Implementation of innovation and project management
best practices in technological development. Case study:
natural antioxidants from olive pomace in the main olive-
growing area of Argentina.
Renzi, Laura¹; Alday, Silvina²
¹Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial – Sede San Juan (San Juan, Argentina) ²Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria – EEA San Juan (San Juan, Argentina) e-mail: lrenzi@inti.gob.ar
INTRODUCTION
This document presents the remarkable progress made in developing a sustainable biorefinery model that transforms olive pomace into high-value products applying innovation and project management best practices. The primary focus is on producing an Olive BioPhenols Concentrate (OBC), a natural antioxidant with commercial potential. Both the OBC and its production process represent the first Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) of this technological development, marking crucial milestones in a viable pomace biorefinery model.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Technology Readiness
Best practices of Project
Agile approach and Lean PM
Levels (TRL)
Management (PM) were
methodologies were applied
methodology was used to
implemented, including business
to navigate technological
assess systematically the
analysis approach, schedule
uncertainties and accelerate
technology maturity
optimization, stakeholder
MVP development cycles.
of the biorefinery model
engagement, monitoring and control
from laboratory-scale to
of execution and risk
commercial viability.
Figure 1: Research, technological development and innovation stages and their relationship with Technology Readiness
management protocols.
Levels (TRL)
RESULTS
BIOREFINERY with OBC
Status
Has the initial scientific research been
completed, where the fundamental principles of the idea have been postulated
Dev.
TRL 1 and observed?
Do you have scientific papers published that
present the basic principles of your
Dev.
research?
Have analytical studies been conducted to
confirm the basic principles of the
Dev.
technology?
Have applied research activities been
initiated and practical applications
TBD
identified?
Has an empirical or theoretical design solution been identified?
Dev.
TRL 2 Have the concept of the technology, its
application, and its implementation
Dev.
been formulated?
Have potential users of the
development been explored?
Dev.
Do you have a research team capable
of facilitating the initial feasibility
Dev.
assessment of the technology?
Have you identified the components of your technology?
Dev.
Have you carried out any market
validation process for your technology? (R&D in the laboratory plus initial
TBD
interviews with potential users)
Have preliminary tests of the
TRL3 components been initiated and technical feasibility established in a
TBD
laboratory environment?
Have you conducted a study or
exploration of the regulatory aspects
(ethics committees, standards, and
TBD
certifications) required for its
development?
Have you integrated the main components of your technology?
TBD
Have you performed laboratory
validation tests to assess the
TBD
effectiveness of the technology?
Have you continued market validation
TRL 4
of your development through additional interviews with potential users?
TBD
Do you have a prototype (even if
incomplete or under improvement) of
TBD
your development?
Have the initial tests of the integrated
components been completed in a
TBD
laboratory environment?
Have you tested your prototype at a scale larger than laboratory scale?
TBD
Have you fully identified and considered
aspects involved in production at a
scale larger than laboratory scale (raw TRL 5 material costs, equipment,
TBD
infrastructure adaptation, energy
costs)?
Does the prototype comply with the
standards and/or legal or environmental
TBD
requirements of the sector?
Has the product/system been scaled up
from laboratory to pilot scale, and have the
TBD
issues affecting scale-up been identified?
Have you initiated the process to obtain the
TRL 6
certifications required by governmental agencies for production and deployment of
TBD
the prototype?
Has the prototype been validated by a
producing company or an industry actor
TBD
with positive results?
Do you have a small-scale production
process (producing commercial products)?
Has the technology been successfully
TBD
demonstrated in an operational
environment?
TRL 7 Do you have potential users testing the final version of the product?
TBD
Do you have an adequate organizational structure for implementation?
TBD
Do you have a finished product ready for testing with initial clients?
TBD
Do you have a marketable product?
TBD
Are you producing the product in its final TRL 8 version?
TBD
Have all operational and manufacturing issues been resolved?
TBD
Has the technology been fully developed and become commercially available?
TBD
TRL 9
Do you have sustained production? Are manufacturing and production
TBD
processes being optimized through
TBD
incremental innovations?
Dev. (Developed) - TBD (To Be Developed)
Figure 1: Initial TRL
(TRL 1), with progress
towards TRL3 (Dev.)
TRL 2 Concept and technological application
TRL 3: Lab scale: proof of concept
TRL 4: Potential producers and TRL 5: Validation in
users
relevant environment
OBC, rich in hydroxytyrosol, Figure 3 shows the technical Industrial outreach. 1- Raising A survey conducted in
was obtained from the liquid data sheet of OBC with its
awareness in animal nutrition
2024 on pomace
fraction of thermally treated alperujo (70 °C, 60 min) through a simplified lab
organoleptic, physicochemical and functional features, and intended uses. A regulatory
sector on OBC commercialization generation forms part of
opportunities. Links were
the four-year series
established with pet food
(2022–2025), confirming
TRL 1
BIOREFINERY with OBC
Status
Has the initial scientific research been
completed, where the fundamental principles of the idea have been postulated
Dev.
and observed?
Do you have scientific papers published that
present the basic principles of your
Dev.
process including
inquiry to SENASA generated manufacturers, formulators and the consistent
research?
Have analytical studies been conducted to
confirm the basic principles of the
Dev.
centrifugation, evaporation, and sedimentation. The hydroxytyrosol was preserved. The resulting natural phenolic
interest at ANMAT and CONAL for possible human food applications.
Cámara Argentina de Empresas de Nutrición Animal (CAENA). (Figure 4).
Figure 4: article published in one of
availability of significant quantity of raw material. Figure 6 shows the pomace generation map.
