Diapath and the EIC GHG Tool: How an Italian pathology SME began a structured carbon reduction journey

Brussels, March 31st 2023

Summary

›Diapath, an Italian SME producing anatomic pathology instruments and reagents, used the EIC GHG Tool to quantify its carbon footprint and identify mitigation priorities.
›Participation moved the company from informal environmental concern to a structured plan including CO2 calculation, strategic project selection and a signed commitment to reduce emissions.
›Planned measures include on-site solar PV to supply more than half of electricity needs, product redesign to cut transport and equipment energy use, and recyclable packaging.
›Diapath reports early benefits such as staff engagement and reduced energy costs but notes the medical sector faces regulatory and practical limits to rapid decarbonisation.
›The EIC GHG Tool offered a science based approach and expert guidance but the tool is no longer in use and external verification is recommended to validate reported outcomes.

Diapath and the green transition: from awareness to an organised emissions reduction plan

Diapath is an Italian small or medium enterprise that designs and supplies instruments and reagents used in anatomic pathology laboratories, hospitals and research centres around the world. In 2022 the company took part in the European Innovation Council Greenhouse Gas Programme. The programme included an EIC GHG Tool used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions, simulate mitigation options and identify strategic projects that would most reduce the company’s footprint. Diapath reports that the exercise moved it from a general awareness of environmental issues to a structured action plan and a formal commitment to reduce emissions.

Who is Diapath and what drives its innovation

Diapath positions itself as a leading Italian SME in the anatomic pathology field. The company says it invests about eight percent of turnover in research and development each year. That investment has produced two dozen patents and several trademarks. The Innovation Department was established in 2019 under Dr Carmelo Lupo and follows a multidisciplinary, experimental research approach. Staff interviewed for the EIC feature identify the company mission as improving diagnostic quality for pathologists and patients while increasing usability, reliability, safety and ecological sensitivity of products.

Role and remit of the company:A biotechnologist at Diapath described her role in the Innovation Department as developing new projects and technologies for pathology workflows. The department mixes scientific research and product design to evolve existing technologies and processes with an emphasis that is increasingly including environmental issues.

What the EIC GHG Programme offered and how Diapath used it

The EIC GHG Programme ran from January 2021 until December 2022. It offered participating EIC beneficiaries a tool that aligned with the internationally recognised GHG Protocol and sought to help startups and SMEs assess their emissions and model mitigation measures compatible with EU objectives. Diapath joined the initiative to obtain a structured assessment of its greenhouse gas emissions and to define strategic projects with the highest potential to reduce its footprint.

EIC GHG Tool explained:The EIC GHG Tool was designed to let organisations calculate emissions along commonly accepted boundaries, simulate mitigation scenarios and produce a roadmap for reductions. It followed the GHG Protocol approach which separates emissions into direct emissions, indirect emissions from purchased energy, and indirect value chain emissions. Note that the EIC Community later advised that the GHG Tool is no longer in use and that new activities will be announced.

Why the exercise mattered to Diapath

Before the programme Diapath had a general interest in environmental issues but had not undertaken a specific structured pathway to measure and reduce its emissions. Using the GHG Tool the company completed a CO2 calculation and then identified and prioritised strategic projects. This led Diapath to obtain two programme badges and to sign a letter of commitment to reduce emissions in coming years.

Badge and CO2 Neutral Label status:Diapath reported achieving the first milestone of completing a CO2 inventory and then obtaining the second badge that relates to defining strategic projects with significant impact. As part of the process the company signed a letter committing to emissions reductions. The badges functioned as intermediate signals of progress within the EIC initiative.

Constraints that shape low carbon options in medical products

Diapath operates in a regulated area where many products are chemical reagents that come into contact with biological materials. International rules for disposal classify such wastes as special waste and impose strict handling and disposal obligations. These constraints limit some commonly used circular economy options and mean that changes need careful design to remain compliant with health and safety rules.

Anatomic pathology and waste management:Anatomic pathology workflows use fixatives, stains and other chemicals that may be biohazardous or toxic. This makes substitution, recycling and on-site reuse harder than in less regulated sectors. Any product redesign or packaging change must maintain safety, sterility and compliance with medical waste regulations.

