Louis Ferrini – The European Bioeconomy Network

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.

INNOPROTEIN project

Posted on 06/09/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/05/2027

New Sustainable Proteins For Food, Feed And Non-Food Bio-Based Applications

By 2050, with the global population expected to reach 10 billion, producing sustainable, high-quality protein becomes a pressing environmental, economic, and social challenge. The EU’s “protein gap”, importing 70 % of protein-rich crops and 90 % of soybeans, adds urgency to the quest for new, nutritious, and eco-friendly protein sources that cater to diverse markets.
InnoProtein will deliver new products for food, feed and non-food based applications that meet end-users’ needs and expectations. By using under-exploited and unexplored protein sources, including microalgae, fungi, bacteria and insects together with new advanced techniques for protein extraction, the project will contribute to reducing the EU protein gap and the pressure on natural resources.
The experienced consortium will provide an eco-business model, proving the economic availability of the solution and the social and environmental benefits. To improve the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the protein extraction, InnoProtein will adopt a circular and zero waste approach by using the residual biomass and the streams of protein production processes to obtain bioplastics and biostimulants.

Giacomo Sini: giacomo.sini@eufic.org

website: https://www.innoprotein.eu/

BIORADAR project

Posted on 01/09/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 30/06/2026

Monitoring system of the environmental and social sustainability and circularity of industrial bio-based systems

BioRadar project aim to help organizations, policy-makers and investors have the necessary information to step towards a more sustainable bio-based economic model with an information and self-assessment platform for bio-based industries.BioRadar proposes the simple, objective, and quantitative Bio-based systems Transition Indicators (BTI) framework. The project develops a one-stop digital solution including AI-benchmarking and analytics platform, a flexible and user-friendly self-assessment tool, a regulatory tracker tool, and an innovative multidimensional performance measurement scorecard. The framework and digital tools allow industries, investors, and policymakers to assess the circularity, environmental sustainability, and social aspects of bio-based products and services with just a few clicks.

Emad Yaghmaei: ey@yaghma.nl

Shiva Noori: sn@yaghma.nl

website: http://www.bioradar.org/

RuralBioUp project

Posted on 19/07/202319/07/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 30/09/2025

Empowering EU Rural Regions to scale-Up and adopt small-scale Bio-based solutions: the transition towards a sustainable, regenerative, inclusive and just circular bioeconomy

Climate change will require concerted innovative ideas and actions at the local/regional level. A sustainable European bioeconomy will not only ensure the protection of the environment and biodiversity, but will also drive the renewal of European industries, the modernisation of primary production systems and lead to the creation of jobs, particularly in rural areas, through the active participation of all regional stakeholders in their local bioeconomies. RuralBioUp project will strengthen the cooperation among regional key actors and knowledge holders, empowering them to establish an inclusive and long-lasting ecosystem (the RuralBioUp Regional Hubs) to support the mainstreaming of bio-based business models in rural areas. In particular, RuralBioUp will establish 9 Regional Hubs (30 stakeholders per Hub) in 6 EU countries, that will co-design and implement 9 Action Plans on 18 value chains. Regional Hubs will be empowered by RuralBioUp’s partners with mentoring, coaching and training activities in the implementation of their Action Plans. Thanks to this, at least (a.l.) 1.000 innovators will be supported (through networking events and study visits) and a.l. 50 new collaborations fostered (e.g. partnership agreements between companies and/or farmers, solutions funded, etc.) to adopt small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas. The project will leverage synergies between existing EU networks (EuBioNet, BioEast, etc.), clusters, and regional organisations and will build upon previous research results (Power4Bio, BE-RURAL, Enabling, Transition2Bio, Biovoices, etc.) by integrating and extending the existing knowledge and data in order to propose different rural business models and new bio-based value chains in the targeted regions, through the realisation of a digital tool (the RuralBioUp One-Stop-Shop) supporting regional actors to take sciencebased and informed decisions.

9 Regional Hubs :

Centru Region Romania
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Hub France
Latvia Regional Hub Latvia
Ireland Regional Hub Ireland
Pays de la Loire France
Charles Spa Czechia
Marche Italy
Puglia ItalyContacts:

Karolina Jurkiewicz: info@ruralbioup.eu

website: https://www.ruralbioup.eu/

BioBoosters project

Posted on 05/05/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/12/2025

Boosting the Circular Transition

BioBoosters aims to advance the green transition of bioeconomy business by matchmaking competence with needs. By employing a proven business-driven Hackathon process, we can solve challenges that the bioeconomy businesses are facing in transitioning to circular economy business models.

BioBoosters Hackathon is connecting the bioeconomy innovation ecosystems of 9 regions across the Baltic Sea Region. By implementing the open innovation process in inter-regional co-operation, we can facilitate cross-sectoral knowledge transfer as well as connect SMEs, start-ups, and research groups with companies in an international context.

