Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)

📣 New flagship project alert! The CBE JU-funded SOWISE+ project, coordinated by Contarina S.p.A., will establish a first-of-its-kind multipurpose biorefinery in Italy for bio-based polymers from urban organic waste. SOWISE+ will produce PHBV, a fully biodegradable and biocompatible polymer, and recover high-quality cellulose from waste streams including biowaste and post-consumer absorbent hygiene products. The resulting materials will be validated for applications in sectors such as packaging and healthcare. The project aims to: ▶️ Process approximately 16,500 tonnes of urban organic waste annually ▶️ Produce 230 tonnes of PHBV and recover up to 700 tonnes of cellulose per year ▶️ Reduce water use for PHBV production by 90% ▶️ Cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17% for PHBV and around 40% for cellulose production ▶️ Create up to 175 new jobs at the Contarina facilities SOWISE+ will demonstrate an industrial model for urban-industrial symbiosis, supporting circular waste management and reducing Europe’s reliance on fossil-based plastics. SMC Group, Novamont, i-Foria Italia

🏭 Across Europe, CBE JU funding supports 198 demonstration plants and 23 flagship biorefineries. These facilities help #biobased technologies reach industrial scale. CBE JU-funded Innovation Actions cover different stages of scale-up. At demonstration scale, projects validate technical and financial feasibility at pre-industrial level. Flagship projects focus on first-of-their-kind large-scale production facilities designed to be operational by project completion. CBE JU has provided €590.2 million for demonstration-scale projects and €405 million for flagship projects. Swipe to see where these facilities are located and what the flagship #biorefineries are producing. EU Environment and Climate, EU Agriculture and Food, EU Science, Research and Innovation, Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC)

📣 New flagship project alert! The CBE JU-funded RenewChem  project, coordinated by Catalyxx, will establish a first-of-its-kind industrial facility for renewable bio-alcohol production in Sines, Portugal. RenewChem will use renewable ethanol to produce long-chain bio-alcohols that are chemically identical to their fossil-based equivalents and compatible with existing industrial infrastructure. They can be used in resins, coatings, adhesives, lubricants, surfactants and sustainable aviation fuels. The project aims to: ▶️ Produce 15,000 tonnes of bio-based alcohols annually ▶️ Provide a cost-competitive alternative to petrochemical butanol ▶️ Avoid approximately 11,100 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions each year ▶️ Create 667 high-skilled green jobs ▶️ Generate €70.8 million in annual revenue by 2047 RenewChem will support new markets for Europe’s bioethanol sector and increase the availability of renewable alternatives for the #chemical industry. Evonik, Arkema, Magfi

⏳ One month left to apply: €300,000 is available to support cross-regional #bioeconomy partnerships. The CBE JU-funded BIO-INSPIRE project  will fund 30 subprojects with grants of €10,000 each through its teaming and knowledge exchange open call. Selected teams will join a six-month programme supporting exchanges and study visits between organisations from different European regions. The programme will strengthen innovation capacity and support longer-term research and innovation cooperation. 🗓️ Apply by 26 August 2026 at 12:00 CET. 🔗 Learn more and apply in comments ⬇️ CluBE-Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia, Zabala Innovation Spain, Zabala Innovation Portugal, Wageningen University & Research, Green Synergy Cluster, Bay Zoltán Kutatóközpont, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, LithuaniaBIO, Stowarzyszenie Zachodniopomorski Klaster Chemiczny "Zielona Chemia", Bioeconomy Cluster, AgroTransilvania Cluster, Greenovate! Europe, Geonardo Environmental Technologies

📣 New CBE JU-funded project alert! The SALINA project, coordinated by ASINCAR, will develop local coastal marine biorefineries for sustainable #macroalgae cultivation and processing across #Europe. SALINA will test innovative onshore and offshore cultivation systems in different European marine environments. Green, brown and red macroalgae will be processed into five high-value products for the food, cosmetics and biomaterials sectors. The project aims to: ▶️ Develop scalable and resource-efficient macroalgae cultivation systems ▶️ Produce three ingredients and two consumer products from seaweed #biomass ▶️ Apply zero-waste processing and transform more than 95% of solid subproducts ▶️ Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% and freshwater use by up to 80% ▶️ Support new coastal value chains and safeguard at least 25 jobs SALINA will connect cultivation, processing and product development to strengthen Europe’s seaweed sector and support economic opportunities in coastal regions. Haloderma, Kerteminde Seafarm, ZER0-E Engineering, Celignis Biomass Lab, Life Cycle Assessment @ ZHAW, Agnes Mols Mortensen, Arctic Seaweed AS, F6S Innovation, Algabrava, KK Labs&Research, Pure Algae Denmark, POSEIDONA, CER Groupe, NIDO Contech, CIIMAR, Global Seaweed Coalition, MOLUSCOS CASTELLS SL, ACUICULTURA DEL DELTA S.L. (ACUIDELTA S.L.)

