functional Materials for the Automotive Industry

TMG Automotive, the second largest European supplier of flexible polymeric materials for the automotive industry, with over 50 years of experience and the world’s leading automotive manufacturers among its clients, joined the Ecosystem with the aim of accelerating the development of next-generation sustainable materials and smart functional surfaces for application in automotive interiors.

Focusing on areas such as “Go-Green” materials (high bio-content, free from petroleum derivatives and hazardous substances), high-durability plasticized fabrics, and smart foils (smart surfaces integrated with sensors), the partnership with AlmaScience will enable TMG Automotive to develop innovative solutions that combine technical excellence with sustainability.

“AlmaScience provides a solid applied research foundation that aligns perfectly with our Innovation and Sustainability strategy and Technical-Scientific roadmap, complementing our expertise in developing future materials for automotive interiors. We aim to create solutions that combine environmental responsibility with high standards of quality and technological innovation, in full alignment with the automotive sector and the structural policies of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European Strategy for the Bioeconomy”, states César Águia, R&D+I Director at TMG Automotive.

As the second largest European supplier of automotive interiors and a benchmark of the industry, TMG Automotive exemplifies the capacity of Portuguese companies to compete globally through sustainable innovation.

Super Bock Group: Sustainable Innovation in the Beverages Sector

Super Bock Group, one of the largest Portuguese companies in the beverages sector and one of the country’s largest R&D investors, partnered with AlmaScience to strengthen its sustainable packaging and circular economy strategy.

The partnership focuses on three strategic vectors: the development of next-generation packaging materials that combine recyclability with smart functionalities; sustainable traceability solutions for the cold chain and logistics; and quality monitoring technologies integrated into packaging.

“This collaboration with AlmaScience demonstrates our strategic commitment to sustainable innovation and to the creation of value for society, reinforcing our ambition to lead a responsible transformation of the sector through partnerships that combine science, technology, and real impact for consumers and communities”, says Graça Borges, Director of Communication, Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Super Bock Group.

“This partnership with AlmaScience allows us to explore and develop emerging technologies with the potential to transform Super Bock Group’s processes, products and business models. Scientific collaboration and joint work with R&D partners strengthen our capacity to innovate with rigor, anticipate trends, and build more efficient, intelligent and sustainable solutions for the future”, adds Tiago Brandão, R&D Director.

Super Bock Group, one of Portugal’s largest R&D investors, reinforces through this partnership the role of the Portuguese beverages industry as a pioneer in sector sustainability.

Ecosystem Now Comprises Twelve Partner Organizations

With the addition of these three new members, AlmaScience’s Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem now comprises twelve partner organizations: MEXT: Mota‑Engil Next, TMG Automotive, Super Bock Group, INCM (the Portuguese Mint), The Navigator Company, Grupo Clara Saúde, Firmo, the Municipality of Almada, NOVA University of Lisbon, NOVA.ID, Raiz, and Fraunhofer Portugal.

Three Awards Confirm Scientific Excellence and Commercial Impact

Three projects resulted in unprecedented external recognition, with AlmaScience technologies winning awards throughout 2025.

PaperWeight AI: 2025 National Innovation Award

PaperWeight AI (www.paperweight.ai), the first spin-off of AlmaScience and of the Portuguese CoLab ecosystem, won the 2025 National Innovation Award in the Technology category. The solution combines paper-based ultra-thin sensors with artificial intelligence for real-time monitoring of products on retail shelves, making it possible to eliminate stockouts, reduce theft losses and minimize waste.

“This recognition represents far more than an award – it is a validation of the relevance and impact of what we are building at AlmaScience”, says Carlos Silva, President and CEO of AlmaScience. “It shows that it is possible to transform Portuguese research into commercially competitive solutions at an international level. PaperWeight AI is currently in the testing phase with national and international retailers, proving that innovation can be economically sustainable and that simplicity is often where the difference lies.”

