nir-vana innovation network

Currently, there is a need of stimulating the green, circular and sustainable economy, and this could be supported by giving to the citizens the opportunity to know and practice the concept of “responsible purchase”, that approximates the terms of circular and sustainable economy to a real scenery.

With that purpose, a recently created Spanish SME has developed a new model system of offering products to the consumers. They have created an intelligent dispenser machine for two type of products, grain food and liquid cleaning products, reducing the use of packaging while fostering the reuse of the containers.

The internal conditions of the machine can be adapted to the requirements of each product assuring that they are perfectly kept and do not get spoiled.

In the case of the liquid cleaning products, they are stored in completely separated compartments, so the products are not either mixed or contaminated with the others.

Regarding the food products, they are also perfectly isolated within each silo of the machine with the proper conditions and avoiding the entrance of external agents.

This new circular-sustainable model system has advantages for both, the owner of the machine and the customer.

On the one hand, the owners will be able to offer their product 24/7/365 and thanks to a dashboard, which they can manage from anywhere, they will be able to control the storage of the machine, without being necessary to go in person to the place where each machine is installed to check it. Furthermore, the machine will incorporate have a brief survey with the goal to know the pattern consumption of the customers.

On the other hand, the customers have the opportunity to buy products within a scenery of fair-trade, as the machine will also reduce the supply chain, affecting positively to the price of the product.

The stage of development of the machine is a prototype available for demonstration (Technology Readiness Level or TRL = 7). Currently, the company would like to be contacted by potential partners in order to discuss options to participate in research and development projects acting as final tester or end-user and by partners to establish commercial agreements with technical assistance, where they can adapt the machine to specific requirements.

Advantages & innovations

The machine offers a new business scenery. Currently the grain food (nuts, legumes, rice,…) and liquid cleaning products (shampoo, detergent, …) are only offered in normal stores-supermarkets. With the machine, the model 24/7/365 can be implemented and provide the option to obtain economic benefits and collaborate to the sustainability. Furthermore, the system allows: - Technological control of a bulk business, via the dashboard of the machine managed from any device (computer, tablet or smartphone) - Increase of the collaboration and proximity with farmers and chemical industries, shortening the path from farm to fork - Collection of valuable data from consumers for analysis, evaluation and exploitation purposes - Flexible environment for testing, as the machines can be installed in any location and easily moved, what means mobile and versatile scenarios and use cases to be studied - Reduction of the use of plastics and packaging in general

Stage of development

Prototype available for demonstration

Partner sought

The company seeks partners with ideas, projects or businesses that stimulate the reduction of packaging, foster the healthy food and interested in the implantation of a new business model focused in improving the farming, purchasing and sustainability. The expected partners can belong to the industry or services sectors but also to the research and development areas, to adapt the machine to specific requirements and/or new products and to use the machine as a system to test the success of specific products in certain markets.