Author: Louis Ferrini

The European Bioeconomy Network (EUBioNet) is a proactive alliance of EU funded projects dealing with Bioeconomy promotion, communication and support. The main goal is to maximise the efforts, increasing the knowledge sharing, networking, mutual learning, coordination of joint activities and events. The European Bioeconomy Network will work in close collaboration with the European Commission, to ensure that the objectives identified by the Bioeconomy Strategy update will be properly communicated, addressed and implemented.

EBU label project

Posted on 06/09/202206/09/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/08/2023

EBU student journey. Bioeconomy qualification supplement

The European Bioeconomy University (EBU) offers a common qualification supplement (here: label) that will be granted to master students of bioeconomy-relevant study programs offered at the six EBU partner universities. This label aims to upgrade and connect existing, disciplinary university curricula on the master level with inter-and trans-disciplinarity, cross-sectoral collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and sustainability competencies, skills that have been identified as crucial for bioeconomy. So, the students will be encouraged to develop a T-shaped skills profile consisting of disciplinary expertise, relevant soft skills as well as sustainability competences.
The project explicitly promotes and equips the students with an understanding of bioeconomy-related disciplines and their scientific language in addition to the connection with their own disciplinary expertise.
By obtaining the EBU label, the students will be recognized as professionals with the right knowledge and skills to shape the transformation towards a sustainable bioeconomy.

Contacts:

Lina Mayorga Duarte: Lina.mayorgaduarte@uni-hohenheim.de

website: https://european-bioeconomy-university.eu/education/ebu-label/

BeonNAT project

Posted on 02/09/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 30/06/2025

Innovative value chains from tree & shrub species grown in marginal lands as a source of biomass for bio-based industries

BeonNAT project proposes to use marginal lands in Europe (estimated 4.3 M km2 and 0.4M km2 of agricultural and forest marginal in EU-28, respectively) to obtain forest biomass for the production of 8 products based on new biobased value chains: essential oils, extracts, wood paper, particleboard, bioplastics, biochar, active carbon and absorbents. This way, BeonNAT will allow for the production of biodegradable bio-based products and bioactive compounds that will play an important role to replace fossil-based competing substitute products.

Contacts:

Luis Esteban (Coordinator): luis.esteban@ciemat.es

Iciar Serrano (Communication): iciar.serrano@contactica.es

website: https://beonnat.eu/

LABPLAS project

Posted on 19/07/202219/07/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/05/2025

LAnd-Based solutions for PLAstics in the Sea

Plastic is pouring from land into our oceans at a rate of nearly 10 million tonnes a year. Once in the sea, plastics fragment into particles moving with the currents and ocean gyres before washing up on the coastline. The smaller the size the higher the risk posed by these particles to organisms and human health. EU-funded LABPLAS will develop new techniques and models for the quantification of small micro- and nano plastics (SMNP). Specifically, LABPLAS will determine reliable identification methods for more accurate assessment of the abundance, distribution, and toxicity determination of SMNP and associated chemicals in the environment. It will also develop practical computational tools to facilitate the mapping of plastic-impacted hotspots and promote scientifically sound plastic governance.

Contacts:

Cynthia Gómez (Project Manager) – cynthia.gomez@uvigo.gal

website: https://labplas.eu/

BIOMODEL4REGIONS project

Posted on 23/06/202224/06/2022 by Louis Ferrini

Supporting the establishment of the innovative governance models to achieve better-informed decision-making processes, social engagement and innovation in the bio-based economy

The BIOMODEL4REGIONS project aims to support the establishment of the innovative governance models at local/regional level to achieve better-informed decision-making processes, social engagement and innovation to support and strengthen EU and international science-policy interfaces to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by:

- Supporting the development of regional/local strategies, aiming at exploiting the local potentials and innovations by integrating the opportunities created by the local bio-based economy thus contributing to the broader bioeconomy transition;
- Developing novel business models to enable consumers, industry/producers and public bodies to a societal switch towards environmentally responsible behaviour by means of biobased products and services;
- Developing best practice guidelines for local operators and innovation developers, supporting climate-neutrality and low environmental footprint improvements of bio-based products and services.
The methodology is based on the set-up of a governance structure among bioeconomy clusters that will leverage on previous successful projects, initiatives and best practices to capitalise on work performed through several years of research and studies in the field of bioeconomy. These results will be demonstrated within the project to support 6 pilot regions chosen in clusters’ network.
The pilot regions , taking into account different model regions (Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central-Western EU), their conditions and assets and different primary sectors (forestry, agri-food, aquatic biomass and organic fraction of municipal solid waste- OFMSW) will be demonstrated under a fully transferable case-study approach, that can be replicated throughout Europe to demonstrate the replicability of the approach after the end of the project.

