Partners

Related websites: www.uab.cat | www.uab.cat/ca/enginyeria-quimica | webs.uab.cat/gicom

Description:

The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) was founded in 1968 and has developed into one of Spain’s leading public universities, recognised for its research excellence, international outlook, and commitment to autonomy, participation, and social responsibility. UAB is consistently ranked among the top universities in Spain and is internationally recognised for its strong research performance and global projection.

The Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (DEQBA) at UAB has a strong research profile, with several groups working on the use of microorganisms for the bioproduction of value-added compounds and the biodegradation of pollutants in solid and liquid systems. Within the department, GICOM — Research Group on Bioconversion of Organic Residues and Advanced Materials — focuses on the biological treatment and valorization of organic waste. Founded in 2000, GICOM has long-standing expertise in composting, solid-state fermentation, anaerobic digestion, and environmental assessment. Since 2005 GICOM has been recognized as a research group by the Generalitat de Catalunya, initially as an emerging group and subsequently as a consolidated group. Its research addresses the optimisation and control of biological treatment processes, with the aim of maximising biological activity and improving the stability and quality of compost and other bio-based products. GICOM has extensive experience in assessing organic waste stability, optimising biological treatment processes, and evaluating their environmental impacts. The group has developed advanced approaches for monitoring and improving composting processes, including the use of respirometric indices to evaluate waste stability and treatment performance.

In recent years, GICOM has expanded its research towards the production of value-added products from organic residues through solid-state fermentation, including enzymes, biosurfactants, biostimulants, and biopesticides. The group also works on anaerobic digestion, biogas upgrading, and the use of nanomaterials and catalysts to improve environmental technologies and resource recovery.

As the coordinator of Bio4UP, UAB-GICOM leads the overall project implementation and contributes its expertise in organic waste valorization, biological treatment processes, solid-state fermentation, anaerobic digestion, environmental impact assessment, and circular bioeconomy solutions.

Related websites: www.inrae.fr/en | eng-opaale.rennes.hub.inrae.fr/ur-opaale

Description: 

Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE) is France's premier public research institution dedicated to agriculture, food, and environmental sciences. Operating under the joint supervision of the Ministries of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, and Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, INRAE is recognized as a leading global institute in its fields. The institute employs approximately 12,000 staff members, including over 1,800 researchers and 1,700 research engineers, and manages a network of 18 research centers across France, hosting more than 200 research units. INRAE is committed to advancing knowledge and innovation to address major global challenges, including climate change, food security, and sustainable resource management. The institute leads numerous national and international research projects, fostering collaborations with academic institutions, industry partners, and policymakers.

OPAALE is a multidisciplinary research unit at the INRAE Bretagne Normandie centre, aiming to promote innovative technological and organisational solutions for the valorization of food materials, biomass and waste. To this end, OPAALE is developing methods to characterise the physical, chemical and biological properties of materials and processing methods, whether for food applications or for the energy or agronomic recovery of residues. Our research also focuses on environmental, energy and health management throughout the processing chain, using approaches in fluid mechanics, turbulence and microbiology, and on optimising the integration of eco-processes within local territories through an integrated approach, with the aim of producing decision-support tools. The research work relies on specialised equipment: imaging and NMR spectrometry platforms, wind tunnels, experimental prototypes, chemistry and microbiology laboratories, and numerical simulation software.

In the more specific field of organic waste, the OPAALE research unit focuses in particular on developing processes for composting, anaerobic digestion, the recovery of digestate, and the recycling of nutrients—such as nitrogen—to produce organic fertilisers. These technological solutions are assessed in terms of their environmental and health impacts and their ability to integrate into circular bioeconomy networks.

Related websites: www.dcu.ie/lifesciences | www.dcu.ie/water

Description:

Dublin City University (DCU) is one of Ireland's leading young research-intensive universities, recognised internationally for excellence in research, innovation, entrepreneurship and industry engagement. Established as a university in 1989, DCU has grown to a community of over 20,000 students from more than 120 countries and is widely recognised as Ireland's University of Enterprise. Through strong partnerships with industry, government and international collaborators, DCU delivers research that addresses global challenges in health, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, climate resilience and the circular economy.

