Enhancing Circularity, Sustainability, and Innovation
ONDDO
ONDDO - Growing Sustainable Packaging
What if materials could grow from fungi and local residues? In the Basque Country, ONDDO cultivates mycelium using regional bio-waste to develop biodegradable materials for packaging, design, and ephemeral architecture. The project brings together researchers, designers, and local companies to explore new ways of producing materials, using biological growth instead of extractive processes and giving industrial residues a new role within a circular local economy.
Spain
National
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It involves other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
2025-12-31
No
No
No
Organisation
ONDDO is an innovation project developed by the Basque BioDesign Center to create biomaterials from fungal mycelium and locally sourced bio-residues from regional industries. The project addresses the environmental impact of conventional materials such as plastics and synthetic foams used in packaging, proposing a regenerative and circular alternative based on biofabrication.
The main beneficiaries are local companies seeking sustainable material solutions, designers, architects, researchers, and regional stakeholders involved in the circular bioeconomy. The project contributes to rural territories by valorizing local resources, strengthening links between research, design, and industry, and creating new opportunities for local economic activity.
The project develops biomaterials based on native fungal strains and industrial bio-residues while optimizing cultivation and fabrication processes. Its initial focus is protective packaging as an alternative to materials such as expanded polystyrene (EPS), while also exploring applications in design, architecture, and temporary or lightweight structures where biodegradable materials can support more regenerative approaches to the built environment.
ONDDO has already delivered significant results. A specialized laboratory for mycelium cultivation has been established, and 75 fungal strains native to the Basque territory have been identified and isolated. The project collaborates with 12 local companies, using their bio-residues as substrates for material production. Functional prototypes have been produced and tested, showing promising mechanical performance, lightness, and biodegradability.
The project is now advancing toward further optimization and scaling of production. By transforming local industrial bio-residues into biodegradable materials through biological growth, ONDDO proposes a new model of material production that reduces waste, lowers carbon impact, and strengthens resilient local ecosystems.
The main beneficiaries are local companies seeking sustainable material solutions, designers, architects, researchers, and regional stakeholders involved in the circular bioeconomy. The project contributes to rural territories by valorizing local resources, strengthening links between research, design, and industry, and creating new opportunities for local economic activity.
The project develops biomaterials based on native fungal strains and industrial bio-residues while optimizing cultivation and fabrication processes. Its initial focus is protective packaging as an alternative to materials such as expanded polystyrene (EPS), while also exploring applications in design, architecture, and temporary or lightweight structures where biodegradable materials can support more regenerative approaches to the built environment.
ONDDO has already delivered significant results. A specialized laboratory for mycelium cultivation has been established, and 75 fungal strains native to the Basque territory have been identified and isolated. The project collaborates with 12 local companies, using their bio-residues as substrates for material production. Functional prototypes have been produced and tested, showing promising mechanical performance, lightness, and biodegradability.
The project is now advancing toward further optimization and scaling of production. By transforming local industrial bio-residues into biodegradable materials through biological growth, ONDDO proposes a new model of material production that reduces waste, lowers carbon impact, and strengthens resilient local ecosystems.
ONDDO was initiated by the Basque BioDesign Center as part of its work on biofabrication and sustainable materials. The project responds to a practical challenge: how to transform bio-residues generated by local industries into valuable materials with new environmental and economic potential.
The project is developed by the Basque BioDesign Center, center for biodesign strategies and material innovation.
Through the collaboration with local companies in the Basque Country, the center works with industrial bio-residues that serve as substrates for developing new biomaterials from mycelium.
The team identified and isolated 75 fungal strains from the Basque territory and works with bio-residues supplied by 12 local companies to develop mycelium-based materials.
ONDDO is currently developing different prototypes and product formats based on this biomaterial, ranging from protective packaging to design pieces and elements for ephemeral architecture.
The project has also been presented at packaging industry fairs and design festivals, creating opportunities to share the results, exchange knowledge, and connect with professionals interested in sustainable materials.
The project is developed by the Basque BioDesign Center, center for biodesign strategies and material innovation.
Through the collaboration with local companies in the Basque Country, the center works with industrial bio-residues that serve as substrates for developing new biomaterials from mycelium.
The team identified and isolated 75 fungal strains from the Basque territory and works with bio-residues supplied by 12 local companies to develop mycelium-based materials.
