Bio-on and Italeri unite to use Minerv PHA Supertoys in the toys and models of the future

Bio-on and Italeri unite to use Minerv PHA Supertoys in the toys and models of the future. Safe, eco-sustainable and environmentally sound

BOLOGNA, 24 March 2016 - Bio-on announces the launch of a new collaboration with Italeri S.p.A. , a production and distribution leader in the modelling sector. Thanks to this agreement, the manufacture of scale models will be done for the first time with the special grade Minerv PHA Supertoys, the new type of bioplastic developed by Bio-on laboratories for the toys of the future.

Based on the revolutionary Bio-on biopolymer, 100% naturally biodegradable and already tested in dozens of applications, from automotive to design to biomedical, Supertoys is safe, hygienic and biodegradable, it meets and exceeds the provisions of the recent European Directive 2009/48/EC, known as the TDS (Toy Safety Directive), implemented into the standard international procedure for toy safety evaluation EN 71 .

The Minerv PHA Supertoys project, launched by Bio-on in late 2015, aims to demonstrate that specific, eco-sustainable and completely biodegradable formulations can be created for making toys that are safe for children and the environment, without losing out on the end product's functionality and aesthetic. 

"We are extremely proud to be launching this important collaboration with Italeri, a company that has written the history of global modelling," explains Bio-on S.p.A. Chairman Marco Astorri , "because it offers us the opportunity to develop new uses for PHAs Supertoys biopolymers in thousands of different items with extremely high levels of precision".

"It's a fascinating challenge," say Gian Pietro Parmeggiani and Giuliano Malservisi, the co-founders of Italeri S.p.A., "to be able to create new models with a completely natural eco-sustainable material that truly takes us to the future. The great success our sector is enjoying, amongst people of all ages, has a new eco-sustainable goal for the future. Not just at home but also in schools around the world, there is a need to return to the manual activities lost through excessive use of screens. Enabling people to do this with completely natural products will put us at the cutting-edge in the coming decades".

Bio-on bioplastics are made from renewable waste plant sources, with no competition with food supply chains, and are 100% naturally biodegradable. "We chose Italeri products", explains Astorri, "because they are very complex to produce. Tolerance is minimal and managing to guarantee such a high quality level will enable us to make future developments in every other item in the sector". The Minerv PHA Supertoys research and development project launched in December 2015 is dedicated to all companies around the world working on toy design and aims to create two types of bioplastic by the end of 2017: Minerv PHA Supertoys type "R", rigid and strong, and Minerv PHA Supertoys type "F", ductile and flexible.

BIO-ON S.p.A.
Bio-On S.p.A., an Italian Intellectual Property Company (IPC), operates in the bioplastic sector conducting applied research and development of modern bio-fermentation technologies in the field of eco-sustainable and completely naturally biodegradable materials. In particular, Bio-On develops industrial applications through the creation of product characterisations, components and plastic items. Since February 2015, Bio-On S.p.A. has also been operating in the development of natural and sustainable chemicals for the future.

Bio-On has developed an exclusive process for the production of a family of polymers called PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) from agricultural waste (including molasses and sugar cane and sugar beet syrups). The bioplastic produced in this way is able to replace the main families of traditional plastics in terms of performance, thermo-mechanical properties and versatility. Bio-On PHA is a bioplastic that can be classified as 100% natural and completely biodegradable: this has been certified by Vincotte and by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). The Issuer's strategy envisages the marketing of licenses for PHAs production and related ancillary services, the development of R&D (also through new collaborations with universities, research centres and industrial partners), as well as the realisation of industrial plants designed by Bio-On.

The alphanumeric codes for ordinary shares "ON" IT0005056236, for ordinary shares "ON" with bonus share IT0005056228 and for warrants "WARRANT Bio-On 2014-2017" IT0005056210. The minimum unit of trading envisaged by the Italian Stock Exchange is 250 shares.
Company Nomad is EnVent S.p.A.. Banca Finnat Euramerica S.p.A. acts as company specialist.

For further information:                                   

Issuer
Bio-On S.p.A.
via Dante 7/b
40016 San Giorgio di Piano (BO)
Marco Astorri
Tel: +39 051 893001
info@bio-on.it

Nomad
EnVent Capital Markets Ltd
25 Savile Row W1S 2ER London
Tel.+447557879200
Italian Branch
Via Barberini, 95 00187 Roma
Tel: +39 06 896.841
pverna@envent.it

Specialist
Banca Finnat Euramerica S.p.A.
Piazza del Ges?, 49
00186 Roma
Lorenzo Scimia
Tel: +39 06 69933446
Fax: +39 06 6791984
l.scimia@finnat.it

                              
ITALERI S.p.A.

Italieri S.p.A. was set up in the mid '60s in Bologna by two co-founders, Gian Pietro Parmeggiani and Giuliano Malservisi. The company has maintained its initial characteristics and is now a leader in the static modelling field, with a presence in over 50 countries in all continents. In 2001 Pama Trade Srl, a connected company, was founded to distribute and market the main international model and toy brands. Today the Italeri offer boasts 600 models, within an overall production of approximately 1,500 items, many of which are recognised as being unique on the global modelling scene. The Italeri range, which began with scale models of aeroplanes, broadened with the introduction of military vehicles, ships, trucks, cars and motorcycles. The range is constantly being developed thanks to painstaking modelling research, detailed techniques and the careful design of dedicated models and lines. Italeri has entered into a number of collaborations with major international partners. In particular, it has launched collaboration projects that are unique in the sector, bringing modelling and videogames closer together for the very first time. For the last two years, it has run a project specifically dedicated to schools, aimed at raising awareness and enhancing the practice and culture of modelling amongst young people. The company has gained international recognition whilst remaining firmly rooted in Italy.

Italeri S.p.A.
via Pradazzo 6/b
40012 Calderara di Reno (Bo)
Mariangela Silva-Parmeggiani
Tel: +39 051 3175211
Fax: +39 051 726459
www.italeri.com

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