This project ends on: 30/09/2028

BIOBASED MONOMERS FROM SECOND GENERATION BIOMASS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE POLYMERS, COPOLYMERS AND BLENDS

Advanced polymers play a vital role in strategic European industries, particularly electric mobility and green hydrogen. Yet most high-performance polyamides and polybenzimidazoles are still made from fossil-based raw materials through energy-intensive processes. This increases greenhouse gas emissions and leaves Europe heavily dependent on imported petrochemical feedstocks.
Bio-based alternatives already exist, but many still struggle to meet the requirements of demanding industrial markets. As a result, there is still a clear gap between the availability of renewable resources and the development of advanced materials that can compete with established fossil-based products.
BIOPYRANIA was created to address this gap: the project is developing new circular value chains for the production of high-performance aromatic polymers from European waste wood and forestry residues. These renewable resources will be converted into sustainable molecular building blocks and, ultimately, into advanced polymer materials designed to replace fossil-based alternatives. In doing so, BIOPYRANIA will help reduce dependence on petrochemical resources, make better use of European biomass and strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in advanced materials.
The project focuses on two key markets: electric mobility and green hydrogen. For the automotive sector, BIOPYRANIA will develop lightweight, durable and recyclable bio-based polyamides for use in electric vehicle components. For hydrogen technologies, it will develop innovative materials for anion exchange membranes used in electrolysers and fuel cells. These materials will be designed to meet demanding requirements for mechanical strength, thermal and chemical stability, durability and processability.
Rather than treating recycling as an issue to be addressed at the end, BIOPYRANIA considers material design, production, use and end-of-life together from the outset. The aim is to avoid downcycling and make it possible to recover valuable materials from complex, high-performance polymer products.
Overall, the project aims to reduce the use of fossil feedstocks, cut waste generation and CO₂ emissions, and improve the circularity of advanced polymer materials. At the same time, it will support the development of stronger and more competitive European value chains in strategic industrial sectors.
BIOPYRANIA brings together 13 partners from academia, research organisations, SMEs and industry, covering the expertise needed to develop, scale up, validate and assess the proposed solutions.

Contact:

Katrien Bernaerts: katrien.bernaerts@maastrichtuniversity.nl

website: https://biopyraniaproject.eu/

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/

This project ends on: 31/05/2027

Cooperative business models for bio-based chains in rural areas

BRILIAN has been conceived to support the adoption of circular and sustainable cooperative business models in rural areas and enable a better transition to bio-based economies, playing a pivotal role in revitalizing these regions and fostering sustainable economic and social development, making primary producers active actors of the supply chain.

BRILIAN will implement a multi-actor approach for the validation of a group of Actions for the Bio Innovation, seeking to:

1. Forge robust rural bio-communities
2. Increase circularity and sustainability
3. Promote the integration of short supply chains
4. Produce value-added bioproducts

These Actions for the Bio Innovation will validate ten bio-based value chains starting from cardoon, safflower, and sunflower (in Italy), potato (in Spain), and rapeseed (in Denmark) as raw materials and will develop sustainable and circular business models encompassing a wide range of high-value-added bio-products, such as bioplastics, biolubricants, proteins, bioadhesives, bioherbicides, products for animal feed or the cosmetic sector. This will allow primary producers to diversify their income while reducing risk.

BRILIAN is an ambitious four-year project with a budget exceeding 6 million euros, co-financed by the Circular Bio-Based Europe (CBE) joint initiative under the European program for innovation and research ‘Horizon Europe 2021-2027’ (HE). The project involves 13 entities from 6 different countries: Spain, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Greece, including 3 large companies, 3 SMEs, 3 research organizations, 2 clusters, and 2 associations.

Contacts:

Olga de Blas (D&C Area): Odeblas@clusterfoodmasi.es
Maider Gómez (Project coordinador): mgomez@fcirce.es

website: https://brilian.eu/