Category: Projects

 BERST project

 BERST project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The implementation of the European bioeconomy occurs under the impulsion of entrepreneurs (ranging from carbon-based industries to farmers and foresters) and political authorities, assisted by knowledge workers (R&D).

The drivers are (1) the search for alternative resources for fossil fuels, (2) the response to climate warming by becoming as CO2 neutral as possible and (3) the industrial demand for new functionalities offered by biobased materials and chemicals. Regions can be encouraged to apply new development strategies.

Regions can also be guided to find ways to support, encourage and enhance concrete actions towards the bioeconomy by current and potential entrepreneurs within a bioeconomy. All regions are potentially ‘bioregions’, and the BERST project provides tools (sets of criteria, catalogues both of instruments and measures as well as of good practices and case studies, and guidelines for elaborating regional profiles to prepare for smart specialisation strategies) to help regions in their trajectory of bioeconomic development.

The aim of this project is to take into account the bioeconomy potential and strategies of a range of different regions in Europe, and therefore to gain understanding of the possibilities and challenges related to the enhancement of biobased economies. The project also provides a support network in order to promote the development of smart specialisation strategies based on regional bioeconomic potential.

The results and outcomes of this project will be linked to each region’s “normal” planning and strategic development processes, and therefore to give additional tools for the regions to enhance their bioeconomies. This also means to promote stakeholder relations within bioregions, so that entrepreneurs can guide regional priorities in the development of the bioeconomy. The outcome of the project – with both a toolkit and an operating bioregional network – is intended to be taken over by the nascent EU Bioeconomy Observatory.

Contacts: Myrna van Leeuwen: Myrna.vanLeeuwen@wur.nl

Website

 BalticBiomass4Value project

 BalticBiomass4Value project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The Baltic Sea Region (BSR) holds a great potential for circular bioeconomy development. Therefore, the BalticBiomass4Value project aims to enhance capacity of public and private actors within the BSR to produce bioenergy in more environmentally sustainable and economically viable way by utilizing new biomass sources (chiefly, biological waste) for energy production, as well as possibilities to use bioenergy side streams for higher value bio-products. Biomass from different sources (agriculture, food and feed industry, forestry, wood industry, municipal waste and sewage sludge, fishery, algae), its logistics, various biomass conversion technologies and value chains will be mapped to identify best practices of bioenergy generation and the potential of more efficient and sustainable deployment of biomass in the BSR.

Seventeen partners from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway and the Russian Federation will bring together the producers of biomass and bio-based products, as well as relevant public authorities and policy stakeholders for the implementation of the project.

Contacts: Virginija Kargytė: virginija.kargyte@vdu.lt
Lena Huck: l.huck@fnr.de

Website

 AgriMax project

 AgriMax project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Objective

Approximately one third of all food produced globally is wasted every year throughout the whole value chain-from farmers to consumers. To extract the significant amounts of valuable compounds contained in these wastes, AgriMax will combine affordable and flexible processing technologies (ultrasound assisted and solvent extraction, filtration, thermal and enzymatic treatments) for the valorization of side streams from the horticultural culture and food processing industry to be used in a cooperative approach by local stakeholders.
Through the selection of case-scenarios previously developed to a pilot scale by the participating RTOs and their industrial transfer in new applications as food additives, packaging and agricultural materials among others, the project will disclose the holistic potential of four new agro-value chains (residues and by products from the culture and processing of tomato, cereals, olives, potato). Any by-product generated along the production cycle will be valorized in a cascade manner to reach over 40% of high value use of the waste. This will lead to additional production of active ingredients in lower concentration, but also fibres, biogas and fertilizers from the left biomass (the latter with the aim of being used in closed loop in the culture of the crops used in the project to prevent soil impoverishing). An LCA and LCC will also study the best approach to minimize the environmental impact of the new value chains without jeopardizing the cost effectiveness of the operations. The pilot multi-feedstock bio-refinery processes will be validated in two demonstration sites in Spain and Italy. Societal, ethical, safety, techno-feasibility and regulatory aspects will be studied. Last but not least, a business model and platform for communication between the potential raw materials suppliers will be set up to maximize the use of the cooperative treatment plants throughout the year.

Funding source: H2020 – Bio-based Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBI-JTI)

Contacts: Albert Torres: albert.torres@iris.cat

Website

Cordis page

 AgriChemWhey project

 AgriChemWhey project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Objective

Whey Permeate (WP) and De-lactosed Whey Permeate (DLP) are major side-streams of dairy processing and represent a key challenge for the dairy industry due to a lack of reliability in current disposal routes and represent a sustainability bottleneck for the expansion of milk production in Europe in the “post-milk-quota era”. AgriChemWhey will build a first-of-a-kind, industrial-scale biorefinery with integrated symbiotic industrial and agricultural value chains that will valorise over 25,000 tonnes (100% dry matter) per annum of excess WP and DLP to several added value products for growing global markets including lactic acid, polylactic acid, minerals for human nutrition and bio-based fertilisers. This will be achieved through a coordinated investment process and development path to realise the Flagship plant, representing the first major industrial venture to convert residues from food processing, as second generation feedstocks, to value added bio-based products. The Flagship will prove the techno-economic viability of the innovative WP/DLP-to-lactic acid biorefinery technology and will establish a new value chain for industrial symbiosis with other local actors for the production of high value sustainable food and feed (including high quality mushrooms) products from other side streams, as an enhanced circular bioeconomy approach to agriculture and agri-food waste. This offers society and industry the opportunity for greater resource efficiency – less food waste, more products from the same starting material (milk), and integration of food and non-food material production. AgriChemWhey will also develop a blueprint of an economic sustainability concept and replication plans for other regions across Europe, thus maximising both short and long term impacts, contributing towards the development of the European bioeconomy to promote rural growth, competitiveness and job creation, and aligning with European sustainability targets.

