Catia Bastioli and her Novamont team received the European Inventor of the Year 2007 award in the SME category for pioneering bioplastics from renewable agricultural sources.
On June 19, 2007, Catia Bastioli and her team at Novamont were presented with the European Inventor of the Year 2007 award in the Small and Medium Enterprises category, jointly presented by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Commission. This recognition honored a body of patented work, filed roughly between 1992 and 2001, that enabled the first bioplastics derived from renewable agricultural sources, such as starch, to successfully enter commercial markets.
This was a genuine barrier-breaking achievement: Bastioli was among the very first inventors to demonstrate that plastics could be produced at industrial scale from agricultural feedstocks rather than petroleum, while remaining biodegradable and commercially viable. Her work directly informed the development of Novamont's Mater-Bi bioplastic family, now used globally in compostable bags, packaging, and agricultural films.
As a woman leading a chemistry-driven industrial innovation program in a field historically dominated by men and by petrochemical giants, Bastioli's recognition by the EPO marked a significant milestone not only for sustainable materials science but for women's visibility in inventive and entrepreneurial leadership roles within European industry. The award substantially raised Novamont's international profile and helped catalyze broader interest in the circular bioeconomy across Europe.