Le Lézard
Classified in: Environment, Health, Science and technology
Subjects: SVY, ENI

Bio-based Industries: Potential for Sustainable Growth


BRUSSELS, November 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

- This autumn, 13 million tonnes of sugar beet pulp will be produced in Europe. Now, thanks to new bio-based technologies, its value for producers can be increased by up to 50 times 

- Far from science fiction, this is just one example of the potential of bio-based industries. By creating new biochemicals and bioplastics out of biomass, they could generate extensive advantages for the European economy in general, agriculture in particular, its citizens as well as environment 

- Millions of jobs already created, and billions of euros invested: that is what the bio-based industries are all about. Furthermore, it is proof that the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking, a partnership between the European Union & the private sector, is effectively acting as a catalyst for sustainable bio-based industries in Europe 

In Europe every year, millions of tonnes of sugar beet pulp are only re-used as low-value products like animal feed and fertilizer, or are processed into green gas. However, thanks to new cutting-edge extraction techniques, this pulp can now be transformed into high-value components used in sports equipment, automotive parts or even in the aviation industry, increasing its current worth by up to 50 times! This is not a distant dream, but the concept of the very real PULP2VALUE project: 1 of 65 highly innovative projects funded by the ?3.7 billion-worth Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking, aimed at a more sustainable, environmentally friendly growth.

At a time when demands for greener products and a more circular economy are ever growing, bio-based industries in many ways hold the key to our European future. Not only will they massively contribute to decarbonisation and the reduction of our fossil-based dependence through a better and more efficient use of local natural resources; in doing so, they also hold a vast economic potential. In 2014, the bio-based industries already employed 3.3 million people in Europe, a number set to grow even further with the expected creation of an extra 400,000 skilled jobs by 2020 - 80% of which will be in rural areas! On top of that, the exploitation of by-products and crops like thistles, dandelions and flax will allow farmers across Europe to diversify and grow their income, as well as boost the development of local economies.

"As confirmed in the independent interim evaluation report produced by an independent group of experts for the European Commission, the BBI JU is successful in bringing together actors from different countries and different sectors, combining knowledge and joining forces to attract consistent private investment," Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking Executive Director Philippe Mengal declares. "By the end of 2016 already, every euro invested by the EU was leveraging ?2.6 of private investment: proof that the BBI JU is actively boosting European economy."

The BBI JU was created with the aim of acting as a catalyst for the development of a bio-based European economy. Central to this is the biorefinery - scaling up novel bio-based processes to treat all kinds of organic waste and side-streams & transforming them into high value products and ingredients. In order to fulfil its mission, it is crucial for the BBI JU to keep promoting research and innovation across whole value chains, overcoming fragmentation and bringing together key stakeholders to further de-risk investment, ultimately establishing and organising new value chains and allowing for the creation of innovative and new sustainable business models.

"We are key to shaping the bio-based sector as a business community which provides the basis for a strong bio-based economy in Europe. At our Stakeholder Forum in The Square Brussels Meeting Centre on 7 December, we will bring that community together to share best practices, look towards the next phase in the initiative and witness the work of the projects already begun," Philippe Mengal concludes. "It is only by joining public and private forces that we will be able to turn Europe not just into a pioneer but the worldwide leading player in all things bio-based, allowing us to conquer a global market share... On the way to creating sustainable competitiveness for Europe, and value for its citizens."

About BBI JU: 

The BBI JU is a public-private partnership (PPP), part of the EU's plan to move its economy to a post-petroleum era. It is expected to help make the EU's economy more resource-efficient and sustainable, while supporting growth and employment. The BBI JU is dedicated to realising the European bioeconomy potential and contributing to a sustainable circular economy, by turning biological residues and wastes (from agro-food, forestry and municipal sources) into greener everyday products, through innovative technologies and biorefineries. ?3.7 billion will be the total contribution to the BBI JU initiative between 2014 and 2024, with ?975 million coming from the European Commission and ?2.7 billion from its private partner, the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC).

For more information and to register for the BBI JU inaugural Stakeholder Forum in Brussels on 7 December, please visit: https://bbi-europe.eu/events/bbi-ju-stakeholder-forum-brussels.

For more information about BBI JU's mission & objectives, please visit: http://www.bbi-europe.eu/

The BBI JU is a public-private partnership (PPP), part of the EU's plan to move its economy to a post-petroleum era. It is expected to help make the EU's economy more resource-efficient and sustainable, while supporting growth and employment. The BBI JU is dedicated to realising the European bioeconomy potential and contributing to a sustainable circular economy, by turning biological residues and wastes (from agro-food, forestry and municipal sources) into greener everyday products, through innovative technologies and biorefineries.

The BBI JU will mobilize ?3.7 billion between 2014 and 2024, with ?975 million coming from the European Commission and ?2.7 billion from its private partner, the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC).

The BBI JU initiative focuses on using Europe's biomass and wastes to make high value products and bring them to market. Advanced biorefineries and innovative technologies are at the heart of this process, converting renewable resources into sustainable bio-based chemicals, materials and fuels, allowing the EU to reduce its dependence on finite fossil resources.

The Joint Undertaking on Bio-based Industries (BBI) is a public-private partnership aiming at increasing investment in the development of a sustainable bio-based industry sector in Europe. It aims at providing environmental and socio-economic benefits for European citizens, increasing the competitiveness of Europe and contributing to establishing Europe as a key player in research, demonstration and deployment of advanced bio-based products and biofuels. The BBI Joint Undertaking will also play an important role in achieving a bioeconomy in Europe.

The BBI Joint Undertaking's mission is to implement, under Horizon 2020 rules, the Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SIRA) developed by the industry and validated by the European Commission. BBI JU organises Calls for proposals to support research, demonstration and deployment activities enabling the collaboration between stakeholders along the entire value chains covering primary production of biomass, processing industry and final use.

BBI JU is specifically in charge of:

BBI JU projects bring together researchers from 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. This novel structure means that the bio-based sector can work more coherently through measures that involve 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.

The bio-based industries can address citizens' concerns around food security, bio-diversity and zero waste through optimising land use, deploying underused or unusable land, low maintenance cultivation and recycling, as well as extracting and reusing underutilized raw materials. The bio-based industries are perfect examples of the circular economy in action, meaning sustainable, resource-efficient and largely waste-free utilisation of Europe's renewable raw materials for industrial processing.

By 2030 it is expected that the Bio-based Industrial sector will generate 700.000 skilled and non-skilled jobs compared to 2012, 80% of them being in rural areas. This will regenerate underdeveloped and/or abandoned Regions and will grow and diversify farmers' income. It will enable the EU to reduce its dependency upon the import of strategic raw material like fossil raw materials but also protein for animal feed.  It is expected that 30% of fossil based products will be replaced by bio-based ones with for consequence to reduce by 50% the GHG emissions.

SOURCE Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking


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