Category: Awareness raising

ReTREEaSURE project

ReTREEaSURE project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
This project ends on: 31/08/2030

RECOVERY OF TREE RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE USE IN RENEWABLE CHEMISTRY

Forests cover nearly 40% of the EU’s land and generate around 80.7 million tonnes of forestry residues each year, yet only 3% of these resources are currently utilised. ReTREEaSURE aims to unlock the value of underutilised forestry residues by developing a sustainable framework that combines ecological assessment, mobile collection and pre-processing systems, and machine learning-based decision support tools.

The project will establish sustainable residue removal thresholds, optimise local logistics, and guide biomass valorisation and reforestation strategies. Through innovative biorefinery processes, forestry residues will be converted into a range of high-value bio-based products, including PHB/PHBV biopolymers, bio leather, bio pigments, bioactive compounds, lignin-based chemicals and epoxy, biodegradable packaging, cloth hangers, and substrates for mushroom cultivation.

ReTREEaSURE will also develop and validate five business models with industry partners and engage stakeholders through regional hubs and multi-actor collaboration activities. By integrating ecological, technological, and market-driven solutions, the project supports sustainable forest management, climate resilience, and the transition towards a circular bioeconomy in Europe.

Contacts:

Thamilinian Muruganandam: dissemination@holoss.com

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

FOODWISE project

FOODWISE project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
This project ends on: 31/05/2029

Empowering Equitable and Emotionally Intelligent Transitions to Circular Food Systems

FOODWISE accelerates the transition to circular food systems by bridging the gap between environmental awareness and actual consumption behaviour. The project brings together 13 partners from 6 European countries, combining behavioural science, social innovation, business transformation, policy and digital tools. FOODWISE maps consumption patterns and circularity gaps across Europe, develops practical toolkits for retailers and SMEs, and pilots new models for citizen engagement and policy alignment. Key outputs include the Consumption Pattern Atlas, Circular Retail Playbook, SME Circularity Toolkit, Citizen Engagement Toolkit and a Circularity Impact Dashboard, together with policy recommendations and governance blueprints for public authorities. The project contributes to reduced food waste and increased circular consumption, supporting the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and the European Green Deal.

Contacts:

Inês Campos (The Equator Company): ines.campos@equatorcompany.com
Erica Locatelli (ICLEI): erica.locatelli@iclei.org

website: https://befoodwise.eu

BIOLEAD project

BIOLEAD project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
This project ends on: 31/05/2029

Leading Europe’s Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Strategy: Roadmap to Improve Europe’s Bio-based Competitiveness

BIOLEAD brings together European leaders in biotechnology and biomanufacturing to co-create an action-oriented roadmap with clear, evidence-based recommendations to speed up the adoption of bio-based solutions and strengthen Europe’s bio-based competitiveness, supporting the shift towards a climate-neutral bioeconomy.
The project takes a holistic, systemic approach across the whole value chain, from feedstocks to consumers, and highlights the societal and environmental contribution of biotechnology and biomanufacturing alongside market opportunities. It follows a three-step, impact-oriented methodology: building the evidence base (including mapping of the EU and global landscape through a ‘Biobarometer’), co-creating with stakeholders and through foresight exercises, and delivering and implementing the roadmap. BIOLEAD feeds into a shared EU Vision and Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) in support of the EU Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative.

Contact:

Diana Garcia-Bernet, INRAE (Project Coordinator): diana.garcia-bernet@inrae.fr

website: https://biolead.eu/

DRAGONS project

DRAGONS project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
This project ends on: 31/05/2029

Diffusing biodiversity Response-able Action and awareness raising through citizen empowerment, inclusive engagement and innovative GOvernance of Nature and Society

DRAGONS is a Horizon Europe project investigating how people understand and respond to the biodiversity crisis, and how communication, citizen engagement and inclusive governance can support nature restoration. Working across five European and international case-study contexts (Finland, the Netherlands, the UK, Colombia and Spain) the project examines biodiversity narratives, perceptions and barriers to action. It brings together researchers, communities and other stakeholders to co-design, test and assess approaches that strengthen public participation, dialogue and engagement in biodiversity and nature restoration. Through collaborative research, communication and knowledge exchange, DRAGONS aims to support more inclusive and effective biodiversity governance.

