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.
The World BioEconomy Forum enhances awareness of bio-based products with the launch of #Bioproductday

The World BioEconomy Forum enhances awareness of bio-based products with the launch of #Bioproductday

Posted on by Louis Ferrini

08 June 2021 – The World BioEconomy Forum is delighted to announce the launching of World Bioproduct Day on the 7 July this year. World Bioproduct Day is part of the Forum’s campaign to enhance and increase awareness of the importance of bio-based products for the protection of the planet.

Members of the World BioEconomy Forum have been taking time to reflect about the role and importance of bio-based products in superseding non-renewable options. Through the adoption of more bio-based materials we can move towards solutions that are more sustainable and healthier for us and the planet, and step away from non-renewable feedstocks.

Every single one of us has come across a bioproduct. Whether it be reading about one, owning one, or contributing to the formation of one. It may be as simple as a wooden chair or more complex such as a bio-based chemical you have encountered. The possibilities of bioproducts are endless. Bioproducts are now emerging faster than ever, and they are all around us.

Jukka Kantola, Founder of the Forum says, “We are launching a new movement, “World Bioproduct Day” on 7 July in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of bioproducts around us and how they contribute to the larger goal of environmental sustainability and climate action.

“We invite you all to share your experiences and stories of bioproducts you use or own by posting a photo or video of a product made from renewable resources, whether it be at home or the company you work for.  We ask you to share your post via LinkedIn or Twitter with the accompanying hashtag, “#Bioproductday”. We will showcase and share your posts on our social media channels so we hope all of you will participate and join us shining a spotlight on the benefits of bioproducts to the future of the Earth, to the future of our home.”

The next World BioEconomy Forum will be held in partnership with the state of Pará, and major bioeconomy associations in Brazil, ABAG and Ibá.  The Forum 2021 will be held in the recently developed and renovated riverside venue Estação das Docas in Belém. The city has been recognized as a Creative City of Gastronomy by Unesco. The Forum is expecting 60+ top speakers on circular bioeconomy from all over the world.

 

More information: Jukka Kantola

info@wcbef.com

+358 40 552 888

From date
2021-07-07
To date
2021-07-07
The World BioEconomy Forum launches world’s first news app for the global circular bioeconomy

The World BioEconomy Forum launches world’s first news app for the global circular bioeconomy

Posted on by Louis Ferrini

The World BioEconomy Forum launches world’s first news app for the global circular bioeconomy 

22 June 2021 – The World BioEconomy Forum has launched the world’s first breaking news app for global stakeholders operating in the circular bioeconomy.  The app, which is available for both Android and IOS devices, will alert users to the very latest breaking news and developments taking place in the rapidly growing sector.

The circular bioeconomy is increasingly being seen as pivotal concept for the mitigation of climate change, as well as a way to conserve the planet’s vital raw materials. The concept encourages the use of products and services that utilize renewable resources as their base for production and operation, as well as encouraging recycling and reuse wherever possible.

“We are really excited about our new app,” says Jukka Kantola, Founder of the World BioEconomy Forum. “It will allow us to further develop our platform for information sharing in the circular bioeconomy sector. Already our events – including regular Roundtables, our annual Forum, monthly newsletters and bulletins – are proving very popular with stakeholders operating in the circular bioeconomy sector. The breaking news app adds a further dimension to the important information we are sharing and providing.”

The app will cover all the latest news emerging from the global circular bioeconomy, and importantly will fit into the World BioEconomy Forum’s four thematic pillars of; People, Planet, Policies; Global Leaders and the Financial World; Bioproducts Around Us and Looking to the Future.

The app is available for download from the Apple App Store for IOS and for android devices by searching for World BioEconomy News. Companies, entities and individuals operating in the circular bioeconomy can send their latest news for publishing to news@wcbef.com

The launch of the app comes hot on the heels of another World BioEconomy Forum launch just last week of World Bioproduct Day, a campaign to enhance and increase awareness of the importance of the use bio-based products for the protection of the planet.

The next World BioEconomy Forum will be held in partnership with the state of Pará, and major bioeconomy associations in Brazil, ABAG and Ibá.  The Forum 2021 will be held in the recently developed and renovated riverside venue Estação das Docas in Belém. The city has been recognized as a Creative City of Gastronomy by Unesco.

 

More information:  Jukka Kantola

info@wcbef.com

+358 40 552 88

From date
2021-06-22
To date
2021-09-30
Live round tables with LANDSUPPORT experts – 4th episode

Live round tables with LANDSUPPORT experts – 4th episode

Posted on by Louis Ferrini

Let’s talk about land -LANDSUPPORT goes live with the 4th episode of the live round table: Supporting the implementation of the pesticides and nitrates directives in Europe.

