GlaS-A-Fuels innovation recognised by the European Commission’s Innovation Radar

An innovation developed within the international GlaS-A-Fuels project has been included in the European Commission’s Innovation Radar, a platform that maps technological results with significant market and innovation potential. The recognised technology, titled Highly active catalysts for the effective transformation of ethanol to butanol and/or higher order alcohols, focuses on developing highly active catalysts that enable the efficient conversion of ethanol into butanol and other higher alcohols. These compounds are considered promising renewable components for the production of advanced biofuels and can significantly contribute to the development of sustainable energy sources.

The research is being conducted as part of the GlaS-A-Fuels project by VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Università degli Studi di Trieste, and the CORE Innovation Centre.

“Inclusion in the Innovation Radar represents an important international recognition for the entire consortium and confirms that the technologies under development have the potential to contribute to the transformation of the energy sector towards more sustainable solutions,” said project principal investigator Aristeidis Bakandritsos from the Materials-Environmental Lab (MEL) at CEET.

According to the Innovation Radar methodology, the innovation is currently positioned in the Exploring phase, indicating active investigation of market opportunities. The European Commission has also assigned it a ‘Noteworthy’ rating under the Market Creation Potential indicator, which highlights results with the capacity to create new markets. Only innovations showing multiple signals of strong market potential receive this evaluation. Recommended next steps to bring the technology closer to commercialisation include preparing for market entry, securing capital, and scaling up market opportunities.