Agrofood Bic invests in Mirnagreen, a company at the forefront of plant microRNAs for human and animal well-being.

A partnership that combines innovation, industrial skills and circular economy

Agrofood BIC S.r.l. (Business Innovation Center), a multi-company open innovation centre that has been operating on a national and international scale since January 2019 to identify and leverage valuable business opportunities, identified Mirnagreen s.r.l., a company at the forefront of the plant microRNA sector, as the ideal partner for a significant investment in terms of business opportunities. Mirnagreen is based at the Noi Techpark in Bolzano and is chaired by Roberto Viola, entrepreneur and researcher.

A science-intensive company, Mirnagreen has developed unique proprietary technologies for the food-grade and large-scale extraction of plant microRNAs, natural substances with newly discovered beneficial properties to strengthen the immune system. Thanks to an innovative patented process, Mirnagreen develops new generation products and solutions based on plant microRNAs – that can also be obtained from by-products of the food chain – for the nutraceutical, food and cosmeceutical sectors.

“The focus on microRNAs, important bio-active components, is of great scientific interest as we envisage their potential use in the food sector both for the production of functional foods and food supplements. Many studies confirm the anti-inflammatory activity of plant-derived microRNAs such as those developed by Mirnagreen. It is not for tomorrow but in the medium term we are looking at these innovative solutions with great interest,” said Gianpiero Calzolari, the President of Agrofood BIC and Granarolo S.p.A..

“The partnership with Agrofood BIC is of the utmost importance to us. In fact, it provides an excellent opportunity to enhance Mirnagreen assets in the food sector thanks to the synergy with some of the top industrial players in the Italian food supply chain,” said Roberto Viola, the President of Mirnagreen. “Italy is a world leader in the agro-food sector and companies in the supply chain have always promoted innovation in order to be competitive and offer excellent products to domestic and foreign consumers. This partnership will generate new production pathways to combine scientific innovation and consolidated agro-food skills, with the aim of creating valuable products for people’s wellbeing, with a view to maximising eco-sustainability”.