17 New Projects by BBI JU That Will Validate the Potential of Biomass in Europe

Von Korbinian Sinzinger|Donnerstag, der 24. Mai 2018|Highlights|

The Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) Grant Agreements of projects under the 2017 Call for proposals are now signed. These seventeen new projects include in their consortia a diverse range of actors, investors and organisations that will work towards creating value from waste, side streams, innovative new biomass like aquatic and bio-waste, and CO2. The newly signed projects will strive to develop solutions for current and strategic issues in Europe in areas such as feedstock supply, optimised processing, innovative bio-based products for identified market applications and market uptake of these applications at commercial level.

Seventeen projects have been selected under the BBI JU 2017 Call for proposals, bringing the BBI JU portfolio to a total of 82 running projects, covering well the four strategic orientations outlined in the Strategic and Innovation Research Agenda (SIRA). The new projects grant € 85 million to 194 beneficiaries originating from 25 different countries. The newly added projects are divided into 10 Research & Innovation Action projects, 2 Coordination and Support Action projects, 4 Demonstration Action projects and 1 Flagship Action project, this last one being the first-of-its-kind biorefinery in Estonia.

Announcing this start-up phase of the 2017 Call projects, Philippe Mengal, BBI JU’s Executive Director commented: “All of us in BBI JU, together with our founding partners the European Commission and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), are excited to see these new projects starting. Primary production and processing industries, consumer brands, SMEs, research and technology centres and universities have once more come together, demonstrating BBI JU’s ability to connect previously unconnected actors. BBI JU’s project portfolio is increasing, bringing the potential of the sector closer to the end users, the EU citizens. The EU innovates making sure that our citizens are at the centre of this innovative process’’.

Bio-Based Industries LogoThe BBI JU projects are funded under the Horizon 2020 programme and bring together researchers from several European centres of excellence – being companies, research institutes or universities – to develop new technologies and products, and bring them to maturity or even commercial level. The bio-based sector can work more coherently through measures that bring in feedstock suppliers as partners in the value chains, develop biorefinery technologies and processes, raise business-to-business demand, and promote customer awareness about innovative bio-based products and applications.

New projects

  • AQUABIOPROFIT – AQUAculture and Agriculture BIOmass side stream PROteins and bioactives for Feed, FITness and health promoting nutritional supplements
  • BIOBRIDGES –  Bridging Consumers, Brands and Bio Based Industry to improve the market of sustainable bio-based products
  • NEWPACK – Development of new Competitive and Sustainable Bio-Based Plastics
  • EFFECTIVE – Advanced Eco-designed Fibres and Films for large consumer products from biobased polyamides and polyesters in a circular EConomy perspecTIVE
  • EXCornsEED – Separation, fractionation and isolation of biologically active natural substances from corn oil and other side streams
  • ICT-BIOCHAIN – ICT Tools in Efficient Biomass Supply Chains for Sustainable Chemical Production
  • iFermenter – Conversion of forestry sugar residual streams to antimicrobial proteins by intelligent  fermentation
  • Pro-Enrich – Development of novel functional proteins and bioactive ingredients from rapeseed, olive, tomato and citrus fruit side streams for applications in food, cosmetics, pet food and adhesives
  • Prolific – Integrated cascades of PROcesses for the extraction and valorisation of proteins and bioactive molecules from Legumes, Fungi and Coffee agro-industrial side streams
  • ReInvent – Novel Products for Construction and Automotive Industries Based on Bio Materials and Natural Fibres
  • SpiralG – Production of phycocyanin from the spirulina arthrospira sp. Revisiting the sourcing, extraction and co-valorization of the whole algae in the frame of an industrial biorefinery concept
  • SusBind – Development and pilot production of SUStainable bio BINDer systems for wood based panels
  • SUSFERT – Sustainable multifunctional fertilizer – combining bio-coatings, probiotics and struvite for phosphorus and iron supply
  • SWEETWOODS – Production and deploying of high purity lignin and affordable platform chemicals through wood-based sugars
  • UNRAVEL – UNique Refinery Approach to Valorise European Lignocellulosics
  • VIPRISCAR – Validation of an industrial process to manufacture isosorbide bis(methyl carbonate) at pilot level
  • WoodZymes – Extremozymes for wood based building blocks: from pulp mill to board and insulation products