Category: Awareness raising

SYMBA project

SYMBA project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
This project ends on: 31/12/2026

Securing local supplY chains via the development of new Methods to assess the circularity and symbiosis of the Bio-bAsed industrial ecosystem enhancing the EU competitiveness and resource independence.

Within the EU bio-based sector, disjointed information systems perpetuate inefficiencies, resulting in suboptimal value chains and an uneven distribution of economic benefits. This lack of cohesion hampers progress towards a circular economy and sustainable practices. In this context, the EU-funded SYMBA project aims to reshape the narrative by introducing an innovative industrial symbiosis methodology, backed by a user-friendly AI database. Specifically, the project will create a circular economy blueprint for the bio-based sector. Its innovative approach encompasses a user-friendly AI database and aims to enhance local supply chains, benefit stakeholders and elevate the economic value of final products.
The SYMBA project aims at creating a new and innovative IS method to be replicated within EU according to the local/regional bio-based industrial ecosystem. SYMBA will implement a user-friendly and accessible AI database suggesting regional IS innovative processes to create zero-waste value chains, ensuring more local supply chains; a better distribution of economic and social benefits among the stakeholders and an increase in the economic value of final products.
SYMBA solution, aligned with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, is based on a threefold approach: i) Creation and validation of new IS methodology for the bio-based sector, starting from existing knowledge and lessons earned from SYMBA consortium partners. ii) Individuation of criteria to select regional hubs. iii) AI database including Monitoring tools, waste relation matrix, networking and cooperation with ongoing EU and local networks.
The partnership has been intentionally selected by its expertise, network with key external stakeholders and geographical reach, bringing together 5 EU countries (IT, ES, BE, NL, DE) to consolidate the maximum outreach of the initiative. It consists of 9 partners with complementary competences: 4 RTD centers (CIRCE, CTB, AIMPLAS; CET); 1 large industry (NVMT); 1 pilot facility (BBEPP); 1 innovative SME (ENCO) and 2 networks (CKIC and ICLEI) with a valuable background in applying IS approach in the bio-based sector, providing services to companies and creating awareness and networking among citizens, policy makers, EU initiatives. Through the involvement of different industrial sectors: agri-food (NVMT); packaging (AIMPLAS); wastewater (CET); textile (CTB); waste valorisation (BBEPP), SYMBA will demonstrate how to shift from a linear to a circular economy contributing to deliver bio-based solutions with reduced environmental impacts on soil, water and air quality.

Contact:

Antonietta Pizza: pizza@enco-consulting.it

website: https://www.symbaproject.eu/

Crop-MATCHING project

Crop-MATCHING project

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

A thematic network to boost small-scale sustainable farming through sustainable cropping practices.

Supporting small farms and foresters across Europe.
The EU-funded Crop-MATCHING project introduces, adopts and applies a novel agro-ecological concept that ‘matches’ farming systems by mimicking nature to support long-lasting and effective solutions. This approach enables small-scale farms to effectively implement environmentally friendly practices, thereby further supporting rural communities, agro-biodiversity, and both environmental and economic objectives. With this in mind, Crop-MATCHING is developing a holistic approach to identify underutilised knowledge and best sustainable practices, aimed at creating impartial, tailored expertise to assist small farmers and foresters in overcoming the challenges they face.

Contact:

Prof. Konstadinos Mattas: mattas@auth.gr

website: https://www.cropmatching.com/

BIO-INSPIRE project

BIO-INSPIRE project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
This project ends on: 30/04/2028

Enhancing Bio-Based Innovation and Participation in Under-Represented Regions Through Cluster Mobilization and Collaborative Governance

Regional clusters act as powerful catalysts in the bioeconomy — connecting local enterprises, researchers, and stakeholders through their cross-sectoral reach and close links to regional ecosystems. BIO-INSPIRE mobilises this potential through an alliance of 14 transdisciplinary partners from 12 EU countries. The project engages Regional Bio-Economy Clusters in seven widening regions (Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland), supported by research and cluster partners from Sweden and the Netherlands.