Contacts:

Patrizia Circelli (Ciaotech/PNO) – p.circelli@ciaotech.com

Karolina Jurkiewicz (APRE) – Jurkiewicz@apre.it

SusFeed project

Posted on 10/06/202210/06/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/12/2025

Sustainable feed production from Norwegian bio-resources for livestock and aquaculture

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to identifying sustainable and cost-effective animal feed materials to address issues such as food security, GhG emissions, climate change, and, in Norway, ambitious targets to increase salmon production. This search for novel feed ingredients and sources is creating new opportunities for companies working with bioresources. One option is the use of new feed technologies that promise to enhance food security, lower GhG emissions, promote sustainability and create new industries for food production in Norway. This is likely to dramatically transform the existing feed system. While there has been a focus on developing new feeds, we have very limited knowledge on the overall feed system and how it is changing – knowledge that is critical for meeting the future needs of the agri- and aquaculture sectors.

How sustainable will the feed system be and how can we sustainably source feed in the volumes required? The aim of SusFeed is to develop an in-depth understanding of the feed system: how feed can be harvested, produced, processed and distributed to supply the growing and changing needs of Norway’s agri- and aquacultural sectors. For this, we will apply a systems approach to mapping the domestic feed system and, using a systems model, conduct environmental, social and economic sustainability assessments. SusFeeds multi-disciplinary team involves researchers from the social sciences, biology, agronomy, nutrition and technology, working closely with 18 business partners, stakeholders and other interest groups involved in the feed value chain. Our primary output will be a model of the Norwegian feed supply system that maps potential domestic feed ingredients, their potential for industrial up-scaling and sustainability. This will provide the basis for the establishment of a future feed supply system that operates across sectors and incorporates potentially disruptive technologies and innovation the coming decades.

Contact:

Egil Petter Stræte
email: egil.petter.strate@ruralis.no

website: https://ruralis.no/en/projects/susfeed-baerekraftig-norsk-forproduksjon/

BL2F project

Posted on 09/06/202209/06/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 30/09/2023

Black Liquor to Fuel

Aviation and shipping sectors are two areas of transport that are expected to grow at an incredibly fast rate, and so will their greenhouse gas emissions.

To tackle this challenge the BL2F project (Black Liquor to Fuel) will create a new, clean fuel to be used as an alternative to current fossil fuels.

BL2F is a Horizon 2020 project that will take the waste-stream of the pulp-and-paper industry, called Black Liquor, and create an end-to-end chain to produce a biofuel ready to be used in plane and ship engines. The process begins at the pulp mill, where Black Liquor will be converted into a biofuel intermediate using a novel integrated Hydrothermal Liquefaction (IHTL) concept. The biofuel intermediate will then be refined and upgraded to produce aviation and marine fuel. All the production steps in BL2F, will be optimised to make the process economically and technically feasible.

Led by Tampere University, the consortium consists of a mix of 12 partners which all bring in different resources and expertise to help ensure the project’s success. Employing the BL2F process can reduce waste, cost, greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to a circular economy. Large-scale use of the processes and fuel developed by the project can be an important asset in the fight against climate change

Contact:

Prof. of Practice Tero Joronen
email: hello@bl2f.eu

website: https://www.bl2f.eu/

BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project

Posted on 17/05/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 30/09/2023

Developing and Implementing Sustainability-Based Solutions for Bio-Based Plastic Production and Use to Preserve Land and Sea Environmental Quality in Europe

The project BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE addresses the topic „Sustainable solutions for bio-based plastics on land and sea“ (Topic identifier: CE-BG-06-2019), within the focus area „Connecting economic and environmental gains – the Circular Econonmy (CE)“ and will focus on sustainability strategies and solutions for bio-based products to support the Plastics Strategy. This shall include innovative product design and business models facilitating efficient reuse and recycling strategies and solutions, including ensuring the safety of recycled materials when used for toys or packaging food stuffs. In line with the EU strategy on international cooperation in research and innovation and in order to encourage the further replication, the European consortium is complemented by a partner in Malaysia, providing an added value and helping them to address the many problems they face.

