Based on our passion for innovation, the team of Microinnova has the ambition to be excellent in process intensification. We focus on the development of innovative methods and technologies to increase our capabilities for the design and realization of efficient processes. A distinguished competence in science and engineering is the foundation of our success. This competence is achieved by our participation in internal, national, and international research and development projects with renowned partners. Our international research network supports us in further expanding our processing and plant realization capablities.
Becoming great in process intensification and continuous processing!
“We’re continuously exploring the scientific community to improve our core capabilities and knowledge.”
Dr. Günter Tekautz, Head of Process Development
Our R&D Focus Areas


Modular Plants & MTP
Fluorination


Enzymatic Reactions1
Smart Manufacturing2
References:
1 Bolivar JM, Mannsberger A, Thomsen MS, Tekautz G, Nidetzky B. Process intensification for O2-dependent enzymatic transformations in continuous single-phase pressurized flow. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2019 Mar;116(3):503-514. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30512199/
2 Final report for FFG project SynthesisControl, project number: 871458
Guidelines for Modular Plants
Our Strategic Director, Dr. Dirk Kirschneck, is part of the committee that develops guidelines for modular plants, called VDI 2776, under the umbrella of VDI – The Association of German Engineers.
Board of Process Intensification
The European Federation of Chemical Engineering EFCE runs an initiative toward process intensification. Dr. Dirk Kirschneck is the Austrian industry delegate in the working party for process intensification.
Current Projects

MACBETH
We are proud to announce that we are one of the 24 partners with great experience and competencies in membrane technology who “are united to successfully transfer the technological concept of highly efficient catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) to other sectors of the chemical industry.” with this EU project!
For more information please visit: https://www.macbeth-project.eu/

acib
The Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib) is an international competence centre developing new environmentally friendly, economically and technically advanced processes for the biotechnological, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. As a partner of acib, Microinnova participates in the development of pressurized continuous flow production plants for gas dependent biocatalytic reactions.
For more information please visit: acib.at

PharmComplete
Microinnova strengthens the field of digital processing by kicking off the project “PharmComplete” using digital twin, model-predictive-control and PAT strategies. The project’s goal is to develop a digital twin for an integrated pharmaceutical manufacturing line, from API synthesis to downstream processing. With a machine learning approach, a focus will be on model simplification for easier utilization in an industrial environment. The digital twin enables the execution of process simulation and control. Intelligent process control based on process information generated from real-time process data enables robust processing, reduction of waste and constant high product quality assured during the production campaign. For this project, RCPE in conjunction with TU Graz, University of Graz, evon GmbH and Microinnova Engineering GmbH are working closely together on building new routes for digital processing and Industry 4.0.
More info: http://goflow.at/pharm-complete/
Successfully Completed Projects

CCFLOW
Microinnova Engineering is an industrial partner for manufacturing and plant design for Professor C. Oliver Kappe’s project CC Flow. It is part of the COMET K-Project line which aims to connect industry and academic institutions in an effort to “generate expertise and technology enabling the continuous manufacturing of APIs in an efficient, safe and sustainable manner.”
For more information please visit: http://goflow.at/cc-flow/

ONE-FLOW
Microinnova Engineering is a participant in the ONE-FLOW research project. The goal of the project is to develop a digital flow cascade machinery which performs all multiple reactions in one step, meaning in one flow.
The methodology of the project is that instead of using the machinery complexity “vertical hierarchy” (i.e., along the flow axis) a “horizontal hierarchy” by compartmentalization, i.e. integrated biomimetic self-assemblies and modern switchable fluid structuring, along the footsteps of nature’s systems biology will be used. Five cascade reactions will be developed: (i)4 synthetic flow reaction networks – ‘Metabolic pathways’; (ii)1 flow cascade driven by automated intelligence – “signaling pathways”; (iii) 4 catalytic cascades – 1 bio-hetchemo, 2 chemobio, 1 fully bio.
For Information see: www.one-flow.org

BIOGO
Nowadays, the petro-chemical market in Europe faces a multitude of challenges and has to fulfill its environmental, economic and societal responsibilities. Thus, discovering innovative ways to provide novel and sustainable solutions is part of the business of the petro-chemical industry. There is a dire need to completely rethink the actual production processes and improve them with the use of cleaner technologies.
BIOGO focuses these problems and tries to improve production processes with sustainable sources, especially biofuels. With the help of modern technologies, such as the advancement of nanocatalysts for biofuel synthesis and/or innovative reactor technology, BIOGO will help to develop this sector. Starting from bio-feedstock to hydrocarbon fuel within one system (flow miniplant) including all reaction and separation steps will be the contribution of this project. Thus, the European Commission’s goal of maximizing the contribution of nanotechnology in sustainable developments in the energy sector is fulfilled by BIOGO.
More information visit www.biogo.eu

COPIRIDE
COPIRIDE stands for Combining Process Intensification-driven Manufacture of Microstructured Reactors and Process Design regarding to Industrial Dimensions and Environment. Within the European research project CoPIRIDE, Microinnova has cooperated with partners, such as Evonik-Degussa and the Institute for Micro-Technology Mainz (IMM), to develop the chemical plant of the future and its infrastructure.
CoPIRIDE has developed a multifunctional and all-purpose plant platform with a very high flexibility. Multiple plants and reactors are integrated in compact format e.g. a container to be applicable for different processes at different locations. Maximizing productivity by minimizing set-up time as well as improving sustainability and lowering capital costs are goals which have been fulfilled by the CoPIRIDE project and project members. Additionally, higher process safety and energy efficiency linked this project to direct economic benefits in the range of millions of € per year.
More information visit www.copiride.eu

CAEC
In the European CAEC (Continuous Annular Electro-Chromatography) research project, Microinnova developed a concept in the field of separation technology together with partners like Novartis Pharma AG.
More information visit: CAEC

COSMIC
Microinnova Engineering is a member of the COSMIC Project (Continuous Sonication and Microwave reactors for high-value product synthesis). This project is funded by the European Commission as part of Horizon 2020, the innovative Training Networks. The goal of the project is to develop resource-efficient multiphase reactions in the fields of organic synthesis and nanoparticle synthesis, intensified reactors that efficiently integrate milliflow technology with ultrasound and/or microwave actuation and knowledge-based assessment and decision methodologies to evaluate and select process-intensification technologies.
For more information visit: http://cosmic-etn.eu/, https://ec.europa.eu/commission

SynthesisControl
For this project with the Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH (RCPE) we are partnered with the Institute of Chemistry at University of Graz (Prof. Kappe), the Institute of Automation and Control at Graz University of Technology (Prof. Horn) and evon GmbH. Together we strive to highlight the advantages of continuous flow processing and realize a control concept for API synthesis which will anticipate system failures or other occurances impacting the quality of the product.
For more information please visit: http://goflow.at/synthesis-control/