Amura drives the adoption of structural biocomposites with the European project BioStruct
European technology to transform composite materials.
The Galician company Amura, shipyard and nautical services, will be present at Navalia 2026 to showcase the progress of the European project BioStruct, in which it participates as an industrial partner building a vessel from biomaterials.
Composites have become consolidated in the nautical industry thanks to their lightness and strength. However, their basis in synthetic fibres and petroleum-derived resins makes recycling difficult and increases their environmental impact at the end of their life cycle. It is estimated that, in Europe alone, more than 40,000 tonnes of composite waste end up every year in landfills or incinerators, and that the use of composites will grow by 6.8% annually until 2030. In this context, the search for sustainable alternatives has become a priority.
BioStruct seeks to address this problem by developing sustainable structural solutions based on natural fibres and bio-based resins, which can replace conventional composites without compromising their technical properties. What is truly innovative is that these biomaterials are being evaluated and optimised for structural applications, something unusual until now due to perceived mechanical limitations.
The objective is to demonstrate that these biocomposites can offer strength, lightness and durability, while reducing environmental impact. The project includes the structural validation of these solutions and the construction of a real vessel using advanced techniques such as draping, vacuum infusion and automated quality control, and incorporating bio-structured nanosensors for load monitoring and structural integrity during real use.
The BioStruct consortium is made up of 10 entities from 5 European countries, with co-funding of 5.48 million euros through the Horizon Europe programme. The project points to a potential market estimated at 100 million euros by 2030, covering sectors such as naval, energy and automotive.