The School of Biotechnology is a leading centre for biotechnology, bioprocess engineering and industrial biotechnology research in Ireland. The School plays a central role within the DCU Life Sciences Institute (LSI), a multidisciplinary research environment that brings together expertise from biotechnology, engineering, chemical sciences, health sciences and data-driven technologies to develop innovative solutions to complex societal challenges. Researchers also benefit from strong links with the DCU Water Institute, one of Ireland's leading centres for research in water, environmental sustainability, resource recovery, circular economy solutions and climate resilience. Together, these institutes provide access to state-of-the-art facilities and expertise spanning proteomics, bioinformatics, advanced materials, manufacturing technologies, environmental systems and microscopy.

Within the School, the Biobased Biomanufacturing Research Group (BBRG) conducts internationally recognised research in industrial biotechnology, microbial biomanufacturing and circular bioeconomy innovation. The group specialises in the development of sustainable bioprocesses that convert renewable resources, industrial by-products and organic waste streams into high-value products and materials. Research activities encompass microbial fermentation, high-cell-density cultivation, bioprocess optimisation, downstream processing, advanced separation technologies, resource recovery and biomass valorisation. The group also has growing expertise in biochar production, characterisation and application for environmental remediation, resource recovery and circular bioeconomy systems.The group investigates innovative approaches for converting organic residues into value-added products, bio-based materials and environmental solutions while supporting sustainable manufacturing, resource recovery and environmental remediation. Through strong engagement with industry partners and international research networks, BBRG contributes to the development of technologies that improve resource efficiency, reduce waste and support climate-neutral bioeconomy solutions.

As a partner in the Bio4UP Doctoral Network, DCU provides an interdisciplinary research and training environment that combines expertise in biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, biochar technologies, environmental sustainability and circular bioeconomy innovation. Within Bio4UP, DCU contributes expertise in biomass valorisation, biochar technologies, bioprocess engineering, resource recovery and circular bioeconomy innovation, supporting the development of sustainable pathways for transforming organic residues into high-value products, environmental technologies and bio-based solutions.

Related websites: www.ent.cat

Description:

Serveis de Suport a la Gestió, SL (registered trademark ENT Environment and Management; ENT hereafter) is a consultancy and research centre created in 2001 and based in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona, Spain) committed to environmental innovation. The team is made by experienced engineers, graduates, postgraduates and PhDs from different fields related to environmental management, including industrial engineers, environmental scientists, and ecological and environmental economists, among others. Our mission is to contribute towards a more sustainable society from a social, economic and environmental perspective by studying and implementing innovative approaches in the following areas of expertise: Economics and the Environment; Energy and Climate Change; Waste; and Political Ecology. ENT works mainly for public authorities at local, regional, national, and international level, although it also has clients from the academic and the private sector. ENT has been frequently participating in EU projects, including studies for the European Commission (mainly DG ENV and the Joint Research Centre) or research projects funded by European programmes (such as FP7, Interreg, LIFE, Marie Curie, H2020, and HE). We have a broad experience on public policy analysis of environmental policies; offering strategic advisory services and technical expertise to foster sustainable, evidence-based decision-making.

As part of the BIO4UP project, ENT will actively contribute to the development and evaluation of sustainability models for the integration of improved processes of biochar in a circular economy framework (WP5).

Research plays also an essential role in ENT´s activities. We try to apply innovative approaches to all of our projects and we also carry out dedicated R+D projects. Key results are published in scientific publications and presented at scientific conferences.

Related websites: www.wings-ict-solutions.eu

Description:

WINGS ICT Solutions provides complete integrated, intelligent digital (software, hardware) solutions and transformation for vertical business sectors; Environment (air quality, natural disasters), Utilities and Infrastructures (energy/water/gas, transportation, construction), Production & Manufacturing (food, factories/logistics), Service Sectors (health, education/culture, government, security/defense), as well as Smart Cities.