By addressing common bottlenecks in innovation, tackling systemic challenges, and introducing a robust governance framework, BIO-INSPIRE strengthens regional R&I capacity and enables ecosystems to build lasting collaborations and fully participate in Europe’s bio-based economy.

Contact:

Maria Ferentinou: m.ferentinou@greenovate-europe.eu

website: https://www.bio-inspire.eu/

LAB Biofine project

LAB Biofine project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
This project ends on: 31/05/2027

LAB Biofine

LAB Biofine is a bold innovation and development platform for the bioeconomy. We help companies turn bio-based ideas into sustainable business through agile piloting, cutting-edge research, and international collaboration. Our activities are centred around a pilot plant based on pressurised hot water extraction and deep eutectic solvents, with advanced separation capabilities.

Contact:

Dr. Antti Kapanen, Specialist for International Networks: antti.kapanen@lab.fi

website: http://www.biofine.fi/

CIRCULAR BIOCARBON project

CIRCULAR BIOCARBON project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
This project ends on: 31/05/2027

Turning urban waste streams into added-value products

CIRCULAR BIOCARBON presents a first-of-a-kind flagship biorefinery designed to valorise the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) and Sewage Sludge (SS) into high-added-value end and intermediate products, including coating of direct consumer products, coating of mechanical moving parts, coating of plastic moulding tools, biodegradable and compostable waste bags, green graphene-based devices and products, biodegradable soil mulch films, solid organomineral fertiliser with biostimulant properties and liquid biobased biostimulant.

Contact:

Cristina Garcia-Vera (Project Coordinator): info@circularbiocarbon.eu

website: https://circularbiocarbon.eu/

 ALFA project

 ALFA project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Scaling up the market uptake of Renewable EnergySystems by unlocking the biogas potential of Agriculture and Livestock FArming

Europe could double the biogas and biomethane production by 2030 by utilising the massive amounts of animal waste available.
However, despite the technological maturity and commercial availability of relevant technologies, this promising potential is still largely untapped. In this context, ALFA supports at least 50 livestock farmers in 6 EU counties (IT, DK, DE, BE, SK, EL, ES) to overcome existing barriers and viably take up biogas systems. We start by establishing regional Hubs that analyse the local framework conditions and livestock value chains, and help engage local stakeholders in co-designing our approach. Then, we enhance selected livestock farmers’ business and technical capacity by providing them with a series of demand-driven financial, business, and technical support services and organising dedicated capacity-building seminars. In parallel, we develop an Engagement Platform hosting tools that facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange among industry actors and provide credible estimations of each farm’s biogas potential, prospect profits, environmental and social impacts. Also, we improve the societal acceptance of biogas facilities amongst citizens by 25% (or above) through well-tailored awareness-raising campaigns. At the same time, we trigger the development of an enabling environment for the market uptake of biogas by formulating relevant policy recommendations and widely disseminating them to more than 60 policymakers. Finally, a monitoring and evaluation framework evaluates the performance and impact of all the above, providing us with the intel required to catalyse mutual learning across regions and contribute to creating a guide for replicating our results. Therefore, we expect a power output of 30 MWel by our supported cases / projects, leading to an increased share of renewable energy in the final energy consumption in the target countries and ultimately, saving 270,000tn CO2 and 330,000tn CO2-eq from manure management per year.