Figure 6: Pomace generation map, campaign 2024. Sarmiento, San Juan.
technology?
Have applied research activities been
initiated and practical applications
Dev.
identified?
Has an empirical or theoretical design solution been identified?
Dev.
TRL 2 Have the concept of the technology, its
application, and its implementation
Dev.
been formulated?
Have potential users of the
development been explored?
Dev.
Do you have a research team capable
of facilitating the initial feasibility
Dev.
assessment of the technology?
concentrate (OBC) showed
the main web portals
Reference
Have you identified the components of your technology?
Dev.
Have you carried out any market
high antioxidant capacity and
about petfood.
TRL 6: Validation in near-real
validation process for your technology? (R&D in the laboratory plus initial
Dev.
interviews with potential users)
potential to replace synthetic antioxidants in animal feed
2- OBC development was Reference conditions
Have preliminary tests of the
TRL3 components been initiated and technical feasibility established in a
Dev.
laboratory environment?
Have you conducted a study or
(Figure 2) which became the
presented to olive oil companies The OBC production process (MVP 2)
exploration of the regulatory aspects
(ethics committees, standards, and
Dev.
certifications) required for its
first MPV 1.
Figure 3: OBC prototype technical data sheet (MVP 1)
Reference
(Figure 5) to match their expectations.
was designed to be comparable to olive oil extraction due to its simplicity. It was
development?
Have you integrated the main components of your technology?
Dev.
Have you performed laboratory
validation tests to assess the
Dev.
effectiveness of the technology?
tested at pilot scale at the INTA EEA San
Have you continued market validation
TRL 4
of your development through additional interviews with potential users?
Dev.
Juan Olive Oil Extraction Plant (Figure 7). The
Do you have a prototype (even if
incomplete or under improvement) of
Dev.
2
design prioritizes low investment and
your development?
Have the initial tests of the integrated
components been completed in a
Dev.
laboratory environment?
Reference
6
Reference
operating costs to facilitate adoption
Have you tested your prototype at a scale larger than laboratory scale?
Dev.
Have you fully identified and considered
2
Figure 5: XIV ArgOliva 2024 Technical Conferences fostered meetings between
and maximize environmental benefits through process-water recovery.
aspects involved in production at a
scale larger than laboratory scale (raw TRL 5 material costs, equipment,
Dev.
infrastructure adaptation, energy
costs)?
Does the prototype comply with the
Figure 2: Oxidative stability (110 °C) of
olive-oil companies, INTA and INTI,
standards and/or legal or environmental
Dev.
requirements of the sector?
Has the product/system been scaled up
chicken tallow + BHT (200 ppm) vs. tallow +
promoting viable innovative uses of pomace.
Reference
from laboratory to pilot scale, and have the
Dev.
issues affecting scale-up been identified?
OBC (200 ppm HT). Green = conductivity; Red = induction time (h).
TRL 8: System complete in an operational
Figure 7: OBC production process
Have you initiated the process to obtain the
TRL 6
certifications required by governmental agencies for production and deployment of
Dev.
the prototype?
Has the prototype been validated by a
TRL 7: Demonstration + market readiness
Figure 8. Pilot plant
results served as inputs for the Economic–financial
Figure 8: Economic-financial feasibility of the “Biorefinery with OBC” model: results across multiple scenarios.
feasibility (ArgOliva ’24).
Risk and TRL methods were set for application. Reference
environment. Although it still requires
MPV 2 . (1) thermokneader (2) decanter
producing company or an industry actor
ID
with positive results?
Do you have a small-scale production
process (producing commercial products)?
Has the technology been successfully
Dev.
iterative optimizations to reach full market readiness, its development marks a key milestone in validating the olive pomace biorefinery model.
(3) sedimentation (4)
demonstrated in an operational environment?
evaporation, equipment provided by INTI (5) fractionated OBC.
TRL 7 TRL 8
Do you have potential users testing the final version of the product? Do you have an adequate organizational structure for implementation? Do you have a finished product ready for testing with initial clients?
Do you have a marketable product?
Are you producing the product in its final version?
Dev. ID
Dev. ID ID
Have all operational and manufacturing issues been resolved?
ID
TRL 9: Technology fully developed and available
Has the technology been fully developed and become commercially available?
Dev.
TRL 9
Do you have sustained production? Are manufacturing and production
ID
processes being optimized through
ID
This development constitutes the first initiative
incremental innovations?
Dev. (Developed) - ID (In Development)
Figure 9: Development
undertaken at INTA–Nodo de Innovación Cuyo at INTA-EEA
from TRL 1 to TRL 5, with
San Juan, within the framework of a collaborative agreement with INTI.
progress towards TRL 9 in six months.
CONCLUSIONS
The Olive Bio-Phenols Concentrate (OBC), a natural antioxidant In summary, the application of innovation and project management
with significant commercial potential, and its associated best practices enabled the acceleration of the technological
production process represent the first Minimum Viable Products maturation process of this biorefinery model—from TRL 1 to TRL 5, with
(MVPs) achieved through this technological development, marking progress toward TRL 9—in just six effective months of work. This
key milestones in the creation of a viable pomace biorefinery achievement contributes to promote productive diversification within
model. The convergence of industry interest with the technical the olive oil industry and related sectors, paving the way for
capabilities and infrastructure of INTA and INTI provides a strong sustainable value creation from by-products.
foundation for continued progress toward market deployment.
Funding: Convenio No. 146028906 INTI-INTA San Juan-Mendoza and Proyecto INTA PE I005
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