The CDTI Innovation seeks a Spanish company to collaborate with China in the chemical recycling and valorisation of polymeric waste
The initiative seeks to develop and validate innovative solutions for chemical recycling and the recovery of polymer waste that is difficult to recycle, including conventional and technical plastics, synthetic textiles, polyurethanes, composites and complex polymer blends.
The project seeks to develop innovative solutions to transform polymer waste from difficult recycling into new raw materials and valuable products, generating new business opportunities in the field of the circular economy. The technological development will include sorting, pretreatment, decontamination, impurity separation and advanced depolymerization and conversion processes, aimed at maximizing the recovery of high quality secondary raw materials.
This initiative currently has the participation of technological partners in Spain (CIRCE Technology Center) and in China, specialized in chemical recycling and valorisation of polymeric waste. The collaboration will allow us to adapt and validate the solutions developed in different industrial contexts and accelerate their arrival on the market.
The search is aimed at a Spanish industrial company that generates, manages, transforms or uses polymeric materials and is interested in developing new alternatives for the recovery of waste that are currently destined for disposal or low-value applications. The selected company will participate in the definition of technical requirements, provide case studies and collaborate in the validation and orientation of technological development. Among the residues of interest are synthetic textiles, polyolefins (PE and PP), PET, polyamides, polyurethanes, composites and complex polymer blends.
Proposed technology
CIRCE aims to jointly develop solutions based especially on thermochemical routes, including conventional and microwave assisted pyrolysis, solvolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction and gasification. These technologies will allow the transformation of plastic waste, synthetic textiles, polyurethanes, composites and polymer blends into secondary raw materials, high-value chemicals or circular fuels.
The technology centre has capabilities to address the entire value chain, from waste characterization and pre-treatment to process design and validation, modelling, technoeconomic analysis, environmental assessment and feasibility and market studies. In addition, it has pilot plants and simulation and scaling capabilities.
The project includes an estimated global budget of between 1 and 1.5 million euros, with a Spanish participation of between 630,000 and 880,000 euros.
The proposal aims to present the 8th call for R&D projects of the technological cooperation program with China (CHINEKA), which is scheduled to be launched in the last quarter of 2026.
CHINEKA is the bilateral program of technological cooperation and joint innovation between companies of Spain and entities of the People's Republic of China, managed by CDTI Innovation and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST). Since its creation in 2005, it constitutes an official framework to promote business projects oriented to the development of new products, processes and innovative services oriented to the international market.
Contact
For further information on the technical scope of the proposal and the role of the Spanish company concerned, please contact Ignacio Julián Burillo, from CIRCE: iajulian@fcirce.es.
For specific information and advice on this search for partners and/or on the bilateral programme of technological cooperation with China, please contact the Office of the Chinese Delegation of CDTI Innovation: china@cdti.es.
CDTI Innovation
The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, the CDTI provided 2,423 million euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.
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