A Light in the Darkness: The Italian Patent Set to Transform the Cremation World

NATIONWIDE - AUGUST 2025 - (USAnews.com) — The cremation industry is experiencing rapid global growth, but it faces a significant challenge: inefficiency. The process of determining when a cremation is complete has traditionally relied on the subjective judgment of human operators. Technicians visually inspect the chamber at 5-10 minute intervals, a method that is not only imprecise but also results in a tremendous waste of time and energy. This empirical approach extends the cremation cycle by 5 to 15 minutes more than necessary, translating into higher fuel consumption and fewer operations per day.

LUCE: The High-Tech Solution

This is where LUCE comes in—an innovative, internationally patented optical device poised to revolutionize the sector. Developed by the Italian company B-CP srl, LUCE uses a sophisticated combination of optical technology, lasers, and an advanced algorithm to precisely determine the end of the process. The system can recognize the reduction of soft tissues, the evolution of bone remains, and the absence of flames, signaling the exact moment of completion. This eliminates guesswork and the need for constant manual checks, allowing for a more streamlined and efficient operation.

The Minds Behind the Innovation

The LUCE patent is the result of the collaboration between two visionary entrepreneurs. The first is Marco Baccini, CEO of B-CP srl, a serial entrepreneur with different businesses related to the funeral sector. His deep industry knowledge, also gained to work and visit cremation plans in more than 32 countries. His position as founder of U.N.I.C. ITALIA (National Union of Cremation Companies) facilitated relations with all the Italian cremation players, the initial tests, the collection of opinions and interviews with system technicians, and the many improvements made day by day to the patent.

 The second is his partner, an expert with over 15 years of experience in creating and managing disruptive technologies in the field of opto-electronics. His technical expertise in advanced optical systems was crucial in bringing LUCE's cutting-edge technology to life.

B-CP: The Company Shaping the Future

B-CP srl, the exclusive licensee of the LUCE patent, is a company dedicated to providing innovative solutions for the cremation world. Its business model is based on a "pay-per-use" system: the device is provided to facilities free of charge, and they pay a "Token" for each cremation performed, equivalent to about 0.5% of the service's value. This makes the technology accessible to a wide range of facilities, allowing them to benefit from increased efficiency and savings without a large initial investment.

A Multi-Million Dollar Market

The economic potential of LUCE is enormous. A valuation report estimates the patent's global annual value at €15,335,492.00. For the United States alone, the value is estimated at €4,912,531.00 (based on 2018/2019 data). The expected revenue over the next 10 years is €54,088,644.00 in Europe and €236,511,726.00 in the rest of the world. For the US, the projected turnover in the first 10 years, assuming 60% market penetration, is a staggering $91,001,136.00, with an additional $7,367,880.00 for Canada.

An Interview with Marco Baccini

We asked Marco Baccini a few questions to better understand the project.

"We've explained the inefficiency problem, but what was the exact moment, personal experience, or on-the-ground observation that made you think, 'We need a technological solution here'? Was there a 'Eureka moment'?"

"The idea for the technology came to me while I was attending an industry conference in Zurich. The conference focused particularly on the sustainability aspects of the sector. Among the various proposals, no one had considered the time wasted during the process. Having operated in 32 countries and visited thousands of crematoriums, I realized that one of the key issues was the empirical estimation made by operators all over the world to determine the end of the process. This wasted time actually increases consumption, emissions, and cremation times."

"Your profile and your partner's are very different: you are an entrepreneur with experience in the funeral sector, while he is an expert in advanced optical technologies. How did your collaboration come about? How did you meet and realize you could create something revolutionary together?"

"I met my partner, who works in the advanced opto-electronics sector, at the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival. At that time, I was looking for a team of collaborators who could support me in developing the project we later named LUCE. A mutual friend invited me to visit him, and I understood his knowledge and ability to create specific optical devices. I proposed the project to him immediately, and without much thought, he told me he was interested. A month later, we met for the first meeting."

"Beyond the economic savings, what feedback have you received from crematorium operators who have seen or tested LUCE? How does it concretely change their workday?"

"The feedback from technicians is more than excellent because it provides them with a support device that doesn't distract them from performing other tasks while waiting for the cremation process to end. It's as if while you are writing an important newspaper article, you had to get up every 2-5 minutes to look out a window two or three rooms away to see if it's sunny or raining. Inconvenient, right?"

"How complex is it to install LUCE in an existing facility? Does it require structural changes to the furnace or specific training for the staff?"

"LUCE was designed as a set of hardware that can be installed on any existing or new cremation plant. The system is external and does not involve any tampering with the plant or its software. It is installed by the manufacturers of the cremation plants themselves, who, understanding the value of the project, agreed to a synergy for faster development and positioning. The system is supported by a telescopic arm anchored to the wall, ceiling, floor, or the plant itself. All the operator has to do is move and reposition the system after each cycle by pressing a button. LUCE takes care of the rest."

"The American market is one of your main targets. What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you foresee in introducing such a specific Italian technology to such a vast and culturally diverse market?"

"Unfortunately, the theme of death affects all of humanity, so there are no borders. America represents a huge challenge given the high demand for cremation. We have always been enthusiastic about the American approach to business, and we plan, with the right partners, to implement a service that becomes standard for all funeral operators, large and small. Since it is a pay-per-use technology, it is accessible to everyone from the small funeral director who owns a low-volume cremation plant to large groups that handle thousands of services a year. Furthermore, being a service technology, we would have no limits in moving a headquarters directly to the USA to make the product a 100% USA-managed service. I also already know that my partner loves the United States, so we could divide our time between the two continents with great pleasure."

For more information check their website.