Through the open innovation initiative, the Company is accepting until June 30, projects that help control this invasive mollusc species, which clings to pipes and water abstraction systems

 São Paulo, June 15, 2022 – Klabin, Brazil’s largest producer and exporter of packaging paper and sustainable solutions in paper packaging, has opened registrations for another Pitch Day, its open innovation initiative which, this time, welcomes innovative ideas to control the golden mussel outbreak. Students, entrepreneurs and companies from all over Brazil can submit their projects by June 30 in the Inova Klabin portal.

The Company seeks effective ideas and projects to help control the invasive mollusc species, which reproduces quickly and affects water pipes and water abstraction systems located on the Tibagi River in Paraná to be used in the company operations, and could eventually clog the system. The golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) is native to Asia and probably reached South America accidentally. It practically has no predators in the Brazilian fauna and has strong reproductive and dispersion capacity.

Klabin Pitch Day’s selection process accepts solutions in different stages, provided they include sustainable control methods without creating waste or polluting the environment. The projects submitted will be evaluated by a panel and selected to participate in the Pitch Day.

“The golden mussel issue is a complex one and requires an unconventional solution that is aligned with Klabin’s sustainability premises. We consider open innovation an important ally in solving challenges such as this, which also enables closer relations with universities, startups and other partners,” says Renata Freesz, innovation manager at Klabin.

The first Klabin Pitch Day was organized in 2018 and is part of a series of innovation programs launched by the Company to build a global network of contacts capable of solving challenges, sharing knowledge and creating value for both the company and the scientific community. Learn more here.

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