In order to achieve these results, WINGS exploits advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud technologies, Telecommunication Networks (4G, 5G, WiFi, Lora, etc.), advanced visualization techniques (Augmented / Virtual / Extended Reality (AR / VR / XR), mobile applications, etc.) aiming to provide extremely reliable solutions that help businesses improve their decision-making processes, expand their knowledge through detailed forecasting and predictive analytics, increase their efficiency and in the end, focusing on customer satisfaction.

Related websites: aeris.es

Description:

Aeris Tecnologías Ambientales (www.aeris.es) is a spin-off of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona comprising experts from the GENOCOV research group. Founded in 2009, AERIS’ main aim is to help industries and public entities to improve the environmental quality of their emissions by designing and implementing state-of-the-art, environmental-friendly technologies. Amongst the main fields of interest of AERIS, air deodorization, advanced water treatment and energy production and seizing from organic residues are some of the most relevant ones. As of 2020, AERIS has sold industrial plants all around Europe, as well as in Africa and Latin-America. AERIS has a large experience designing and building highly automated pilot plants for research purposes. These are always developed according to the specific customer needs. This includes fermenters, air-lift reactors, sequencing batch reactors (SBR), photobioreactors, etc. Also, another of AERIS main business areas is the optimization of the biological and/or physico-chemical depuration of natural and industrial liquid streams containing nutrients, COD and/or recalcitrant compounds. In this field, numerous R+D and technological implementation projects have been carried out in the last years, mostly in paper producing, tannery and food industries. 100 % of the shares belong to natural persons, namely 14 scientists.

Currently, AERIS comprises 14 researchers from different fields of science, resulting in a widely multidisciplinary team. Numerous technological implementation projects have been carried out in the last years, namely in WWTP and paper, chemical, tannery and food industries. Despite being a young company, AERIS has experience in participating in privately and publicly funded projects. AERIS currently participates in 17 projects financed by the EU (six MSCA- RISE, two LIFE, one Pathfinder, four Horizon Europe of different calls, one Interreg Sudoe, one Cascade Funding, one MISIONES and one SERA-CDTI), integrated in different aspects of the environmental field. Since 2015, AERIS has been awarded the Innovative SME seal by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, as a proof of their commitment to research.

AERIS is leading the one of the technical WPs related to the innovative biochar-based biogas purification and CO₂ conversion.

Related websites: www.uni-lj.si/en | www.bf.uni-lj.si/en | www.bf.uni-lj.si/en/units/wood-science-and-technology

Description:

The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest higher education and scientific research institution in Slovenia, founded in 1919.Today, it is attended by around 40.000 students and employs more than 6.000 teachers, researchers, assistants, and professional and administrative staff at 23 faculties and three art academies.

The fundamental mission of the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana is to provide university level, advanced professional, and postgraduate education, as well as to carry out scientific research and technical and consulting work concerning the sciences of living nature (biology, microbiology) as well as agriculture, forestry and fisheries (forestry, animal husbandry, agronomy) and the related production technologies (wood technology, food technology, biotechnology). The common denominator of all academic and scientific disciplines at the Biotechnical Faculty is natural resources (soil, physical space, flora, fauna, and water). Department of Wood Science and Technology at the is the only national institution with comprehensive higher educational programs and research focusing on wood and wood-based materials.