ONDDO is currently developing different prototypes and product formats based on this biomaterial, ranging from protective packaging to design pieces and elements for ephemeral architecture.
The project has also been presented at packaging industry fairs and design festivals, creating opportunities to share the results, exchange knowledge, and connect with professionals interested in sustainable materials.
Biofabrication
Circular bioeconomy
Nature-based materials
Sustainable design
Regenerative materials
ONDDO aims to develop biodegradable materials that reduce dependence on fossil-based plastics and synthetic foams commonly used in packaging and other products. The project addresses environmental challenges related to waste generation, resource extraction, and carbon emissions by promoting materials grown from renewable biological resources that can safely return to natural cycles at the end of their life.
To achieve this, ONDDO works with fungal mycelium and organic by-products generated by local industries. Many of these materials are currently underused or difficult to manage within existing waste systems. Through biofabrication, the project converts these overlooked resources into new biomaterials, turning an environmental burden into a productive material stream.
The Basque BioDesign Center has developed the necessary infrastructure to cultivate and shape these materials and works with a network of regional partners who provide organic substrates and collaborate in developing applications. Materials grow directly in molds, which significantly reduces waste during fabrication and requires relatively low energy compared to conventional industrial production.
The project has already produced functional prototypes that demonstrate properties such as lightness, structural resistance, and biodegradability. These materials are now being developed into different product formats, including protective packaging, design objects, and elements for ephemeral architecture.
ONDDO’s approach is exemplary because it connects biotechnology, design, and local production systems to create a regenerative material model rooted in the territory. By transforming locally available organic resources into new materials through biological growth, the project contributes to a circular bioeconomy while reducing environmental impact and opening new pathways for sustainable material innovation.
To achieve this, ONDDO works with fungal mycelium and organic by-products generated by local industries. Many of these materials are currently underused or difficult to manage within existing waste systems. Through biofabrication, the project converts these overlooked resources into new biomaterials, turning an environmental burden into a productive material stream.
The Basque BioDesign Center has developed the necessary infrastructure to cultivate and shape these materials and works with a network of regional partners who provide organic substrates and collaborate in developing applications. Materials grow directly in molds, which significantly reduces waste during fabrication and requires relatively low energy compared to conventional industrial production.
The project has already produced functional prototypes that demonstrate properties such as lightness, structural resistance, and biodegradability. These materials are now being developed into different product formats, including protective packaging, design objects, and elements for ephemeral architecture.
ONDDO’s approach is exemplary because it connects biotechnology, design, and local production systems to create a regenerative material model rooted in the territory. By transforming locally available organic resources into new materials through biological growth, the project contributes to a circular bioeconomy while reducing environmental impact and opening new pathways for sustainable material innovation.
Beyond sustainability, ONDDO introduces new aesthetic possibilities through materials grown from living organisms. Mycelium-based materials offer organic textures, natural tones, and lightweight structures that contrast with conventional industrial materials, creating a closer visual and tactile connection between people and nature.
A key aspect of the project is the diversity of the material itself. Each fungal strain generates different colors, textures, and structural patterns, while the organic substrates used during cultivation also influence the final characteristics of the material. These combinations create a wide range of visual and tactile expressions while also shaping mechanical properties such as strength, hardness, density, and water resistance. This natural variability produces a palette of materials with distinct qualities and opens possibilities for multiple applications.
Design plays a central role in shaping these materials. At the Basque BioDesign Center, biological growth is combined with design processes and molds that guide the formation of objects and components. This approach allows the development of forms that respond both to functional requirements and to aesthetic qualities such as surface, texture, and spatial presence.
The resulting materials create a distinctive sensory experience. Their porous structure and natural surfaces produce warm tactile qualities, while their acoustic and thermal properties can contribute to comfortable interior environments. These characteristics open possibilities for design objects, packaging solutions, and elements for ephemeral architecture.
The exemplary character of ONDDO lies in introducing a new aesthetic language where biological growth becomes part of design. Natural variability, texture, and material diversity are not imperfections but defining qualities that shape how objects and spaces are experienced.
A key aspect of the project is the diversity of the material itself. Each fungal strain generates different colors, textures, and structural patterns, while the organic substrates used during cultivation also influence the final characteristics of the material. These combinations create a wide range of visual and tactile expressions while also shaping mechanical properties such as strength, hardness, density, and water resistance. This natural variability produces a palette of materials with distinct qualities and opens possibilities for multiple applications.