We will run 18 BioBoosters Hackathons together with target groups to validate the innovation process model to be adopted in the key bioeconomy innovation hubs of the participating regions. Furthermore, the model will be transferrable to any innovation hub that is looking to support their regional business networks in green or digital transition.
Our expected impact in numbers:

18 Business-driven Hackathons will validate up to 70 solutions to circular transition challenges
20 international RDI and business co-operations initiated
500 specialist brought together to drive the circular transition of the bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region

Contacts:

Anna Aalto: anna.aalto@jamk.fi

website: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/bioboosters/

BlueMissionMed project

Posted on 02/05/202302/05/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/12/2025

SUPPORTING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA BASIN FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EU MISSION RESTORE OUR OCEAN AND WATERS

BlueMissionMed will Inspire, Inform, Assess, Mobilise, Connect and Empower all the actors that can Take a Role in preventing and eliminating pollution in the Mediterranean sea and waters.

The BlueMissionMed Coordination and Support Action (CSA) will design, structure and support a well-functioning basin scale innovation ecosystem, ensuring fast progress towards the achievement of EU Mission “Restore Our Oceans and Waters by 2030” objectives and important impact on the society.

The project builds on, connect and structure existing initiatives and activities to disseminate and upscale solutions and mobilise relevant actors with the specific aim of addressing the Objective 2 of the Mission, namely “prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas and waters”.

BlueMissionMed will engage stakeholders from Policy, Business, Research&Innovation and Civil Society, as well as the so-called Ecosystem Enablers to synergize the actions of the Mission Lighthouse in the Mediterranean basin.

Specifically, the project will support the development and deployment of transformative innovative solutions in all forms: technological, social, business, governance by:

BOOSTING A WELL-FUNCTIONING BASIN SCALE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM ATTRACTIVE TO INVESTORS AND BUSINESSES
FACILITATING COHERENCE, ALIGNMENT AND MONITORING OF EU, NATIONAL AND LOCAL POLICIES, INITIATIVES AND ACTIONS ONGOING THE MEDITERRANENAN BASIN
PROVIDING TECHNICAL SERVICES, GOVERNANCE AND BUSINESS MODELS TO SUPPORT AND GUARANTEE A SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDITERRANENAN BASIN
ENSURING ENGAGEMENT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE SOCIETY AT LARGE, THANKS TO A ROBUST AWARENESS RAISING AND CITIZEN SCIENCE APPROACH

Contacts:

Fedra Francocci: coordinator@bluemissionmed.eu

website: https://bluemissionmed.eu/

GenB project

Posted on 21/04/202325/07/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 30/04/2025

Informing and educating young people on more sustainable behaviours and choices to build a future Generation informed and interested in Bioeconomy

GenB aims to raise the Generation Bioeconomy aware on environmental issues co-creating innovative approaches in cooperation with young people, parents, teachers and other formal and non-formal education professionals. GenB widely communicates and engages the society, create synergies with other projects and initiatives, consolidate the GenB education model, produce policy recommendations targeting Ministries of Education and other policy makers.

Objectives:

Co-create approaches and tools through the cooperation between children, parents, teachers and other education professionals, to provide educational and informational toolkits;
Raise awareness of students at all stages on the environmental, social and economic benefits of sustainable and circular bioeconomy and its sectors;
Increase interest among new generations to join education and training on bioeconomy, create new ways of attracting talent in the life science, technology and the bioeconomy opportunities;
Maximise the project’s impacts towards behavioural and socio-economic changes by sparking multipliers and GenB networks and ensuring exploitation of project’s outcomes

Contacts:

Chiara Pocaterra: pocaterra@apre.it

website: https://www.genb-project.eu/

RefreSCAR project

Posted on 05/04/202317/11/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/08/2027

RefreSCAR – Improved coordination of national and European bioeconomy research and innovation programmes in the ERA through strengthened SCAR Working Groups

The Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) is a long-standing committee of EU Member States and Associated Countries presided over by the European Commission. It has become a respected source of advice on European agricultural and wider bioeconomy research and has been a catalyst for the coordination of national research and innovation (R&I) programmes. It is supported in these strategic functions by SCAR Working Groups (WGs), including a Foresight Group, which provide domain-specific expert advice and input. RefreSCAR will strengthen the strategic functioning and capacities of SCAR WGs in order to facilitate the improved coordination of national and European bioeconomy R&I programmes. Through a toolkit of measures, RefreSCAR will provide robust scientific support to SCAR WGs through regular portfolio analysis of projects, expert studies and support for the SCAR Foresight process. Combined with practical administrative support, this will enable a better structured organisation, facilitation and reporting of SCAR WG activities in themes of relevance for Horizon Europe, the Common Agricultural Policy, European Green Deal, Digital Europe and the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies. In order to boost the participation of under-represented countries in SCAR WGs, a SCAR-Engage Programme will be developed involving tailored action plans, financial and peer-to-peer support, networking and knowledge exchange. Targeted support for communication and dissemination will immerse a broad audience of stakeholders in the activities of the WGs. Furthermore, RefreSCAR will cultivate connections between SCAR WGs, key actors in EU policy, practitioners and relevant EU and international initiatives through dedicated fora, helping to build a bridge between R&I, policy and practice. The outcome will be more impactful SCAR WGs that are better resourced and empowered to deliver strategic advice, contributing to a strengthened SCAR within the European Research Area.