Chair for the Chemistry of Wood and Other Lignocellulosic Materials focuses on top-down and bottom-up valorisation wood and other ligno—cellulosic biomass. Research of Wood chemistry team is conceptualized as circular bioeconomy process with integrated principles of multistage cascade transformation of wood, wood biomass and other lingocellulosic raw materials in order to produce and create high value-added products from underutilized and depreciated woody biomass. The researched activities of the Wood chemistry team are designed as a multistage laboratory biorefinery process. In the first step a wide range of valuable bioactive compounds (extractives) is obtained from wood and bark raw material. In the next step, the lignin (second product) and hemicellulose (third product) are removed to obtain purified cellulose (forth product), which serves for production of multipurpose nanocellulose (nanofibrillated cellulose) as fifth product. Wood chemistry team has the expertise in the sampling, selection and pre-treatment of feedstock, wet chemistry, fractionation, isolation, purification, functionalization, characterization and utilization, integrated with advanced exploration possibilities spanning from value-added low molecular weight compounds to biomass-derived macromolecules. Advanced bio-based materials are developed for applications in wood and paper industry, other engineering applications as well as for food, feed and medical use.

Related websites: www.certh.gr | www.cperi.certh.gr | www.cperi.certh.gr/grenea

Description:

The Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), established in 2000, is one of Greece’s leading research institutions and among the largest in the EU.  CERTH is a legal entity governed by private law with non-profit status, supervised by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI) of the Greek Ministry of Development. Clean energy, low/zero CO₂ emission technologies, clean vehicle technologies, green hydrogen, climate change, artificial intelligence, advanced robotic systems, IoT, Industry 4.0, smart home infrastructure for the future, precision medicine, holistic health nutrition, holistic health-nutrition approach, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, precision agriculture, agro-robotics and circular economy, are the primal fields around which CERTH’s five (5) institutes —CPERI, ITI, HIT, INAB, and iBO— are organized. CERTH employs over 1,700 scientists and engineers and is primarily funded by competitive research projects (80%), industrial contracts (13%), and government support (7%), with an annual turnover exceeding € 60 million. CERTH is committed to translating scientific knowledge into practical applications that address societal challenges and foster economic growth, by actively participating in national and international research projects.

The Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), a division of CERTH,is dedicated to advancing research and development in energy, environmental technologies, and chemical processes. CPERI focuses on innovative solutions for energy efficiency, sustainable materials, and waste management. CPERI plays a crucial role in addressing global challenges related to energy and environmental sustainability through applied research and technological innovation, participating in many scientific projects funded by competitive research grants, national programs, and industry collaborations.

In Bio4UP, CERTH/CPERI contributes its expertise into biochar valorization and its integration into AD process, sustainability indicators and circular bioeconomy recommendations.

Related websites: ctfc.cat | hubforestal.cat | medwoodchemlab.ctfc.cat

Description: 

The Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC) is a public consortium established in 1996 to enhance the modernization and competitiveness of the forest sector. It promotes rural development, advances the bioeconomy across value chains, supports climate change mitigation, and fosters the sustainable management of natural resources through excellence in research and knowledge transfer. CTFC’s activities are structured around four interdisciplinary programmes: Bioeconomy, Health and Governance; Landscape Dynamics and Planning; Biodiversity Management and Conservation; and Multifunctional Forest Management. Together, they address challenges related to forest resilience, ecosystem dynamics, and disturbance processes, supported by a strong Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) approach to ensure real-world impact.

The Forestry HUB, an initiative of CTFC, connects research, development, and innovation, acting as a regional benchmark for adaptive forestry and sustainable value chains. It promotes a circular bioeconomy by supporting companies and public administrations in deploying low-impact solutions based on forest and agroforestry biomass, ensuring sustainability, traceability, and resource efficiency. The HUB provides services in product and process development, pilot testing and scale-up, technical consultancy, and capacity building across bioenergy, biomaterials, and environmental management sectors.

A key component of CTFC’s infrastructure is the MEDWOODCHEMLAB, a joint unit with the University of Lleida (UdL) focused on wood chemistry and bio-based materials. Its work includes the development of biorefinery processes, the extraction of high added-value compounds from Mediterranean biomass, and bioadhesives for sustainable construction. The laboratory has strong expertise in thermochemical conversion technologies, particularly pyrolysis and gasification, enabling the production of biochar, bio-oil, syngas, and renewable chemicals. It also develops advanced biomass fractionation processes through green chemistry approaches, such as ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents, contributing to efficient biomass valorisation and the circular bioeconomy.