Design plays a central role in shaping these materials. At the Basque BioDesign Center, biological growth is combined with design processes and molds that guide the formation of objects and components. This approach allows the development of forms that respond both to functional requirements and to aesthetic qualities such as surface, texture, and spatial presence.
The resulting materials create a distinctive sensory experience. Their porous structure and natural surfaces produce warm tactile qualities, while their acoustic and thermal properties can contribute to comfortable interior environments. These characteristics open possibilities for design objects, packaging solutions, and elements for ephemeral architecture.
The exemplary character of ONDDO lies in introducing a new aesthetic language where biological growth becomes part of design. Natural variability, texture, and material diversity are not imperfections but defining qualities that shape how objects and spaces are experienced.
ONDDO promotes inclusion through economic collaboration and the creation of new opportunities within regional production systems. The project connects material innovation with companies that generate organic by-products and with designers and architects interested in rethinking how materials are developed and used in sustainable ways.
By working with regional partners, the project creates a collaborative framework where companies can participate in the development of new biomaterials while identifying alternative uses for materials that are often treated as a waste management challenge. Through this approach, residues that previously represented a problem become valuable raw materials, opening new value chains linked to sustainable material innovation.
At the same time, the project engages designers and architects in exploring the possibilities of these materials in different applications. This exchange between material development, design, and industry encourages new ways of thinking about materials and their role in objects, spaces, and production systems.
Accessibility also plays a role in this approach. Mycelium-based materials can be produced through relatively simple biological growth processes and adaptable molds, allowing development and experimentation at different scales. This flexibility makes it possible for designers, small producers, and companies to engage with biomaterial innovation without relying exclusively on complex industrial infrastructures.
The exemplary character of ONDDO lies in demonstrating how collaborative material innovation can transform environmental challenges into economic opportunities while strengthening regional networks of production, creativity, and sustainable development.
By working with regional partners, the project creates a collaborative framework where companies can participate in the development of new biomaterials while identifying alternative uses for materials that are often treated as a waste management challenge. Through this approach, residues that previously represented a problem become valuable raw materials, opening new value chains linked to sustainable material innovation.
At the same time, the project engages designers and architects in exploring the possibilities of these materials in different applications. This exchange between material development, design, and industry encourages new ways of thinking about materials and their role in objects, spaces, and production systems.
Accessibility also plays a role in this approach. Mycelium-based materials can be produced through relatively simple biological growth processes and adaptable molds, allowing development and experimentation at different scales. This flexibility makes it possible for designers, small producers, and companies to engage with biomaterial innovation without relying exclusively on complex industrial infrastructures.
The exemplary character of ONDDO lies in demonstrating how collaborative material innovation can transform environmental challenges into economic opportunities while strengthening regional networks of production, creativity, and sustainable development.
Participation in ONDDO takes place through a collaborative development process that connects the people who create the material with those who test and apply it in real contexts.
The biomaterial is developed by a multidisciplinary team combining expertise in mycology, biotechnology, engineering, and design. This team works directly on the cultivation, development, and prototyping of the material.
A second level of participation comes from designers and architects who engage with the material to explore its practical possibilities. They work with prototypes and samples to develop applications in packaging, design objects, exhibition formats, and ephemeral architecture. Their role is essential in translating the material from biological development into design and spatial applications.
Companies also participate as end users of the material. Businesses from sectors such as packaging, exhibition design, and temporary architecture explore how these biomaterials can be integrated into products and installations. Their feedback helps refine the development of material formats and applications.
Participation further extends to the educational and creative community. Students, bio-designers, and participants from universities and creative disciplines engage with the material through training programs, workshops, and courses where they learn about biofabrication and experiment directly with the material.
Through this structure, ONDDO creates a participatory environment in which scientists, designers, companies, and learners contribute to the evolution of the material and its possible uses. The project grows through this continuous exchange between development, application, and learning.
The biomaterial is developed by a multidisciplinary team combining expertise in mycology, biotechnology, engineering, and design. This team works directly on the cultivation, development, and prototyping of the material.
A second level of participation comes from designers and architects who engage with the material to explore its practical possibilities. They work with prototypes and samples to develop applications in packaging, design objects, exhibition formats, and ephemeral architecture. Their role is essential in translating the material from biological development into design and spatial applications.
