Bio4UP Kick-off Meeting

Date: 4 February 2026

Format: Online meeting via MS Teams

Host: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

Event type: Project meeting / Consortium event

The Bio4UP consortium held its Kick-off Meeting on 4 February 2026, marking the official launch of the Horizon Europe MSCA Staff Exchanges project Sustainable Biochar-Enhanced Upcycling Solutions for Zero-Waste Valorisation of Organic Waste into Circular Bioeconomy Products.

Hosted by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the meeting brought together representatives from all project beneficiaries and associated partners. The event provided an opportunity to establish a shared understanding of the project objectives, implementation structure, MSCA Staff Exchange rules, and the role of secondments as a central mechanism for knowledge exchange and collaboration.

During the meeting, the consortium reviewed the overall Bio4UP concept and its three main technological pillars: biochar production and functionalisation; biochar-enhanced anaerobic digestion, biogas upgrading and catalytic CO₂ conversion; and the valorisation of biochar-containing digestate through solid-state fermentation to produce high-value agricultural bioproducts such as biostimulants and biopesticides.

Project partners also presented their expertise, infrastructure and expected contributions to the work packages. The discussions highlighted the strong complementarity of the consortium, which combines expertise in environmental biotechnology, biochar engineering, anaerobic digestion, biogas upgrading, solid-state fermentation, sustainability assessment, policy analysis, digital decision-support tools and pilot-scale implementation.

A key focus of the Kick-off Meeting was the planning of secondments under the MSCA Staff Exchanges scheme. The consortium discussed eligibility rules, documentation requirements, reporting procedures and the importance of early bilateral planning between sending and host organisations. Partners agreed to strengthen internal coordination through shared templates, structured documentation and regular communication.

The meeting concluded with a common commitment to initiate the first implementation steps, prepare the planned secondments, and build an active international and intersectoral network for advancing biochar-enhanced circular waste valorisation technologies. 

Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges programme, Grant Agreement No. 101236400.

Tags: Kick-off meeting; MSCA Staff Exchanges; Biochar; Circular economy; Secondments; Organic waste valorisation.