R&D: Campania-based start-up KforB is set to produce bacterial nanocellulose

To produce bacterial nanocellulose, a new material obtained through biological processes – in other words, environmentally sustainable – and with a wide range of applications. After years of research, Knowledge for Business – the start-up founded at Città della Scienza – is ready to invest 1.2 million in the construction of a plant to produce bacterial nanocellulose and in a research project dedicated to the material’s potential applications in the healthcare sector.

The centrepiece of the project is the construction, in Campania, in the Casandrino industrial area, of Italia’s first plant for the production of bacterial nanocellulose. The output will be destined for the textile sector and will represent the first industrial venture of its kind in Europe applied to this sector. The existing European facilities for the production of nanocellulose are, in fact, intended for the medical sector.

The material is produced using bacteria belonging to the Acetobacter family and, thanks to proprietary processes developed and tested by Knowledge for Business, it has tactile, visual, durability and workability characteristics similar to those of animal leather. The aim is to offer the fashion industry a sustainable, low-environmental-impact alternative to eco-leather and imitation leather, initially targeting the sector’s high-end segments. One experiment carried out in recent years in the Knowledge for Business laboratories involved a collaboration with the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, which used the biocellulose produced by the company to create part of the stage costumes for *Salomè*.

“With this investment, we are making the transition from experimentation to industrial production of a material we have been working on for some time and which can be applied in a wide range of sectors,” says Massimo Bracale, Director of Development and Innovation at KforB. “The most significant aspect is that the company itself will be investing directly in the construction of the production plant – the first in Italia for the production of bacterial nanocellulose and the first in Europe in terms of its application to the textile sector. “We want to provide the fashion industry with an innovative material, obtained through biological processes and capable of combining quality, workability and environmental sustainability.”

Alongside the industrial component is a research project focusing on the use of bacterial nanocellulose in the healthcare sector, particularly for the production of dressings and bandages. The material’s hygrometric properties make it suitable for use in the treatment of burns and pressure ulcers.