Contact:

Dr. Jelena Barbir
email: Jelena.barbir@haw-hamburg.de

website: https://www.bioplasticseurope.eu/

OLEAF4VALUE project

Posted on 06/05/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 30/06/2024

Olive leaf multi-product cascade based biorefinery

From an under-used biomass in the primary sector to tailormade solutions for high added value international market applications. The goal of OLEAF4VALUE is to set up the basis of six smart value chains based on a newly developed 4.0 concept: Smart Dynamic Multi-Valorisation-Route Biorefinery (SAMBIO) for the cascade valorisation of the olive leaf biomass according to its initial composition (Biomass Suitability Index – BSI). OLEAF4VALUE will give a new life to olive leaves, solving the problem of its removal from the fields while obtaining high added value bioactive compounds with high-market potential.

Contact:

Andrea León
email: andrea.leon@innovarum.es

website: https://oleaf4value.eu/

INDEPENDENT project

Posted on 08/04/202210/04/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/12/2027

INDEPENDENT Integrated Biorefinery Concept for Bioeconomy Driven Development

The interest in generating renewable fuels from algae, has gained attraction for quite long time and pursued by both public and private entities. Yet, the pressure of budget cuts, global economic crisis and fluctuating oil prices have pushed back the progress of algal research and development efforts. Meanwhile, Europe is moving towards a bioeconomy driven future along with renewable fuel standards and requirements triggered by algal research. This is no coincidence as algal biomass offers several advantages such as efficient photosynthesis and CO2 capture mechanisms, no direct competition with food crops, non-arable land requirements, recyclable nutrients and wastewater utilization. However, in order to achieve commercially applicable rates of return on algal biofuels, numerous economical feasibility models suggest there is a need to generate value-added products within an integrated biorefinery concept. This requires targeting not only algal lipids as biodiesel feedstock, but also other biomolecules having higher value per dry biomass weight with potential applications such as food additives, health supplements, and pharmaceuticals.

A growing interest in designing biorefineries using algae species to produce several bio-commodity products also includes means of exploring their favorable greenhouse gas, water and land-use sustainability metrics. In this respect, key inputs include utilizing recycled nitrogen and phosphorus resources, tapping into existing CO2 emissions, and uncompromised water supplies. In addition, options to exploit residual biomass for additional bioenergy and biofertilizer applications for soil amendments are also considered auspicious for a more competent biorefinery platform.

This project is designed to build on all of these well thought contemplations to construct an integrated algal biorefinery that produces a portfolio of products that can be adjusted to meet market demands as a gateway into large scale production. Project site is carefully selected on Boğaziçi University’s Saritepe Campus, located on the coast of Black Sea with readily access to seawater. Emboldening on the interdisciplinary nature of the team, a non-destructive breakwater system will be designed to generate a coastal site suitable for macroalgae cultivation at open sea. Microalgae cultivation will be supported by recycled nutrients and waste CO2. Novel marine macro- and microalgae species will be pursued for pharmaceutical, human food and animal feed applications in addition to traditional biofuel functions. Digested algal biomass will be made available to organic farming activities on campus. A wind turbine operated year round will supply renewable energy to all operations on site allowing carbon-negative production. In addition to a full scale environmental life cycle assessment (e-LCA), a social life cycle assessment (s-LCA) will be conducted to assess the social and sociological aspects of algal biorefinery and its products, their actual and potential positive as well as negative impacts on the communities involved.

This large scale study with more than 110 wet tons of algae production per harvest period will provide key scientific findings and novel engineering pipelines to manufacture high-throughput multi-products on an algal biorefinery platform. The end result is expected to be advanced knowledge and practice for economically feasible and environmentally sustainable algal biorefinery with improved production metrics. Project team is comprised experts from universities, research institutes, SMEs, and large enterprises.

Contact:

Asst. Prof. Dr. Berat Haznedaroglu

(Project Coordinator)

Bogazici University

email: berat.haznedaroglu@boun.edu.tr

website: https://independent.boun.edu.tr/en/

BIOSCHAMP project

Posted on 23/03/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/03/2024

BIOSCHAMP Biostimulant alternative casing for a sustainable and profitable mushroom industry

The BIOSCHAMP project aims to develop an integrated approach to tackle the mushroom cultivation challenges: an alternative and sustainable peat-free biostimulant casing for the mushroom industry, reducing the dependency on and need for pesticides and contributing to improve the productivity, the sustainability, and the profitability of the European mushroom sector.

The goal of the BIOSCHAMP project is to improve the mushroom sector industrial profitability while reducing the agronomical need for pesticides by 90 %. This will help mushroom growers meet consumer demands to find alternatives to fungicide dependence.

Contact:

Jaime Carrasco

email: j.carrasco@ctich.com

website: https://bioschamp.eu/