Contacts:

Dr. Órlaith NÍ CHONCUBHAIR: refrescar@teagasc.ie

CIRCULAR BRICKS project

Posted on 03/03/202303/03/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 14/02/2024

Circular Bioeconomy for improving agrifood VET institutes’ teachers’ skills and competencies

Biotechnology has the potential to reduce the impact of human activities in nature. By developing new bio-based production platforms towards a more efficient use of waste streams, a step forward in industrial circularity can be achieved.

To help train and educate the new generation of bioeconomy professionals with the necessary hard and soft skills, we need to rethink and improve our current educational model for the bioeconomy. This is the long-term ambition of Circular Bricks. Across Europe, some initiatives have already been put in place. However, there seems to be a lack of generalized and consistent schemes, especially with regards to the VET field. In order to address these needs, Circular Bricks will train VET teachers from the agri-food sector in order to make them able to educate their students (i.e. the future generation of circular bioeconomy professionals) with the necessary green skills which are required by the current and future industries operating in the European circular bioeconomy.
The project will develop innovative pedagogical material on circular bioeconomy related topics for VET teachers, keeping a train-the-trainer approach. Specifically, involved teachers will be provided with a thorough and practical approach to circular bioeconomy principles and their implementation in the agri-food sector, as well as with efficient tools for holding effective design thinking sessions and preparing learners to become true agents of change. At the end of the project, both teachers and students will have acquired new green skills and competencies, thus adding “circular bricks” to their know-how.

Contacts:

Piergiuseppe Morone: piergiuseppe.morone@unitelmasapienza.it

website: https://www.circularbricks.eu/

CHEERS project

Posted on 01/03/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/08/2026

Producing novel non-plant biomass feedstocks and bio-based products through upcycling and the cascading use of brewery side-streams

CHEERS is a new biorefinery concept, inspired on nature biodiversity (insect and microbial platforms), to sustainably and efficiently upgrade underused or waste side-streams such as bagasse, wastewater, CO2 and CH4 from bio-based industries into innovative bio-based products. CHEERS will help bio-based industries to improve their feedstock use efficiency and overall sustainability and competitiveness via upcycling and cascading use of biomass produced from their side-streams. CHEERS is developed as a modular solution where bio-based industries can configure their optimal combination by selecting among 5 novel biotechnological routes which generate 5 bio-based products for industrial applications, with attractive market opportunities: insect protein, disinfectant, microbial protein, ectoine and caproic acid. All value chains are based on new bioprocesses and/or innovative biofermentors combined with sustainable downstream processes, which will be validated at demo-scale at an industrial brewery. A min. 45% carbon footprint reduction will be achieved in each value chain. The evaluation of CHEERS impacts will consider go beyond the classic LCA and will cover broader impacts such as biodiversity and land use. The beer company MAHOU is project coordinator and exploitation leader jointly with 11 partners of 5 European countries, including technology suppliers, end-users and research entities. CHEERS will contribute to a “zero waste” biorefinery approach, fully aligned with the EU Green Deal, Circular Economy Action Plan and Bioeconomy Strategy, and foster the understanding of biotechnology-based value chains through the engagement of relevant actors, from small bio-based industries to consumers.

Contacts:

Andrea León Tarife: andrea.leon@innovarum.es

website: https://cheers-project.eu/

Model2Bio project

Posted on 27/02/2023 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 30/11/2023

MODELLING TOOL FOR GIVING VALUE TO AGRI-FOOD RESIDUAL STREAMS IN BIO-BASED INDUSTRIES

Every year, 41 million tonnes of food are wasted in the European Union during processing. This affects the economy, the environment and our communities. Transport, treatment at waste sites and landfilling drive up management and operational costs, while rotting food at landfills emits greenhouse gases.

What is considered waste and discarded, often still contains industrially valuable compounds. Model2Bio will develop a predictive model to help agri-food companies identify, select and reuse organic waste streams. To identify the most economic and environmentally friendly solutions for waste streams, the model will consider stream composition, volume, transformation as well as logistics, business cases and social aspects. The project started in May 2020 and will run until October 2023.

Behind this EU-funded project are think-tanks, research centres, technology developers, universities, industry (mainly small and medium-sized businesses) and clusters from across Europe.

Contacts:

Tamara Fernández, Coordinator: tfernandez@ceit.es

website: https://www.model2bio.eu/