Do you like a bit of industrial independence?

The Italian manufacturing world is, almost, in a situation of total dependence for the supply of raw materials and for the energy resources needed to operate the factories. Whoever controls it, by raising the price or reducing supplies, can bring our economy to its knees, at any moment.

Let us therefore ask ourselves: is it really possible to think of a survival or even a revival of our industrial world in the persistence of these conditions?

Industrial evolution

A new path capable of freeing us from this situation is ahead of us, and there are all the conditions to be able to undertake it, we need courage and a medium-term vision.

This path has been clearly traced by the EU Green Deal, and has as its final destination the achievement of zero impact industrial productions. So let's talk about new materials and new production processes.

Easy ways

Up to now we have seen our industry focus on other forms of sustainability, much easier to pursue because they do not involve a real revolution of the system, but only some small adjustments.

Certainly the recycling of materials has a considerable importance and every action taken in this direction deserves applause.

Perhaps a less enthusiastic way is sustainability based on concepts such as: "we continue to do everything as usual, but we have bought certificates of some trees in the Amazon or in Africa, so we are good".

Production processes

The hard road is the main road, represented by a progressive conversion of fossil-based to plant-based productions, a solution based on a few simple observations:

- the technologies to do this exist

- we are able to self-produce the raw material

- producing on plant-based materials is cheaper and less energy ravenous than producing on fossil basis

- the institutions have all the conditions to encourage long-term investments in this direction

Industrial plan

The industrial plan developed in the Prosperity Bamboo project and defined over the last seven years, has analyzed each of these aspects, aggregating the information gathered from top European experts and defining a path in which industry, finance and institutions they can give life to a new productive world by intervening at three different levels.

Raw material production

The production of sustainable raw materials is certainly the big business of this century. European industry will need billions of tons of them, how will they get them? The trees have long production times and the need to contain the phenomenon of deforestation remains. A solution based on giant grass cultivation plants instead allows an abundant production of material in a continuous cycle, through natural procedures that allow the protection of the organic life of the soil, biodiversity, and the underlying aquifers.

In addition to the right climate, Italy has developed the necessary agronomic skills over the years and there are over 3 million uncultivated hectares in the area that need to be redeveloped.

Those who produce sustainable raw materials place themselves at the top of the pyramid of these new industrial supply chains so, from a far-sighted perspective, there can be no doubt about the value of the investments made in this direction.

Research and development on new plant-based materials

European projects have been drawn up in collaboration with universities and leading national and foreign research institutes in the field of plant-based composites for various types of applications. It is already possible to produce alternative materials to metals, minerals and petroleum derivatives for various applications that can concern huge sectors such as, for example, structural building and automotive.

We are only at the beginning, the growth potential is enormous, there is still a lot of work to do and a myriad of solutions and patents to be registered. Our creativity, our historic manufacturing tradition and our scientific culture can bring great results to our country in the coming years.

First transformation and industrialization supply chains

The various initial processing stages that make the vegetable base ready to be processed in industrial processes have been studied and traced. The presence of the raw material on the territory favors the development of new transformation industries which also take advantage of the favorable impact in terms of emissions due to the reduction of transport costs. As an example, we mention cellulose, of which Italy alone imports over 4 billion euros every year, and on which a project can already be defined to develop an autonomous production with new technologies.

Being able to look far away

There aren't many industries today that can afford a 15-year vision, most are thinking about how to survive the crisis situations of recent years, and planning for the short term.

The process of transformation of materials and processes requires time, medium and long-term investments. The concept of tending towards autonomy on raw materials is not for everyone, and can be difficult to digest for a productive world that has always been accustomed to ' idea of having to buy it from abroad

There is an opportunity to design together a scenario in which industry and the environment, up to now in substantial antagonism, merge into a new economic model, the "Prosperity Economy" in which profit is identified as the natural consequence of the generation of widespread well-being.

This industrial development plan is available to those who intend to pursue it. The question is: "If not now, when?"