🌱 Fertilisers made from fishery sidestreams can reduce climate impacts and mineral resource use compared with conventional mineral fertilisers. New #CBEresearch involving the CBE JU-funded ReLEAF Project EU assessed three #biobased #fertilisers. The analysis covered both their production and use in a broccoli field trial. Two fertilisers reduced global warming potential by up to 62% per kg of nitrogen and by 11% per kg of broccoli, compared with mineral fertilisers. Mineral resource use also fell by up to 13%. The third fertiliser had higher overall impacts. The findings show that production methods and agronomic performance are critical. More efficient drying and production close to the sidestream could improve environmental performance further. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, ISQ

🛡️ Could Europe's next generation of crop protection grow on trees? CBE JU-funded ZELDA_EU  is developing bio-based alternatives to chemical pesticides, made from the three main components of wood: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The widespread use of chemical pesticides puts human health, animal welfare and the environment at risk. At the same time, climate change is making crops more vulnerable to pests and diseases. ZELDA_EU's bio-based formulations offer a safer, more effective and more sustainable way to protect crops against fungal and bacterial diseases. 📸 See the project's contribution to the #CBEScaleUp photo and video competition. Read more about the project in the comments below 👇

📣 New CBE JU-funded project alert! The BIOWRAP project, coordinated by Papair  will develop a paper-based alternative to plastic bubble wrap. BIOWRAP will use cellulose from forestry waste and patented nanocellulose fibre bonding instead of synthetic adhesives. The project will also establish a first-of-its-kind production facility in Germany for #recyclable and compostable protective #packaging. The project aims to: ▶️ Source 100% #biobased feedstock ▶️ Develop five fibre-based packaging prototypes ▶️ Produce up to 25.8 million m² of packaging annually ▶️ Achieve a 90% material recovery rate ▶️ Reduce CO₂ emissions per m² by 25-50% compared with plastic bubble wrap BIOWRAP will support the wider use of circular packaging solutions and reduce Europe’s reliance on fossil-based plastics. 🔗 Discover the project ⬇️ LEIPA Group, LemuGroup, Department of Food Science, AU FOOD, OutNature, Camm Solutions, The Navigator Company, The LCA Center B.V., OFI Österreichisches Forschungsinstitut für Chemie und Technik, Technische Universität Graz

🌍 Where are CBE JU-funded projects, participants and facilities located across #Europe? Our updated programme overview and country participation dashboard brings the data together in one interactive tool. Select a country to explore its participation and funding, search for organisations and discover the projects they contribute to. A new map also shows the locations of flagship biorefineries and demonstration plants developed under CBE JU and BBI JU-funded projects. 🔗 Explore the dashboard⬇️ Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), EU Environment and Climate, EU Agriculture and Food, EU Science, Research and Innovation

📢 New publication out: A Competitive Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future - 2026 edition Since 2014, CBE JU and its predecessor, BBI JU, have funded 243 projects involving 1,860 participants from 46 countries. Together, the two programmes have provided approximately €1.45 billion in EU funding for #biobased research and innovation. Under BBI JU, every €1 of EU funding attracted €3.65 in private investment. For flagship and demonstration projects, this figure reached around €5.20. Current CBE JU projects have already reported: ➡️ 97 circular products ➡️ 136 dedicated bio-based outputs ➡️ 74 value chains created across #Europe Across the wider portfolio, SMEs represent 38% of participants. They play an important role in technology development and industrial scale-up. The new edition features first-of-their-kind biorefineries across Europe and shows how supported projects are bringing bio-based solutions closer to the market. It also highlights their contribution to regional development and Europe’s industrial resilience. 👀Explore the results supporting a competitive and sustainable European #bioeconomy ⬇️ Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), EU Science, Research and Innovation, EU Agriculture and Food, EU Environment and Climate