Microexativa is a project promoted by the Campania region through the European Social Fund POR CAMPANIA FESR 2014/2020.

The regional Microexativa project, winner of the “Innovation and technology transfer: support for companies in Campania in the realization of feasibility studies and projects consistent with RIS3” call for proposals is the result of the collaboration of Eng4Life with Mater, a company providing services to businesses, and the University of Studies of Salerno.

The objective of the regional project is to develop a pilot-scale prototype to conduct an innovative solvent-free extraction process using microwaves (Solvent-Free Microwave Extraction SFME). This process is particularly suitable for the extraction of high added value substances, such as those contained in Cannabis Sativa.

With the help of microwaves, the extraction can be completed without solvents in a few minutes instead of hours with various advantages. The microwaves (MW) are electromagnetic waves that act as non-ionizing radiations that cause molecular motions of ions and rotation of the dipoles, not influencing the molecular structure of the irradiated matrix. In MW-assisted solvent-free extraction, the water in plant cells is stimulated to rotate, generating heat and a subsequent increase in pressure within the plant cells that break and release the active ingredients contained in them. SFME extraction is a key technology to reach the green chemistry target and represents one of the attractive techniques to extract and separate interesting high added value compounds from solid samples.

The scientific research, aimed at optimizing the SFME process for the extraction of CBD from Cannabis Light, has been supported by a series of market research activities, with the aim of creating a detailed photograph of the Italian production chain in the sector of Cannabis.

Order to achieve this goal, it was distributed a survey questionnaire to companies operating in the sector, the survey was carried out using the CAWI method (Computer Assisted Web Interview). The results were processed based on the self-declarations of the Italian companies operating in the Cannabis Light sector that voluntarily took part in the online survey. The survey period: from 5 August 2019 to 23 September 2019.

The survey sample corresponds to 10% of the about 1,500 companies contacted by certified e-mail.