Spain. Within the framework of a consortium of different companies in the chemicals and coatings sector, the Bio-Vectors project was launched for the development of a functional coating with insecticidal and repellent properties against flies and mosquitoes, suitable for food contact in cardboard packaging.
This project, which has the participation of Aimplas, Laurentia, Pectro-FlexoColor and Smurfit Kappa, is part of the national call for R&D Challenges Collaboration, and has the funding of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish government.
Today, there are 5,200 container ships dedicated to the international transport of goods worldwide, a fleet that continues to grow. According to the UN, global freight transport would grow by up to 4.3% by 2050. For this reason, the control of vectors (or disease-transmitting organisms) at points of entry is of great importance to prevent invasive species from settling in local environments, as well as to prevent the export of local vector species to other countries through land, air and sea transport.
Within this problem, the transport of horticultural goods and ornamental plants is especially critical, since these can transport eggs, larvae or adult insects, facilitating their spread in international transport.
Source: Aimplas.
