30 Aug 2019
Barcelona, Spain
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

Bioo, an exciting biotechnology company based in Barcelona, is going to Ibiza — and the team plans to achieve a lot more than your average holidaymaker. Bioo is set to astound audiences on the Spanish party island with its latest innovation: a product that creates light and / or sound from contact between humans and plants. Martin Kravchenko, Bioo’s head of investor relations, explains: a radio signal is emitted through the plant, a human touch changes the signal, and the electronic system acts based on that change. “After this, the possibilities are pretty limitless,” he said. “We can trigger lights, play [musical] notes, or even [operate] a DJ mixing table.”

This latest product, which is yet to be released publicly, falls within Bioo’s ambitious mission statement: finding ways to create electricity from plants without damaging them. The company’s novel technology treats plants rather like solar panels; it harnesses the energy generated by photosynthesis to power garden lights, agricultural batteries, and more. Bioo has already won EU grants for research and development, not to mention a dazzling array of awards — but Kravchenko and his colleagues continue striving to bring sustainable, plant-based energy production to everyday life.

The environmental implications of Bioo’s research are enormous. The Bioo Panel can be installed underground in a public park, where it blends with the green surrounds while generating clean power for lighting. Another product, the Bioo Sensor, can run an agricultural battery for ten years from irrigation water. The latter stands out as an especially timely invention, amid concern about the environmental impact of the increasingly popular battery.

Even Bioo’s company reactor cleans, rather than harms, the environment — by reducing CO2 emissions and, in some circumstances, drawing energy from acid rain. “The mission continues being to merge nature and technology,” said Kravchenko.

Bioo has attracted plenty of plaudits with this eye-catching raison d’être. Bioo attended a ceremony in the European Parliament, where the company headed the annual list for 50 Best Startups in Europe. Bioo then represented Europe at the Future Energy World Expo 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Kazakhs were so impressed with Bioo’s stand that it will remain on permanent display in the Museum of Future Energies of Astana.

Naturally, work on such a revolutionary scale comes with its own challenges. Bioo continues to conduct its expensive and time-consuming R&D work courtesy of two generous EU grants. Yet the team wants to develop its commercial operations by attracting new talent and expanding its production capacity. Current and potential clients include agricultural enterprises, tech parks, business centers, public parks and museums.

While large-scale installations loom large for Bioo, the company also wants to encourage innovation from others for years to come. Bioo markets a range of education tools for teaching STEM subjects with an environmental outlook. This line of products has 20 customers so far. With any luck, Bioo will inspire other young scientists to build a more sustainable relationship between mankind and the vegetation around us.

 

Learn more about Bioo through the website, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Photos courtesy of Bioo

  • Plant leaves act like solar panels courtesy of remarkable Spanish innovators | The Switchers
  • Plant leaves act like solar panels courtesy of remarkable Spanish innovators | The Switchers
Since completing his MA in Middle Eastern Studies two years ago, David has worked as a freelance writer based in Cairo and Beirut.David Wood
Plant leaves act like solar panels courtesy of remarkable Spanish innovators | The Switchers

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