PENGUIN aims to develop sustainable materials for outdoor garments. Its highlight lies on cellulose-based fibres for producing sustainable insulation material that mimic the way penguins protect themselves against cold and moisture on land. The goal of PENGUIN is to ensure Europe's role as a world-leading technology provider and research leader in the textile sector through collaboration between Europe's leading experts in advanced material value chain and reduce the environmental impact of the outdoor garment industry and address sustainability and ethical concerns of consumers. Specifically, PENGUIN aims to develop sustainable and recyclable textile fibres based on wood cellulose with enhanced hydrophobicity, adhesion, and tailored morphology to create ethically responsible and sustainable insulation materials for textiles. PENGUIN will develop fabrics that incorporate advanced biomimetic functionalities and digital tools for optimal performance. The reuse and recycling plan together with developed recycling technologies will ensure that the end-product is disposed of responsibly, further contributing to the circular economy. Furthermore, PENGUIN aims to ensure that the developed textile materials are safe and sustainable; low-cost and low-resource; and gain market adoption and stakeholder acceptance for the new products. PENGUIN will achieve these objectives through innovation activities and partnerships, optimizing, developing and validating new materials and production methods. Overall, PENGUIN has the potential to transform the textile industry by creating sustainable, efficient, and high-performance textile materials. PENGUIN will contribute to industrial leadership, increased autonomy in strategic value chains, and security of supply in raw materials for resilient industry.

The project is focused on OrganoClick’s biobased binders for the nonwoven industry. We are currently selling our biobased binders on a thousand-ton scale to pioneering nonwoven producers which want to become plastic-free. Our biobased binders are based on biopolymers extracted from various side streams in the food industry. A problem is, however, that some of the biopolymers are still much more expensive than the fossil based plastic polymers. The demand for plastic-free nonwovens is high but the price is still a limiting factor for getting a break-in on the really high-volume segments of nonwovens. A way of extracting biopolymers from existing side streams from the food industry in a more cost-efficient way would enhance and grow the market-uptake considerably and lead to that we can move from a thousand-ton scale to a hundred-thousand-ton scale of fossil plastic binders being replaced with our biobased and biodegradable equivalent. Our project aims to revolutionize the supply chain of bio-derived polymers by extracting valuable polymers from waste streams of fungi. The waste is already existing on a large scale. This challenge represents a breakthrough and market-creating innovation due to its unique approach in utilizing fungal waste as a resource for production of biopolymers of high value. The timing is optimal as the world is demanding sustainable and plastic-free solutions, positioning our project at the forefront of environmental innovation. Our commitment to a high-impact scale-up, coupled with the innovation's novelty, advanced TRL, and perfect alignment with market dynamics and technological trends, positions our project as an example of excellence within the bio-derived polymer industry and the polymers application in binders for nonwoven. This unique combination of factors ensures the project's potential to shape the future landscape of natural biopolymer extraction and make a significant contribution to a sustainable and circular economy.

The objective of GOGREEN ROUTES is to position European cities as world ambassadors of urban sustainability. Our inspirational approach shifts the focus of NBS towards the co-benefits to multidimensional health-termed 360-Health. GOGREEN ROUTES transdisciplinary consortium will pioneer a unique approach augmenting NBS, urban design with the goal of fostering a positive human-nature relationship, flourishing nature connectedness and promoting citizen engagement through digital, educational and behavioural innovation. GOGREEN ROUTES components focus on nature-based enterprise (GROW), sustainable physical activity (MOVE), digital, cultural (FEEL) and knowledge innovation (KNOW). GOGREEN ROUTES fosters mental health and well-being by optimising human-nature interactions for all citizens. These innovations will increase the uptake and acceptability of NBS across “Cultivating Cities” (Burgas, Lahti, Limerick, Tallinn, Umea & Versailles), “Seed Cities” (Munich, Murcia region & Malta) and a “Cross-Pollination Network: (Beijing, Mexico, & Tblisi). An urban well-being lab, based on the living lab methodology will couple participatory approaches with the Big Data analyses. To advance knowledge, best practice and dissemination GOGREEN ROUTES will cluster with H2020 projects including those involving our partners (e.g. proGIreg, bluehealth2020, Connecting Nature). In addition, linking all open-sourced data to the OPPLA and Think Nature Hubs, delivering online resource (e.g. Urban 360-Health Toolkit, MOOC’s) and empowering citizens in an iterative process of co-creation will ensure perpetuation beyond the end of the project. This novel approach, coupled with the high capacity of the consortium, makes GOGREEN ROUTES an exciting prospect.