The SYMBA project aims at creating a new and innovative IS method to be replicated within EU according to the local/regional bio-based industrial ecosystem. SYMBA will implement a user-friendly and accessible AI database suggesting regional IS innovative processes to create zero-waste value chains, ensuring more local supply chains; a better distribution of economic and social benefits among the stakeholders and an increase in the economic value of final products. SYMBA solution, aligned with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, is based on a threefold approach: 1) Creation and validation of new IS methodology for the bio-based sector, starting from existing knowledge and lessons earned from SYMBA consortium partners. 2) Individuation of criteria to select regional hubs 3) AI database including Monitoring tools, waste relation matrix, networking and cooperation with ongoing EU and local networks. The partnership has been intentionally selected by its expertise, network with key external stakeholders and geographical reach, bringing together 5 EU countries (IT, ES, BE, NL, DE) to consolidate the maximum outreach of the initiative. It consists of 9 partners with complementary competences: 4 RTD centers (CIRCE, CTB, AIMPLAS; CET); 1 large industry (NVMT); 1 pilot facility (BBEPP); 1 innovative SME (ENCO) and 2 networks (CKIC and ICLEI) with a valuable background in applying IS approach in the bio-based sector, providing services to companies and creating awareness and networking among citizens, policy makers, EU initiatives. Through the involvement of different industrial sectors: agri-food (NVMT); packaging (AIMPLAS); wastewater (CET); textile (CTB); waste valorisation (BBEPP), SYMBA will demonstrate how to shift from a linear to a circular economy contributing to deliver bio-based solutions with reduced environmental impacts on soil, water and air quality.

Fertilisation is key to feeding the growing world population, yet the most common fertilisation scheme based on conventional fertilisers poses threats to the environment (e.g. eutrophication caused by nutrient leaching) and sustainability of the EU food system (due to high dependence on fertiliser imports from third countries). Thus, among the key EU political priorities is to reduce by 20% the use of conventional fertilisers by 2030 and to decrease nutrient losses by 50%. A promising solution for this aim are alternative fertilisers produced from recovered nutrients from secondary raw materials (e.g. bio-waste, sewage sludge). However, their wide scale deployment is hindered by lack of awareness about alternative fertilisation, concerns regarding their technical viability and the disparity of legislations that creates a state of uncertainty. In this context, FER-PLAY is a comprehensive approach to gather, harmonise, select and complement the knowledge on alternative fertiliser value chains and diffuse it to promote the wide-scale production and application of alternative fertilisers with best environmental, social and economic performance as well as technical and regulatory viability. Thus, FER-PLAY employs a unique methodology for mapping the value chains, select the most promising ones and assess their impacts. FER-PLAY engages key stakeholders in co-creation of results and broadly disseminates them. The consortium gathers key players from the whole value chain: (1) alternative fertiliser producers from all the main types of secondary raw materials (producers of digestate- 183 members, of compost- 120 members and of struvite), (2) entities representing conventional (1.5M members), organic (100,000 members) and young (200,000 members) farmers, (3) a Pan-European network with +100 members representing public administrations, supported by (4) waste valorisation and agriculture research institutes, (5) market strategists and (6) communication experts.

AWARD recognises the urgency of action due to water scarcity and climate change impacts as well as the need to engage simultaneously the society, the science and the policy into the development of knowledge and strategic water planning. Therefore, AWARD will provide evidence-based solutions to consider AWRs into water supply strategic plans, based on socio-political engagement. The 4 Demo Cases of AWARD are already implementing AWRs (storm water, rainwater and aquifer recharge in Bucharest in Romania as well as in Milano in Italy; water reuse in Cyprus, storm water and rainwater in an industrial park in Santiago di Compostel in Spain). Through the project activities, Demo Cases will consider scaling up their actions taking in account a broader range of AWRs together with conventional water resources for planning future water supply systems at local or regional level using AWARD instruments (Local Water Fora, Digital Platform for decision making, training and guidance). They will address similar issues in a harmonised and coordinated way. Societal awareness to support the decision process on AWRs supply solutions will lead to the recommendations for further use of AWRs encompassing the 4 dimensions of social innovation (Technological, Capacity development, Governance & Policy, Economics & assessment). The AWARD AWRs catalogue will gather the project results and additional solutions which will be benchmarked. The digital platform provided by AWARD will support the exploration of resilient scenarios that will be promoted beyond the scope of the project thanks to dedicated networking activities. AWARD general objective is to provide evidence-based knowledge and lessons learnt on how to effectively integrate affordable, acceptable and reliable AWRs solutions into water supply strategic planning and implementation considering the effect of global changes.

BIORECER aims to ensure the environmental performance and traceability of the biological feedstock used by the bio-based industries, deploying guidelines to strengthen the current certification schemes. Within this approach, the added value, the use, as well as social acceptance of bioproducts will be increased. To fulfill this goal, BIORECER is structured in three main technological pillars: 1) to develop a multidimensional assessment framework for an aggregated analysis on the biological feedstocks and their associated supply chains; 2) to create a BIORECER Innovation ecosystem living-lab with a multi-agent approach, testing the framework in 4 bio-based systems supply chain cases of study, and 3) to use all this knowledge to complement current certification schemes including new criteria for certifying biological resources’ sustainability, origin, and traceability, and ensure applicability at EU and global scale. The transition to a bio-based economy is expected to deliver substantial environmental and economic benefits. Specifically, BIORECER will assess the impact of current and adapted certification schemes on consumers and bio-based industries stakeholders’ WTP along with industries and consumers’ acceptance of new bio-value chains from biological feedstocks, including residual feedstock and waste. The project proposes first to design and develop a multidimensional framework to analyze and define the assessment of the environmental performance of biological resources and traceability that will be subsequently validated in 4 full bio-based systems and applicable to a wide range of bio-based value chains. This approach will be unfolded by the joint creation of two levels of interaction: a physical one through the creation of a BioResources Stakeholders Platform (BRSP) and a “digital” one through a BIORECER ICT tool (BIT) to amplify the “scope” of the project.

WalNUT aims to develop the necessary concepts and technological solutions to re-design the value and supply chains of nutrients from waste water and brine, while staying in line with the objectives of the EIP on Agrifood and Raw Materials. A wide range of technological processes (physico-chemical, electro-chemical, biological) will be validated in labscale. 5 pilot plants for the nutrient recovery from waste water and brine will be tailored by combining multiple process units selected from the pool of technologies studied at lab scale and from partners previous relevant projects. The pilot plants will target not only high nutrient recovery efficiencies but also minimisation of environmental impacts. Thorough quality assessment of the resulting products shall be made in order to establish a concrete view of their market positioning. The multicriteria evaluation of pilot plants performance as well as the use of LCA, LCC, sLCA, will lead to the efficient validation of the technologies reaching TRL 4-6. Also, the project aims to create and disseminate a new paradigm shift from waste water and brine treatment to resource recovery which is essential for EU to sustain industries and societies for the long-term. Public and scientific awareness of the project will be raised and all relevant stakeholders will be informed about the possible pathways for waste water and brine valorisation. The project will be implemented by a consortium composed of partners with varied and complimentary experience, qualifications, skills and perspectives including research institutes, technology providers and industrial partners involved in waste water management. The involvement of representatives covering the whole supply chain of waste water, brine and nutrient recovery will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the full potential of waste water and brine as a raw material for biofertilisers production.