Contact:

Dr. Jackie Abell: Jackie.Abell2@coventry.ac.uk

website: https://networknature.eu/dragons

PACE project

PACE project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
This project ends on: 30/04/2030

Potato Juice to Fatty Acids for New Bio-Based Value-Chains in Europe

Circular bioeconomy is crucial for achieving Europe’s competitive economy and climate targets, but it still faces technical and logistical barriers, and does not use waste resources to their full potential. The modernisation and integration of biorefineries, particularly through the use of local waste and sidestreams, offers sustainable solutions to boost domestic production, diversify the offer of bio-based products, and reduce environmental impact.
PACE will demonstrate a first-of-its-kind full-scale biorefinery by retrofitting part of Avebe’s existing facility and realising a plant based on ChainCraft’s proprietary technology for conversion of organic residues to biobased chemicals. This plant will use advanced fermentation and microbial chain elongation to convert potato juice into valuable bio-based medium-chain fatty acids (MFCAs), supporting zero-waste operations and new circular value chains in the chemical industry.
The project will provide sustainable, bio-based alternatives to conventional MCFAs, which are often derived from crude oil or unsustainable palm oil. By involving a range of stakeholders through a collaborative approach, it will boost demand and acceptance of bio-based MCFAs, transforming the market.

Contact:

Konstantina Koutrouveli: info@pace-project.eu

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

BIOSPARK project

BIOSPARK project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
This project ends on: 31/03/2029

Skills Promotion and Awareness for Regenerative Knowledge

The bioeconomy is a key driver of sustainable growth in Europe. Despite progress in technological development, education and training in the sector are not keeping up with the industry needs. New skills and a mindset shift across the stakeholder community are required. There is also a need to actively implement the lessons learned, apply policy and educational recommendations, and prepare for future advancements in bioeconomy systems.

BIOSPARK will address these challenges by developing and validating demand-driven curricula for the education, training, and reskilling of students and professionals. A network of bio-based educational centres across the 27 EU member states will support mutual learning and knowledge exchange. The project will dedicate strong effort to involving the so-called widening countries, less R&I advanced EU member states, associated countries and outermost regions.

It will also strengthen the European bioeconomy by fostering strong collaborations between universities, research and technology organisations, and industry.

Contact:

Merve Atasoy: merve.atasoy@uef.fi

website: https://biosparkproject.eu/

FLEXIZYME project

FLEXIZYME project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
This project ends on: 31/05/2028

Construction of a FLEXIble and adaptable enZYMatic biotechnological platform for sustainablE industrial production of bio-based fatty amines from side stream materials

FLEXIZYME project aims to develop a sustainable, scalable biotechnological platform to produce fatty amines from renewable biorefinery side streams. Through the integration of enzyme engineering, biocatalysis, and AI tools, the project will contribute to replacing traditional fossil-based production methods with sustainable and resource-efficient alternatives.

Contact:

Annabel Serpico, PhD: annabel.serpico@itene.com

website: https://www.flexizyme.eu/

 FoodCoP project

 FoodCoP project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
Project concluded

Fuelling Startup Villages with Circular Bioeconomy Strategies

FoodCoP is an innovative venture to enhance interregional collaboration among Startup Villages, aligning stakeholder interests to catalyse sustainable growth through circular bioeconomy principles. It builds a collaborative framework, fosters food system transformation, and strengthens knowledge exchange among rural innovators across three Startup Village territories.

Contact:

Rita Barros: info@foodcop.eu

website: https://foodcop.eu; https://www.platform-foodcop.eu/

PROSPLIGN project

PROSPLIGN project

Posted on by Selenia Marinelli
This project ends on: 30/06/2027

Prospecting natural lignin biodiversity towards unlocking value-added bioactive motifs and molecules

PROSPLIGN aims to unlock the potential of lignin as a source of high-value bioactive molecules through an innovative bioprospecting approach combining chemical and enzymatic methods, statistical analysis and high-throughput screening. Using lignin derived from diverse plant species, the project investigates lignin-derived compounds for applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and fragrance sectors. Ultimately, PROSPLIGN seeks to contribute to a new generation of sustainable biobased bioactives while creating greater value from abundant and currently underutilised lignocellulosic biomass.

Contact:

Leanne Eve Frawley: malta@magfi.eu; leafra@magfi.eu

website: https://prosplign.eu/

Bio2PEs project

Bio2PEs project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
This project ends on: 30/09/2029

Creating Sustainable Solutions for a Circular Future

Bio2PEs is an EU-funded project developing bio-based and biodegradable polyethylene (PE) and polyester from biomass waste to support Europe’s shift toward a circular plastics economy. Traditional plastics create long-lasting pollution, and Bio2PEs aims to tackle this by introducing scalable, sustainable alternatives aligned with the European Circular Economy Action Plan.

The project will design packaging prototypes in different sizes and assess their full lifecycle, including biodegradability in various European climates. To improve circularity, Bio2PEs integrates innovative features such as self-repairing coatings that extend product lifespan and fluorescence technology that makes products easier to sort and recycle.

Working closely with other EU initiatives, BIO2PEs also promotes consumer adoption of biodegradable materials through interactive labelling and contributes real-world data to an AI-driven tool that recommends the most sustainable material options.

Contact:

Debolina Paul, Digiotouch: debolina@digiotouch.com

website: https://www.bio2pes-project.eu/