Measures implemented and planned

Diapath enumerated several structural and product level measures it is implementing or planning. The company emphasised that fast growth makes absolute reductions difficult but described a mix of energy, product and packaging measures intended to reduce emissions and operating costs.

Measure	Scope and description	Reported or expected impact
Solar photovoltaic installation	On-site solar panels to produce electricity for internal use	Target to cover more than 50 percent of company electricity needs and reduce energy costs
Product redesign projects	Developing instruments and reagent systems to lower transport needs and reduce energy consumption of installed equipment	Lower footprint from logistics and customer-side energy use; details and quantitative estimates not provided
Recyclable packaging	Move packaging materials to recyclable formats where possible while respecting product safety	Reduces waste sent to special disposal streams and supports circularity goals
Organisational actions	Targets across packaging, technology, work practices and mobility; staff engagement and internal awareness	Improved employee motivation and potential indirect emissions reductions

Early outcomes and return on investment

Diapath reports nonfinancial and financial benefits from its initial activities. Internal engagement increased, which the company cites as important for embedding change. Energy cost reductions from efficiency measures and on-site generation were reported as significant so far. The company also values external validation as it helps stakeholders evaluate reported results and bolsters credibility.

Need for verification:Diapath acknowledged that independent third party verification of the analysis would increase trust. The company sees the GHG project as facilitating external checking of methodology, data collection and results.

What Diapath found useful about the EIC GHG Tool

According to Diapath the value of the EIC tool was the science based approach and the expert guidance provided while framing the company structure and the types of purchased and sold products. They say that expert input helped translate general environmental intent into concrete strategic projects. The company reports the ideas and recommendations will influence decisions at product design and organisational levels.

Limits and broader sector implications

Diapath highlighted a structural issue that affects many medical suppliers. The medical sector is comparatively slow to adopt sustainability measures because safety, regulation and patient care imperatives create additional constraints and costs. Diapath described the mission as long and challenging but argued the sector must engage because its carbon footprint is large and because sustainability is aligned with the sector purpose of protecting health.

A cautious reading of Diapath’s claims is warranted. The company presents planned measures and initial benefits but does not publish full quantitative baselines or third party verified emissions reductions. The EIC GHG Tool itself is reported by the EIC Community as no longer in use, which raises questions about continuity of support and about how companies will access similar services going forward.

Analysis and takeaways for EU innovation policy

Diapath’s experience illustrates a common sequence for SMEs in the EU innovation ecosystem. Firms often hold an informal commitment to environmental concerns but lack the data, tools and expert support to define credible decarbonisation plans. Interventions by programmes such as the EIC can accelerate that process by providing methodologies and advisory help. However policy makers and funders should also ensure continuity of tools and systems for verification so that companies can credibly report progress to investors, regulators and customers.

Why verification and continued support matter:Measurement without consistent methodologies and third party checks risks producing claims that are hard to validate. For strategic sectors such as medical devices the EU may need to combine tailored guidance on safe material substitution with certified measurement platforms and incentives for verified performance improvements.

Final reflections from Diapath

Diapath emphasises transparency in accounting, trackable methodologies, and open communication about collection processes and analyses. The company aspires to be a best practice example in a slow moving sector. Its story is one of early commitment and pragmatic planning rather than quick fixes. It shows how a small, R&D intensive firm can begin aligning product design, operations and organisational behaviour with emissions reduction goals while navigating regulatory and technical constraints.

More information and next steps

The European Innovation Council previously made the EIC GHG Tool available to beneficiaries to calculate footprints and simulate mitigation measures. The EIC Community now reports that the tool is no longer in use and that new activities will be announced. Companies that took part in the programme including Diapath can use their experience to pursue internal projects and seek external validation. Stakeholders should watch for successor services from the EIC and consider third party verification as a next step to substantiate emissions claims.

If you are an EIC-funded company interested in reducing CO2 emissions consult the EIC Community for updates on available tools and support.