The market potential of PaperWeight AI is significant: globally, retailers lose up to €2 trillion annually due to shrinkage (stockouts, theft and excess inventory), while spending €37 billion on solutions that are complex, difficult to scale and to maintain. The smart shelf market is valued at €3 billion annually, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 22% through to 2030.

PetriTag®: Innovation Award at Expo Fish Portugal 2025

PetriTag®, a biodegradable paper-based sensor for the early detection of bacterial contamination in food products, was recognized with the Innovation Award at Expo Fish Portugal 2025, awarded by Docapesca in the “New Equipment, Solutions and Digital Services” category.

The technology enables the identification of spoilage up to two days before the product shows visible signs of degradation, helping logistics operators and retailers make smarter discard or retention decisions, while simultaneously reducing food waste and protecting consumer safety. Fully compostable and integrated into packaging, PetriTag® directly addresses the paradox facing the food industry: ensuring safety without generating waste.

PetriTag® addresses large global markets: the cold chain is valued at €30 billion (2024), with growth projections of €60–70 billion by 2030, while the food safety market stands at €24 billion, forecast to reach €57 billion by 2033. In Portugal, the fish and seafood sector is worth approximately €3 billion, with annual exports of €1.5 billion. Currently, 35% of fish and seafood is lost along the value chain in Portugal, a figure that rises to 47% across the European Union.

CleanNote: Banco de Portugal Award

The CleanNote project, developed in partnership with CENIMAT/i3N at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of NOVA University of Lisbon, was named winner of the “Let’s Give Banknotes a Second Life” competition, promoted by Banco de Portugal.

Instead of incinerating hundreds of tonnes of euro banknotes withdrawn from circulation, CleanNote transforms them into photocatalytic membranes for purifying contaminated water and air. This is circular economy at its best: high-quality fibers are recovered, waste is avoided, carbon emissions are reduced, and high-value environmental technology is created. “This award is more than a recognition – it is a validation that natural materials and waste can be transformed into advanced technology”, underlines Luís Pereira, Chief Technology and Science Officer at AlmaScience.

The total R&D investment across these three award-winning projects – PaperWeight AI, PetriTag® and CleanNote – amounts to €1 million, demonstrating AlmaScience’s commitment to applied research and to the transformation of science into commercially viable solutions with measurable economic and environmental impact.

Portugal at the Forefront of the Green Economy

With millions of euros invested in R&D, three awards won, a spin-off launched and three industrial leaders joining the ecosystem, AlmaScience demonstrates that Portugal has the scientific, industrial and strategic capacity to lead the global green economy.

“2025 proved that we are capable of transforming Portuguese research into real commercial impact recognized internationally”, concludes Carlos Silva, President and CEO of AlmaScience. “With these three awards and three new strategic members, we enter 2026 stronger, more credible and more determined to position Portugal on the global map of sustainable innovation. The next decade will define who leads the global green economy – and we are determined that Portugal will be a protagonist in this revolution.”

The Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem remains open to new visionary companies that wish to transform Portuguese research into an international competitive advantage.

About AlmaScience

AlmaScience is a collaborative innovation laboratory (CoLAB) and technology incubator for sustainable functional materials and green electronics, located in Caparica and Aveiro.

With a multidisciplinary team of 30+ PhD researchers and specialists in fields such as chemistry, biology, materials science, paper technology, and electronics, AlmaScience bridges the gap between research and industry. We partner with companies to transform scientific research into commercially viable products, always with a focus on sustainability and the circular economy.

AlmaScience is the focal point of the Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem, the result of a collaborative partnership between the CoLab and key players in the Portuguese industrial ecosystem, including INCM (the Portuguese Mint), The Navigator Company, Grupo Clara Saúde, Firmo, MEXT: Mota-Engil Next, TMG Automotive, Super Bock Group, NOVA University of Lisbon, NOVA.ID FCT, Raiz, Fraunhofer Portugal and the Municipality of Almada.

Among the technologies developed by AlmaScience are PaperWeight AI (paper-based sensors for smart retail shelves, AlmaScience’s first spin-off), PetriTag® (a biodegradable sensor for bacterial detection) and GELA (a rapid cooling label for beverages).