Companies also participate as end users of the material. Businesses from sectors such as packaging, exhibition design, and temporary architecture explore how these biomaterials can be integrated into products and installations. Their feedback helps refine the development of material formats and applications.
Participation further extends to the educational and creative community. Students, bio-designers, and participants from universities and creative disciplines engage with the material through training programs, workshops, and courses where they learn about biofabrication and experiment directly with the material.
Through this structure, ONDDO creates a participatory environment in which scientists, designers, companies, and learners contribute to the evolution of the material and its possible uses. The project grows through this continuous exchange between development, application, and learning.
ONDDO connects actors at different levels, from local production networks to wider professional and cultural platforms, creating a governance model based on collaboration across scales.
At the local level, the project works with companies that provide organic by-products and with businesses interested in applying the material in real contexts. These relationships connect material development with existing productive realities and allow the project to respond to concrete needs in sectors such as packaging, exhibition design, and ephemeral architecture.
At the regional level, the project strengthens connections between the creative sector, material innovation, and industrial activity in the Basque Country. This creates a framework in which local resources, technical knowledge, and design capacity can interact as part of a shared regional ecosystem.
At a broader level, ONDDO has been presented at packaging fairs, design festivals, and educational contexts that connect the project with wider professional, academic, and cultural audiences. These platforms expand visibility, open new collaborations, and allow the project to exchange knowledge beyond its immediate environment.
The added value of this multilevel approach is that it links territorial resources and regional actors with wider innovation and dissemination networks. This helps the project grow in a grounded way while remaining connected to broader conversations on sustainable materials, design, and biofabrication.
At the local level, the project works with companies that provide organic by-products and with businesses interested in applying the material in real contexts. These relationships connect material development with existing productive realities and allow the project to respond to concrete needs in sectors such as packaging, exhibition design, and ephemeral architecture.
At the regional level, the project strengthens connections between the creative sector, material innovation, and industrial activity in the Basque Country. This creates a framework in which local resources, technical knowledge, and design capacity can interact as part of a shared regional ecosystem.
At a broader level, ONDDO has been presented at packaging fairs, design festivals, and educational contexts that connect the project with wider professional, academic, and cultural audiences. These platforms expand visibility, open new collaborations, and allow the project to exchange knowledge beyond its immediate environment.
The added value of this multilevel approach is that it links territorial resources and regional actors with wider innovation and dissemination networks. This helps the project grow in a grounded way while remaining connected to broader conversations on sustainable materials, design, and biofabrication.
ONDDO is based on a transdisciplinary approach in which different fields of knowledge contribute to the development and application of the material.
The core development team combines mycology, biotechnology, design, and engineering. The mycologist and biotechnologist guide the biological development of the material, while designers and engineers work on shaping, prototyping, performance, and application. This combination allows the material to be developed not only as a biological process, but also as a functional and adaptable design material.
A second layer of transdisciplinary work emerges through its applications. Designers and architects use the material to explore how it can operate in different objects, formats, and spatial contexts, from packaging to exhibition elements and ephemeral architecture. Their contribution expands the material from technical development into design practice and spatial thinking.
Education also plays a role in this transdisciplinary model. Through courses, workshops, and training activities, students and participants from creative disciplines engage with biological materials, learning through direct contact with processes that connect science, design, and making.
The exemplary character of ONDDO lies in the way these fields do not remain separate. Biology, technology, design, architecture, and education are all part of the same process, allowing the material to evolve through multiple forms of knowledge and use.
The core development team combines mycology, biotechnology, design, and engineering. The mycologist and biotechnologist guide the biological development of the material, while designers and engineers work on shaping, prototyping, performance, and application. This combination allows the material to be developed not only as a biological process, but also as a functional and adaptable design material.
A second layer of transdisciplinary work emerges through its applications. Designers and architects use the material to explore how it can operate in different objects, formats, and spatial contexts, from packaging to exhibition elements and ephemeral architecture. Their contribution expands the material from technical development into design practice and spatial thinking.
Education also plays a role in this transdisciplinary model. Through courses, workshops, and training activities, students and participants from creative disciplines engage with biological materials, learning through direct contact with processes that connect science, design, and making.
The exemplary character of ONDDO lies in the way these fields do not remain separate. Biology, technology, design, architecture, and education are all part of the same process, allowing the material to evolve through multiple forms of knowledge and use.
