Category: Open innovation platforms and facilities

CEE2ACT project

Posted on 04/11/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/08/2025

Empowering the Central and Eastern European Countries to Develop Bioeconomy Strategies and Action Plans

CEE2ACT will empower countries in Central Eastern Europe and beyond (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia) – CEE2ACT target countries – to develop circular bioeconomy strategies and action plans through knowledge transfer and innovative governance models enabling sustainability and resilience to achieve better informed decision-making processes, societal engagement and innovation, building on the practice of experienced countries serving as role models in this context (Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Sweden). Knowledge transfer and inspiration in creative formats that address the motivations, needs and knowledge gaps of each CEE2ACT target country will be realized through the CEE2ACT National Bioeconomy Hubs. A participatory, non-political, bottom-up approach will be applied throughout the project activities, tackling specific knowledge gaps and shortcomings of the top-down conventional approach, building closer interconnections between actors across public institutions, private sector, industry, energy, SMEs, feedstock providers ( waste, side streams, farmers, foresters, fishermen), academia and research, NGOs, CSOs in the target countries. To achieve this, a baseline assessment will be carried out (socio-economic and environmental aspects), stakeholder engagement activities will be implemented ensuring the proper involvement and active participation of all relevant stakeholders. Digital solutions for sustainable governance will be created, exchange of know-how and best practices on technology transfer, building the capacities of the stakeholders to develop bioeconomy strategies. The findings will be synthetized, in an analytical framework, which will result in National-level Roadmaps for the Bioeconomy Strategies in Targeted CEE2ACT countries, boosting societal engagement in the countries’ transition towards circular bioeconomy.

Contacts:

María Beatriz Rosell: Maria.beatriz.rosell@geonardo.com

website: WWW.CEE2ACT.EU

BioRural project

Posted on 07/10/2022 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/08/2025

Accelerating circular bio-based solutions integration in European rural areas

BioRural’s goal is to create a European Rural Bioeconomy Network to promote small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas and support the transition towards a sustainable, regenerative, inclusive and just circular Bioeconomy across all Europe at local and regional scale. BioRural will achieve this through a three-pillar intervention scheme that feeds into a publicly available BioRural Toolkit that creates a wide network of collaborative stakeholders on a regional and European level; assesses the existing European rural Bioeconomy and captures grassroots-level needs and ideas for the adoption of biobased solutions; includes a range of small scale bio-based success stories; promotes effective exchange of knowledge and information through a series of workshops; holds a bioeconomy challenge for new practical bio-based solutions; and develops rural Business model blueprints for Bioeconomy businesses from conception to scale.

Contacts:

Thanos Balafoutis: a.balafoutis@certh.gr

Bas Paris: b.paris@certh.gr

Despoina Kampouridou: despoina@foodscalehub.com

website: www.biorural.eu

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

Project concluded

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/

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/

Talent4BBI project

Posted on 04/11/2021 by Louis Ferrini

This project ends on: 31/08/2026

Talent4BBI, the first industry led PhD MSCA programme is being led by BiOrbic, the Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre located in University College Dublin (UCD). Talent4BBI brings together 10 industry and 7 academic partners across 8 Member States and 1 Associated Country with the aim of training a cohort of 11 highly skilled industry-ready ESRs equipped to lead the future of the European bio-based industry sector. The programme provides a unique opportunity for Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) to develop key skills, competencies and experience required by the bio-based industries through a targeted programme for future bioeconomy leaders. During the 60-month programme duration, the 11 ESRs will undertake PhDs of 48 months cohosted by industry and academia. The ESRs will be recruited and co-hosted by a consortium of 16 partners across 8 Member States and 1 Associated Country (7 universities and 9 leading bio-based industries) with a wealth of collective experience in training talented mobile researchers. 3 additional industry partners will also contribute their expertise to the PhD training programme.

The programme structure offers a unique opportunity for graduates to thrive in an industrial and academic research setting and enhance the ESR career opportunities in line with the MSCA COFUND work programme objectives.

Talent4BBI’s selection process will be guided by principles of openness, transparency, merit, impartiality, and equality for the ESRs. Talent4BBI will impact the European Research Area through developing a uniquely qualified and career-driven talent pool, driving effective cooperation between industry and academia, and boosting the development of bio-based industries.

Contacts:

Prof. Kevin O’Connor – Programme coordinator
Cathy Quinn – Programme manager

email: Talent4bbi@biorbic.com

Founding source: Talent4BBI project is cofounded by H2020-EU.1.3.4., H2020-EU.1.3.

Website

Bioeconomy Ventures project

Posted on 26/10/202126/10/2021 by Louis Ferrini

Project concluded

Boosting European bioeconomy start-ups

The European Bioeconomy Strategy aims to accelerate the deployment of a sustainable European bioeconomy, which includes food security, the sustainability of natural resources, and reduced dependence on non-renewables. The EU-funded BioeconomyVentures project will develop a reference platform for bioeconomy-based start-ups and spin-offs seeking to gain access to finance. The platform will serve as a main meeting point for the bioeconomy entrepreneurship field. It is part of the project’s overall goal of building a first of its kind bioeconomy entrepreneurship ecosystem, boosted by the BioeconomyVentures Ambassadors Programme. It will also create an assessment methodology to qualify and quantify the needs of the start-ups and spin-offs though the BioeconomyVentures evaluation matrix.

Contacts:

Filippo Giancarlo Martinelli (MBA, PDEng, MSc): Filippo@bioeconomyfoundation.com
European Ambassador at Irish Bioeconomy Foundation (IBF) and coordinator of the BioeconomyVentures BBI CSA Project

Founding source: BioeconomyVentures project is cofounded by H2020-EU.2.1.4. H2020-EU.3.2. H2020-EU.3.2.6.

Website

VALOR PLUS project

Posted on 01/06/202103/06/2021 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

SuperBIO project

Posted on 01/06/202116/07/2021 by Louis Ferrini

Project concluded

SUPERBIO focuses on the biobased economy. This emerging economy relies on the use of biomass (e.g. plants, waste) as renewable raw material for the production of new or existing products.

The technologies used are a combination of biochemistry, biotechnology, chemistry and processing technology. The cluster coordinating SUPERBIO (GBEV) has already more than 3 years’ experience in building new biobased economy value chains at regional level and is active in European projects aimed at supporting SMEs to bring innovations to the market.

The consortium consists of three cluster organisations specialised in the biobased economy from regions with synergetic smart specialisations, 4 highly skilled and experienced SME intermediates considered as important opinion makers in the biobased economy and 2 cross-sectorial SMEs regarded as specialists in their respective activities. The biobased economy goes along at least 19 different industrial sectors.

The project aims at constructing and validating new value chains providing the SMEs in the new value chains the tools to convince investors to contribute to building new emerging industries or to generate improved processes or products.

SUPERBIO will create a comprehensive open collaboration space based on the combined network of all partners, an idea validation procedure and a complementary innovation support program. Specifically, we expect to identify 10 validated value chains. With an average of 3 SMEs per value chain, this would result in providing support to about 30 SMEs or 10 SME groups. Our approach ensures the validation of sustainable and commercially viable value chains.

The output of this project will lead to the implementation of new value chains, the production of drop-in chemicals and products the production of new chemicals and products with improved features and can lead to investments in dedicated industrial production sites.

Contacts: Anneleen Devriendt anneleen.de.vriendt@bbeu.org

Website