The race to develop truly biodegradable polymers that perform well across their entire lifecycle, from production to end-of-life, is gaining momentum, and the Be-UP project is at the forefront of that effort. As a key technical partner, IDENER.AI is contributing some of the project’s most advanced engineering tools, focusing on the development of cutting-edge modelling capabilities that will underpin the design and optimisation of next-generation biodegradable materials.

IDENER’s work within Be-UP centres on building a suite of advanced modelling tools that combine Kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) models, multiscale materials simulation techniques, and AI-aided design optimisation. Together, these tools are designed to give researchers and developers an unprecedented ability to predict how biodegradable polymers will behave, not just during production, but across controlled and open environments throughout their entire lifecycle. The ultimate goal is to establish a holistic mathematical model for biodegradation that can guide smarter, more sustainable material choices from the very earliest stages of design.

One of the most tangible outcomes of this work will be the “Be-UP EoL Platform”, a digital tool that integrates experimental data with environmental parameters to map and optimise end-of-life pathways for biodegradable materials. Designed to support stakeholders across the value chain, the platform will make sustainable decision-making more accessible and data-driven; a significant step forward for an industry that has long struggled to connect material design with real-world environmental outcomes.

The project recently held a general meeting to review progress across all work areas. Experimental activities are showing strong results, and one of the most significant outcomes of the gathering was a meaningful step forward in collaboration between partners: teams working on synthesis, processing, and end-of-life assessment have aligned more closely on experimental setups and data collection approaches, ensuring that information flows seamlessly across the project and that IDENER’s modelling tools are fed with the right data to deliver accurate, actionable predictions.

With 48 months of project activity ahead, Be-UP is building the scientific and digital foundations that could redefine how biodegradable polymers are designed, assessed, and deployed at scale.