Speakers:

  • Angelo Basine and Marialaura Bancheri (ISAFOM-CNR)
  • Harald Loishandl-Weisz (EAA).

Moderator:

  • Gloria De Paoli (ACTeon)

Follow the live here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_Y8PveznBChXSTpeYGrhYHgqAre6YKJH

From date
2021-06-24
To date
2021-06-24
 WaysTUP! project

 WaysTUP! project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Converting bio-waste into valuable products will contribute to a circular economy. The EU-funded WaysTUP! project aims to establish new value chains for urban bio-waste utilisation to produce higher value products, including food and feed ingredients through a multi-stakeholder approach. The project is set to showcase a rash of new products produced from urban bio-waste-to-bio-based processes starting from different feedstocks, including fish and meat waste, spent coffee grounds, household source separated bio-waste and used cooking oils. In its implementation, WaysTUP! will develop a behavioural change approach with citizens and local communities, improving and changing longstanding perceptions on urban bio-waste. It will also help promote active participation of citizens in the collection of urban bio-waste.

Contacts: Manolis Tsantakis: mdt@etam.gr
Maroulla Schiza mcs@etam.gr

Website

 VALUEWASTE project

 VALUEWASTE project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

On average, each European citizen produces approximately 200 kg of municipal biowaste per year, representing between 118 and 138 million tonnes of biowaste annually arising in the EU. The main municipal biowaste management systems currently existing in Europe represent one-way flow systems in which materials and resources are underused, limiting its potential recovery into high-value products. VALUEWASTE proposes an integrated approach in urban biowaste upcycling for the production of high-value biobased products, developing the first complete solution to fully valorise biowaste that can be replicated across Europe. We will implement three new value chains that will use urban biowaste as raw material for its valorisation into high-value end products in a cascading process, generating economic, social and environmental benefits: food & feed proteins and other ingredients, and biobased fertiliser. VALUEWASTE will be developed at two very different European locations, Murcia (ES) and Kalundborg (DK) with the purpose of finding a solution both technical and socially adapted to the different socio-economic contexts exiting across Europe. Social initiatives will be created to increase consumer awareness and acceptance of urban biowaste-derived products. End-user products applications and new market opportunities will be demonstrated. Outcomes of the project will contribute to new standardisation, and will be useful information for EU policy makers in terms of waste management and in the adoption of new policies.

Contacts: Africa Matilda Pardavila Morris: africa.pardavila@innovarum.es

Website

 VALOR PLUS project

 VALOR PLUS project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini

Project concluded

Objective

The Valor-Plus supports the realisation of sustainable, economically viable closed loop integrated biorefineries through the development of new knowledge, (bio-)technologies and products that enable valorisation of key biorefinery by-products. The project comprises five key areas:
• Pre-treatment and fractionation: development of a novel methodology for the controlled and selective breakdown, release and fractionation of the lignocellulose biomass to minimally degraded cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin fractions that are suitable for further downstream refinement and processing to value product streams
• Hemicellulose Valorisation: engineering of new enzymes and microorganisms for the controlled hydrolysis and transformation of hemicellulose to high value oligomers and bulk fermentation product streams (butanol, ethanol and single cell proteins for animal feed)
• Lignin Valorisation: utilisation of combined chemo-enzymatic and chemo-microbial processes for the controlled depolymerisation and transformation of standardised lignin feedstocks to discrete families of platform and intermediate macromolecular and monomer chemicals; and their subsequent transformation to value product streams (fuels, platform chemicals, monomers for synthesis of resins and functional additives)
• Glycerol Valorisation: engineering of new microorganisms that are the suitable for the fermentation of crude glycerol to higher value product streams (lipids, alcohols and organic acids)
• Demonstration of the technological and economic potential for integration and scale-up within existing and future biorefinery value chains: including: demonstration of component technologies, focused biodiesel refinery case study, roadmaps for technology and product stream integration, and a full life cycle assessment

The project assembles an industrially focused pan-European consortium spanning the complete biorefinery value chain, including 9 SMEs, 1 large enterprise, 2 research centres and 3 universities

Contacts: Beatriz Palomo (ASEBIO) Dissemination and Exploitation WP Leader Valor Plus: bpalomo@asebio.com
Thomas Kowalik (IFAM) Ifam Fraunhofer Institute Valor Plus Coordinator