Contact:

Luna Del Pizzo: delpizzo@apre.it

website: https://alfa-res.eu/

LUCRA project

LUCRA project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
This project ends on: 30/06/2027

Sustainable succinic acid production using an integrated electrochemical bioreactor and renewable feedstock

LUCRA will exploit the EUs underutilized and abundant, organic fraction of Municipal Solid Waste and wood sidestream as feedstocks for the largescale production of platform building block biobased chemicals with significant industrial end-user interest using a circular bioeconomy biorefinery approach.
It will provide optimized and scaleable breakthrough first of a kind innovative technology to create a step change from pilot to large scale integrated fermentation with novel electrochemical extraction of succinic acid that will facilitate its industrial implementation, business models and market feasibility. To fit the needs of the industrial level, LUCRA will optimize the hydrolysis process of the different feedstocks to obtain efficient cellulose and hemicellulose conversion. Enzymatic cocktails will be demonstrated aiming to maximize hydrolysis of fermentable carbohydrate content with low inhibitors production. The crude sugar-rich hydrolysates will be used as fermentation feedstock in an electrochemical membrane bioreactor for efficient extraction and production of SA. To demonstrate the produced SA that will be able to compete directly their fossil-based counterparts from petrochemical processes, different polyurethane dispersions and resins will be produced at semi-industrial scale.

Contact:

Tanja Meyer: tanja.meyer@bbeu.org

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

CheMatSustain project

CheMatSustain project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
This project ends on: 31/12/2027

IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIVE METHODS FOR SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTS OF CHEMICALS AND MATERIALS PARTICULARLY AT NANO LEVEL IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

CheMatSustain is a research initiative, funded by the Horizon Europe Programme of the European Union. Spanning for a 48-month period, our consortium comprises 10 scientific partners from 7 EU countries, alongside collaboration with 1 esteemed UK Associate Partner and lead by the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences.
At CheMatSustain, we recognize the transformative potential of nanotechnology and the significance of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) strategies in ensuring the safety and sustainability of nanomaterials and nanotechnology. Thus, the project envisions a future where innovative methods for safety and sustainability assessments of chemicals and materials, especially at the nano level, play a pivotal role in achieving a climate-neutral, circular economy continent. Through collaboration, research, and innovation, we strive to pave the way for a brighter, greener future for generations to come.

Contact:

Dr. Jelena Barbir: info@chematsustain.eu

website: https://chematsustain.eu/

BEAMING project

BEAMING project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
This project ends on: 31/12/2027

Bioeconomy excellence alliance for stimulating innovative and inclusive green transition

BEAMING is a Horizon Europe project under the WIDERA work programme which seeks to promote innovation and valorization of knowledge in the field of bioeconomy through cooperation between higher education institutions, with a special focus on widening countries in Central-Eastern Europe, South-Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans.

Contact:

Balázs Imre (Project Coordinator): imre.balazs@edu.bme.hu

website: https://beamingproject.eu/

 Bio4HUMAN project

 Bio4HUMAN project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Identifying bio-based solutions for waste management applicable to humanitarian sector

As the solid waste management crisis is growing in its urgency, humanitarian aid practitioners are faced with the question of how to manage environmental challenges linked with aid that is being shipped across various humanitarian settings. One of the sound solutions how to address this challenge is to open up a streamline of cooperation between humanitarian aid operators and the bio-based sector allowing them to explore the application potential of bio-based products, systems, and innovative technological solutions. Bio4HUMAN aims to contribute to the identification of bio-based solutions for solid waste management that have the potential to be applicable in various humanitarian settings. To achieve this goal, Bio4HUMAN will conduct a scoping exercise that will come up with a list of solutions but also identify existing supply chain gaps. Following that, it performs life cycle assessments of the proposed solutions and evaluates their applicability with regard to socio-economic and governance aspects. To explore if solutions fit the purpose of key solid waste management stakeholders and to explore the possibility of their acceptance by the community, local businesses, and local authorities, Bio4HUMAN conducts a feasibility evaluation process in 2 African locations. Simultaneously, the project will develop a replication roadmap that will contribute to the future replicability of the solutions identified. Altogether, all of the Bio4HUMAN’s actions will help to improve ways of addressing waste management challenges under humanitarian contexts and to the reduction of waste littered in the environment. In the long run, Bio4HUMAN is expected to contribute to the development of innovative and sustainable value chains that will benefit consumers and citizens in Europe and beyond.

Contact:

Andrea Motola: Andrea.ratkosova@enspire-science.com

website: https://bio4human.eu/