HELVA — Hybrid ELectrosynthesis of Value-Added chemicals — is a European research project coordinated by ICFO that proposes a radical alternative to petrochemical manufacturing: converting CO₂ into bioplastics through a tandem process combining electrosynthesis and microbial bio-upgrade, powered entirely by renewable energy.

The central challenge of the identity was to make legible a process that operates at the intersection of three scientific disciplines — electrochemistry, biology, and materials science — without reducing it to any single one of them. The mark had to carry that convergence structurally, not decoratively.

The isotope resolves this through a single continuous form: a spiral that simultaneously references the recycling loop, the double helix of DNA, and the molecular geometry of CO₂. These are not applied as symbols layered on top of a shape — they are latent in the same gesture, readable at different registers depending on the viewer’s familiarity with the science. The wordmark completes the concept: the capitalized V activates the acronym embedded in the project name, giving the logotype a second reading that rewards attention.

The color palette negotiates between two registers: deep navy and off-white anchor the system in scientific credibility, while yellow and wine red introduce the thermal energy and biological warmth that the process itself depends on. Together they signal a project that is rigorous without being cold.