Contacts:

Rodrigo Arandi-Klee EU Project manager rodrigo.arandi@greenwin.be

Marian Murphy, Project Management marianmurphy4286@gmail.com

Fergal Lawless,  Technical Management flawless@glanbia.ie

Website

 AlpBioEco project

 AlpBioEco project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

AlpBioEco is an EU project co-financed through the Interreg Alpine Space Programm and by the “Federal Transnational Cooperation Programme“ of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community. The 13 project partners from 5 Alpine countries work together for an innovative sustainable development in the Alpine space. We focus on the potential of bioeconomy in the value chains of herbal foods and essences. In four working packages, we investigate current value chains for apples, walnuts and herbs, develop new products as well as new business models which will be tested in pilot studies. AlpBioEco contributes to the framework of conditions for innovation, resulting in eco-innovative business ideas and concepts for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Alpine region.
The European Union bioeconomy strategy addresses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into vital products. Expanding bioeconomy, particularly in rural areas, represents a major development potential. In the Alpine regions, this potential can however only be harnessed if the actors and municipalities cooperate closely and pursue shared objectives. The overall objective of AlpBioEco is to foster the sustainability of the local economy in the Alpine Space by the valorisation of innovative bioeconomical potentials. In our project we focus on bio-based food and botanical extract

Contacts: Anna Bäuerle: baeuerle@sigmaringen.de

Website

 Allthings.bioPRO project

 Allthings.bioPRO project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The context

Europe’s economy depends on oil and gas for energy and chemistry for all kinds of daily life products, but the use of fossil resources harms the environment and our climate. The bioeconomy offers a way out by providing industrial and consumer products made of biomass and waste.

This is a crucial moment for involving society in the transition to a more circular economy. Since all individuals, whether as citizens or consumers, will be affected, they should be able to play a role when shaping it. On the other hand, it goes without saying that the bio-based industry needs the input of citizens and consumers, to make sure that the products developed are in tune with consumers’ requirements and expectations.

In Allthings.bioPRO we put all emphasis on getting citizens involved in the bioeconomy and making their voices heard. We focused on issues and products, which connect with the daily life of citizens and consumers. Main themes were the creation of growth and jobs, Kids & School, Food Packaging and Fashion & Textiles. The personal viewpoint of a consumer considers quality, functionality and the costs of products but does also care about sustainable production and the environmental impact of daily life products.

Using a co-creation approach involving both citizens and experts, Allthings.bioPRO developed a serious game and a mobile app which serve as tools to raise awareness and educate about bioeconomy and bio-based products in a fun way. To ensure focus, we already decided on the subject of the serious game (Mission BioHero) but left the final creation of its content to the engagement process. The game is composed of 8 so-called campaigns, with each campaign focusing on a specific theme within the bioeconomy. It consists of quizzes, real-life and in-game tasks, a lexicon and mini-games with the goal to turn a fossil-based value chain into a bio-based one. The mobile app (Label BioHero) focuses uron non-food and non-energy bio-based products. It scans (eco-)labels, logos and EU certification schemes, providing information on the sustainable performance of the scanned bio-based/bio-degradable product. The serious game and mobile app can be downloaded free of charge in Google Play Stores and App Stores. Both applications generate data in anonymised form that can be used by stakeholders in the bio-based industry and provide important insights for policy.

Assuming that the bioeconomy is about the transition from a fossil-based economy to a sustainable bio-based economy we will start from the usual product case, which is often made from fossil-based materials. We developed both applications to support citizens in their change from a fossil-based lifestyle to a bio-based and sustainable one.

Contacts:

Martin Behrens, Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR): m.behrens@fnr.de

Jurjen Spekreijse, BTG Biomass Technology Group BV: spekreijse@btgworld.com

Website

 ABBEE project

 ABBEE project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The overall objective of this Strategic Partnership is to inspire and train a new generation of (bio-based economy) students and help accelerating the transition towards a bio-based economy via education of future professionals. New innovative educational approaches can inspire students, professionals and entrepreneurs to become more active in the bio-based society. The focus of the Strategic Partnership, ABBEE, is on developing, transferring and implementing innovative practices in the field of bio-based economy and to exchange experiences at a European level.

Knowledge triangle between research, education and industry

With this project, a knowledge triangle is formed between research, education and industry of key-role stakeholders in Europe in which they work together to improve education and facilitate innovation in the area of the bio-based economy. The full partners in the ABBEE project will form the inner circle, developing, transferring and implementing innovative practices. The outer circle comprises more universities and companies, who will be able to benefit (freely) from the results and experiences. By doing so, they enhance EU’s competitive position in the field of bio-based economy and prepare students for their future in a bio-based economy.

Approach

This Strategic Partnership aims at the following results:

  1. Develop new forms of blended learning modules on 4 topics by a university. The modules will be available as a course in a regular program within the university and as an online module.
  2. An online platform (website) to support the activity 1 and give insight in the existing MSc-programmes (and minors).

Contacts: Gerlinde van Vilsteren: gerlinde.vanvilsteren@wur.nl

Website