ONDDO has developed a business model focused on the creation and validation of mycelium-based biomaterials as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic foams and synthetic materials used in packaging and other applications. The Basque BioDesign Center operates as a material innovation and prototyping hub, where biomaterial formulations, prototypes, and product formats are developed and tested before being transferred to industrial partners for larger-scale production.
The core value proposition lies in the development of biodegradable materials grown from fungal mycelium and organic by-products generated by regional industries. These biomaterials can replace expanded polystyrene (EPS) and other plastic foams while also enabling new applications in design, interior elements, and lightweight structures.
The model is currently being implemented through pilot collaborations with companies that explore how the material can be integrated into their products and spatial solutions. In this framework, prototypes and material formats are developed and tested, while future large-scale production would be carried out by industrial partners capable of scaling the material.
Potential revenue streams include material development and prototyping services for companies, collaborative product development, and the transfer or licensing of biomaterial solutions for industrial production. Additional support comes from participation in research and innovation programs and public funding schemes related to circular bioeconomy and sustainable materials.
The project is currently in the new phase focused on optimizing production processes and reducing energy consumption during cultivation and post-processing. This work aims to maintain low-energy biological production while preparing the material for future scaling.
The core value proposition lies in the development of biodegradable materials grown from fungal mycelium and organic by-products generated by regional industries. These biomaterials can replace expanded polystyrene (EPS) and other plastic foams while also enabling new applications in design, interior elements, and lightweight structures.
The model is currently being implemented through pilot collaborations with companies that explore how the material can be integrated into their products and spatial solutions. In this framework, prototypes and material formats are developed and tested, while future large-scale production would be carried out by industrial partners capable of scaling the material.
Potential revenue streams include material development and prototyping services for companies, collaborative product development, and the transfer or licensing of biomaterial solutions for industrial production. Additional support comes from participation in research and innovation programs and public funding schemes related to circular bioeconomy and sustainable materials.
The project is currently in the new phase focused on optimizing production processes and reducing energy consumption during cultivation and post-processing. This work aims to maintain low-energy biological production while preparing the material for future scaling.
The ONDDO model has strong potential for transferability because it is based on biological production processes and development methods that can be adapted to different regions and industrial contexts.
A key transferable element is the biofabrication methodology used to cultivate mycelium-based materials from organic by-products. Since most regions generate agricultural or industrial residues, the same approach can be applied by adapting the choice of substrates to locally available resources while maintaining similar cultivation and material development principles.
Another replicable aspect is the innovation model based on prototyping and validation before industrial scaling. In this framework, a development center works on biomaterial formulation, cultivation protocols, and mold-based production systems to generate prototypes and test applications. Once validated, the material formats can be transferred to industrial partners capable of scaling production.
The project also demonstrates a collaborative approach between science, design, and industry. Designers and architects explore the material through prototypes and applications, while companies assess how it can be integrated into products and spatial solutions.
The versatility of the material platform supports scalability across sectors. While initial applications focus on protective packaging, the same material can be adapted for design objects, exhibition elements, interior applications, and components for ephemeral architecture.
Because the system combines local resources, adaptable biological processes, and collaborative development, the ONDDO model can be replicated in other regions interested in developing biomaterials linked to local circular economies.
A key transferable element is the biofabrication methodology used to cultivate mycelium-based materials from organic by-products. Since most regions generate agricultural or industrial residues, the same approach can be applied by adapting the choice of substrates to locally available resources while maintaining similar cultivation and material development principles.
Another replicable aspect is the innovation model based on prototyping and validation before industrial scaling. In this framework, a development center works on biomaterial formulation, cultivation protocols, and mold-based production systems to generate prototypes and test applications. Once validated, the material formats can be transferred to industrial partners capable of scaling production.
The project also demonstrates a collaborative approach between science, design, and industry. Designers and architects explore the material through prototypes and applications, while companies assess how it can be integrated into products and spatial solutions.
The versatility of the material platform supports scalability across sectors. While initial applications focus on protective packaging, the same material can be adapted for design objects, exhibition elements, interior applications, and components for ephemeral architecture.
Because the system combines local resources, adaptable biological processes, and collaborative development, the ONDDO model can be replicated in other regions interested in developing biomaterials linked to local circular economies.