Related websites: uis.edu.co/es |  uis.edu.co/ffm-gruinv-gph-es |  www2.uis.edu.co/unidades-academicas/facultad-de-ingenierias-fisicoquimicas/escuela-de-ingenieria-quimica

Description:

The Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) was founded in 1948 and has developed into one of Colombia's leading public research universities, recognised for its strong performance in engineering and applied sciences, its commitment to regional development, and its role as a driver of innovation in northeastern Colombia. UIS is consistently ranked among the top universities in Colombia and hosts approximately 98 research groups, 11 scientific journals, and a dedicated technology park with 14 research centres and specialised laboratories.

The Department of Civil Engineering, established in 1964 within the Faculty of Physicomechanical Engineering, has a strong research profile addressing key challenges in infrastructure, environmental management, and sustainable use of natural resources. Within the department, GPH - Research Group on Water Resources and Environmental Sanitation - focuses on hydrology, hydrogeology, water quality assessment, water supply systems, wastewater treatment, solid waste management, and biological transformation of organic waste. Its research addresses the sustainable management of water resources and the prevention and control of environmental contamination, with a vision of contributing to territorial planning and improving quality of life in Colombia and the broader Latin American region.

On the other hand, the School of Chemical Engineering, with 72 years of continuous operation, has helped consolidate the region's and the country's academic, scientific, and industrial culture. Two research groups from this school will participate in the project: the Research Group on Technologies for the Valorization of Agricultural and Industrial Waste and Resources for Energy Sustainability (INTERFASE) and the Research Group on Food Science and Technology (CICTA). Both groups have conducted research on environmental biotechnology, anaerobic digestion of solid waste, and the valorization of organic waste.

In the context of Bio4UP, UIS contributes its expertise in environmental sanitation and sustainable waste management, particularly in assessing environmental impacts associated with organic waste treatment processes. The groups offer a Latin American perspective on the challenges and opportunities of circular bioeconomy solutions, complementing the consortium's work on biological valorization of organic wastes and the development of bio-based products.

Related websites:

Description: uncp.edu.pe

The Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú (UNCP), established in 1959, is the largest public university in central Peru, based in Huancayo. It offers 33 undergraduate, 46 master’s, and 7 doctoral programs across 22 faculties, covering engineering, environmental sciences, agriculture, biotechnology, business, and health sciences. With 10,000 students and 1,871 faculty members, UNCP operates research centres and technology transfer units, driving scientific innovation and socio-economic development.  UNCP specializes in environmental sustainability, bioenergy, wastewater treatment, and resource recovery, hosting research groups in microbial biotechnology, anaerobic digestion, and waste-to-energy. It has secured national and international funding and collaborates with partners across Latin America, the US, and Europe. UNCP has technical cooperation agreements with institutions such as Technical University of Braunschweig (Germany), University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy). In addition, UNCP has faculties where research groups have been established; these groups lead educational projects with students starting in their first semesters and supervise undergraduate and graduate theses, offering students the opportunity to participate in projects funded by the university itself. Such is the case with the BIOWASTE research group, which belongs to the UNCP’s Faculty of Animal Science. This group develops circular economy and bioeconomy strategies for sustainable animal production systems, focused on waste recovery, optimizing resource use, and reducing environmental impacts, thereby improving production efficiency and the sustainability of the livestock system. The faculty researchers who make up the BIOWASTE research group specialize in areas such as animal production, environmental engineering, and biotechnology, which allows for an interdisciplinary approach to waste valorization and the agricultural bioeconomy. Additionally, this group has basic equipment for conducting research and field areas for experimental testing that facilitate the development of applied projects. His research focuses on the utilization of waste from livestock, agriculture, agro-industry, and municipal sources. This includes the recovery of organic solid waste through composting, humus production, biochar, biol, and biogas production, as well as the analysis of contaminants in liquid and solid organic fertilizers. Such as heavy metals, microplastics, and antibiotics. And the use of organic waste in improving forage yield.