Website

 SMARTCHAIN project

 SMARTCHAIN project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Objective

SMARTCHAIN is an ambitious, 3 year project with 43 partners from 11 European countries including key stakeholders from the domain of short food supply chain as actors in the project. The central objective is to foster and accelerate the shift towards collaborative short food supply chains and, through concrete actions and recommendations, to introduce new robust business models and innovative practical solutions that enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the European agri-food system.
Using bottom-up, demand-driven research, the SMARTCHAIN consortium i) will perform a multi-perspective analysis of 18 case studies of short food supply chains in terms of technological, regulatory, social, economic and environmental factors, ii) will assess the linkages and interactions among all stakeholders involved in short food supply chains and iii) will identify the key parameters that influence sustainable food production and rural development among different regions in Europe.
The project aims to establish 9 national communities of short food supply chains (Innovation and Collaboration Hubs) in different partner countries (France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland) and a virtual innovation hub in order to facilitate stakeholder engagement, bringing farmers and consumers together in a trust-enhancing environment enabling them to generate demand driven-innovations.
Combination of scientific and practical knowledge and the use of innovation workshops will enable the development of practical innovative solutions as well as the promotion of a framework for different forms of collaborative short food supply chains in urban and rural areas. SMARTCHAIN will generate concrete actions for knowledge transfer, through the organisation of multi-stakeholder workshops and training activities for farmers and short food supply chain entrepreneurs.

Contacts:  Susanne Braun: susanne.braun@uni-hohenheim.de

Website

 UrBIOfuture project

 UrBIOfuture project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

UrBIOfuture’s main goal is to bring Europe to the forefront of the bio-based industry, a sector in full growth that requires a high number of experts in its workforce. However, one of the challenges for its development is the educational gap between the professional profiles demanded by the sector and the existing educational offer. To bridge this gap is one of the main purposes of UrBIOfuture, which started on May 1st with the goal of boosting careers, new educational programmes and research activities. Since then, this initiative carried out research to map European educational programmes involving bio-based activities and to identify the skills mismatch between them and the bioindustry needs. In addition, it involved stakeholders from the education sector, academia and industry, it organised a series of events, and it elaborated a set of materials, all with the aim of setting the path for the industry to attract qualified talent.

Contacts: info@urbiofuture.eu and Ana Martinez: anamartinez@sustainableinnovations.eu

Website

 Transition to Green Economy project

 Transition to Green Economy project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Objective

The main objective of the project was to contribute to a transition towards a green economy in Europe through organization of the international conference “Transition to a green economy” (T2gE). This international conference was an event of major strategic nature during the Slovak Presidency of the European Council. Conference brought together a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Its ambition was to improve understanding of the green economy concept, identify conclusions and pathways for transition as well as to involve and mobilise various actors and stakeholders in the discussions of possible future actions. The conference also aimed to strengthen synergy among various recent initiatives and programmes launched by the European Commission (i.e 7EAP, Circular economy package, Energy Union, Juncker Commission’s priorities etc) and by the Member States, to the benefit of the overall coherence.

The conference aimed to bring together policymakers from various EU countries, as well as a range of stakeholders from international organizations, academia, business, and civil society and encourage an open debate around key green economy issues. At the end of the conference, draft conclusions, for both the national and the European level, were approved in order to be useful tool for implementation of policy in the field of green economy. Parallel breakout sessions were devoted to various relevant subjects with the involvement of representatives from civil society, policymakers, business, science and innovations, and regional and local authorities. The participants presented examples of the green economy approaches from successful countries, which were discussed and reflected in the conclusions to ensure that green economy policy conclusions are relevant to countries’ needs. Part of the conference was oriented on practical demonstration of Slovak examples of green/circular economy – field trip.

Contacts: Robert Miskuf: r.miskuf@pedal-consulting.eu

Website

 Transition2BIO project

 Transition2BIO project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

An integrated package of activities for sustainable production and consumption

Production and consumption drive the economy. Global challenges like climate change, land and ecosystem degradation, coupled with a growing population, force us to seek new, sustainable ways of life that respect the ecological boundaries of our planet. The EU-funded Transition2BIO project is proposing an integrated package of activities addressing a wide range of stakeholders (demand side, supply side, multipliers and supportive environment). It will valorise and exploit sectoral communication tools and activities, raise public awareness of bioeconomy and contribute to the transition towards more sustainable production through engagement and education activities. The project is also funding the activities of the European Bioeconomy Network, an alliance of more than 80 projects and initiatives promoting bioeconomy.

Contacts: Chiara Pocaterra: pocaterra@apre.it

Website