The overall objective of BioCatPolymers is to demonstrate a sustainable and efficient technological route to convert low quality residual biomass to high added-value biopolymers. The technology is based on an integrated hybrid bio-thermochemical process combining the best features of both. The biological step consists of the efficient conversion of biomass-derived sugars to mevalonolactone (MVL). MVL can be then converted to bio-monomers via highly selective chemocatalytic processes. BioCatPolymers is specifically aiming at the efficient and economic production of isoprene and 3-methyl 1,5-pentanediol (3MPD), two momoners with very large markets that can be further processed in the existing infrastructure for fossil-based polymers for the production of elastomers and polyurethanes, respectively. This ambitious target will be attained by optimizing and demonstrating the entire value chain on 0.5 ton of biomass/day scale, starting from the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass to hydrolysis and biological fermentation to MVL, separation of MVL from fermentation broth, selective catalytic conversion to the targeted monomer and finally purification to polymer grade quality. The novel approach we propose in this project surpasses the impediments of traditional solely bio-based approaches. It aims at producing bio-isoprene at 50% cost reduction and 3MPD at 70% cost reduction compared to average market prices, by optimizing the platform cell factories and all downstream processes and integrating the process modules, thereby increasing the competitiveness of biological processes in terms of economics. The BioCatPolymers consortium consists of highly qualified and experienced researchers with complementary expertise. Trans-disciplinary considerations are strongly involved in the project. The strong industrial leadership-driven innovation potential is reflected through the fact that the large majority of the partners are from industry.

LUCRA will exploit the EU’s underutilized and abundant, Municipal Solid Waste and Wood waste as feedstocks for the large scale production of platform building block biobased chemicals at high yield with significant industrial end-user interest using a circular bioeconomy biorefinery approach. It will provide optimized and scaleable ‘breakthrough first of a kind’ innovative technology to create a step change from pilot to large scale integrated fermentation with novel electrochemical extraction of succinic acid (SA) at TRL7 that will facilitate its industrial implementation, business models and market feasibility. This will be achieved by the circular utilization of the mentioned renewable resources as feedstocks which will reduce to a large extent the dependence on fossil resources and achieves at the same time a sustainable SA production route. To fit the needs of the industrial level, LUCRA will optimize the hydrolysis process of the different feedstocks to obtain efficient cellulose and hemicellulose conversion. Enzymatic cocktails will be demonstrated aiming to maximize hydrolysis of fermentable carbohydrate content with low inhibitors production. The crude sugar-rich hydrolysates will be used as fermentation feedstock in an electrochemical membrane bioreactor for efficient extraction and production of SA. In situ extraction of SA will be achieved through an anion exchange membrane resulting in simultaneous acidification, concentration, lower NaOH consumption for pH regulation and less unit operations for SA purification. To demonstrated the produced SA that will be able to compete directly their fossil-based counterparts from petrochemical processes, different polyurethane dispersions and resins will be produced at semi-industrial scale. The process implemented in LUCRA targeting to reduce the cost of bio-SA and will demonstrate an 50% GHG reduction against conventional SA.

EU is currently responsible for 11.6% of the world's final energy consumption (9425 Mtoe in 2014) and for 10.8% of the world's final CO2 emissions (33.3 GtCO2 in 2014) with Industry accounting for 25.9% of the energy consumption and for 47.7% of the final CO2 emissions. Energy in industry is mostly used for process heating and cooling, which represents about 63% of the total industry final energy demand. A rather significant theoretical waste heat potential, accounting to 370.41 TWh (Waste heat) per year, has been estimated in the European industry. Energy Intensive Industries (EEIs) are unsurprisingly the top heat emitters. On the other hand, it is estimated that at least 50-70% of EU households could be served more cheaply by thermal infrastructure through district heating networks. District heating currently provides only 8% of the heating demand in Europe. There is therefore an opportunity for increasing energy efficiency growth rates and contributing significantly to the decarbonization targets of European Industry by using the large underutilized energy resources found throughout European EEIs to substitute conventional heat sources in the European industrial and urban sector. The overall objective of INCUBIS is: To help decarbonise European industry by 2050 by unlocking the market potential of ENERGY SYMBIOSIS through developing and deploying five (5) Energy Symbiosis Incubators across Europe, complemented by a digital Cloud Incubator, thus enabling the utilization of waste energy from EEIs. In doing so INCUBIS will achieve total energy savings of 200GWh/year, trigger €6 Million of investments in sustainable energy, generate benefits of €4 Million, achieve GHG reduction of 55k tCO2-eq/year, and convince 1450 business over 40 industrial parks to commit to energy cooperation. To achieve this INCUBIS has put together a prestigious consortium of 8 partners including 5 SMEs that span 6 European countries and will work for the duration of 36 months.

Research and training in TheLink spans the material development chain for nanostructured polymers. These materials, including phase separated polymers and composites, are attracting scientific and industrial interest due to the outstanding properties and functionalities that can be achieved. However, to exploit the potential of these materials an in-depth understanding of the relationship between nano/micro structures and macro-level properties is required. TheLink aims to generate this knowledge on an interdisciplinary basis combining simulation, characterisation and processing. The recruited fellows will take nanomaterial development beyond “trial and error” towards a knowledge-based and industrially feasible approach. Three case studies (phase separated polymers and composites, separation membranes and self-diagnosing polymers) will be used to guide the research and to demonstrate the project developments. Careful attention will also be paid to broader market requirements and standardisation. High-quality individualised training in scientific and transferable skills, and a structured network program of training units, will provide the fellows with unique interdisciplinary competence in simulation, characterisation and processing, and move them from theoretical investigations towards industrial application and entrepreneurship. The active involvement of industrial partners, secondments in applied research and industry and a strong research and training emphasis on market requirements will furthermore provide them with the intersectoral experience needed for a career in the development of nanostructured polymers.

NOAH deals with the education of early-stage researchers (ESRs) in a multidisciplinary chemical research program within the area of functional molecular containers, encapsulation processes and their applications with the possibility to end up with a PhD degree. The proposed training network aims to bring in a great variety of scientific attributes to 10 selected ESRs, ranging from the experimental organic and inorganic synthesis to computational chemistry. Photo- and electro-chemistry, MS/gas-phase chemistry, X-ray diffraction and optical spectroscopy techniques will be also included in the scientific formation and development of the recruited ESRs. The trainees will also receive education in complementary and transferable skills through attendance to local and network-wide dedicated training seminars (e.g. dissemination, communication, organization, governance, ethics…). The training program includes the exposure of the ESRs to chemical research carried out in the non-academic sector or in a technological centre by means of full recruitment or short stage secondments in one of the three chemical European companies or the technological centre operating at very different levels: one large company, Covestro, two SMEs, Mind the Byte and Biolitec and one technological centre Leitat. ESRs will also gain insight in the transfer process of knowledge from academia to industry and other complementary soft-skills. The proposed ETN constitutes an ideal framework to acquaint ESRs, in a modest amount of time (3 years), with a great variety of scientific skills, experimental techniques, soft-skills and technologies. Ten ESRs will be incorporated in a multidisciplinary team formed by 7 research groups of multiple nationalities that are focused on a common goal and with high involvement of 3 non-academic partners and one technological centre. All PIs are internationally recognized scientists and the scholar scientists have wide experience as tutors and mentors of ESRs.