To move towards a more sustainable world there needs to be a systematic change in the consumption of resources driven by informed decision-making and policies. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely accepted as a tool for supporting decisions on environmental footprints. However, it is also acknowledged that the reliability of state-of-the-art LCA needs to be improved as uncertainty and variability are generally not addressed. The importance of improving the reliability of environmental footprinting is currently recognised in the Product Environmental Footprinting approach and in the recommendations of the European Resource Efficiency Platform. This European Industrial Doctorate proposal (RELIEF), a cooperation between Radboud University and Unilever as partners and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Stanford University, University of Surrey, Ostfold Research, GreenDelta and the International Union for Conservation of Nature as associate partners, offers a unique international and multidisciplinary training environment for early-stage researchers (ESRs) to improve the reliability of the environmental footprinting of products. RELIEF will develop new models to reduce uncertainty throughout the value chain. Developing these models requires a multidisciplinary approach. Four ESRs will work on different topics, i.e. improving the reliability of product footprints related to energy (carbon), land, chemicals and water. The fifth ESR will work on macro-scale environmental models, in order to incorporate cross-cutting issues from the other four ESRs. Each ESR will receive broad, high-level training in scientific and general skills as well as personalized training. The training will be delivered by a combination of courses, as part of their own research and via learning in business and academia. The RELIEF project will deliver not only novel methods, but also researchers with state of the art skills and environmental footprinting knowledge.

The Exilva flagship project will consist in the upscaling of the Borregaard’s MFC process from the existing pilot plant (50-70 tons/year) to the full scale flagship plant (1000 tons/year) and demonstrate an industrial symbiosis between the biomass/forest industry (Norwegian Spruce) and application industries in a wide range of market segments by developing and commercialising added value (performances vs cost) products in a sustainable way. The ambition of the Exilva project is to make MFC commercially available on large quantities for the first time as well as develop the MFC market further in selected segments. The grand challenges of the Exilva flagship project are twofold: • Technology and process: related to the start-up of the flagship plant the main tasks and challenges will be testing of the new equipment, technology transfer from the pilot plant to the flagship plant, gaining operational experience, establishing the plant organization and quality control, establishing the appropriate process parameters for a stable full scale production of MFC and gaining experience with regards to logistics and handling of the MFC material. • Market: successful market penetration of MFC based products, product performance and cost, standards and regulation. The decision to invest in a first of a kind commercial plant is driven by business opportunities to use MFC in a wide range of market segments and applications and demonstrate that the investment in the flagship will be profitable. Borregaard has started to establish business pipelines towards different end user companies that will develop full products based on MFC formulations.

The ModLife project is a European Training Network initiative that brings together 5 leading European universities, 4 global industrial players and 2 SMEs to undertake research and training in the area of product-process innovation, optimization monitoring and control for life sciences and biotechnology industries. Modlife aims to develop Advanced Model-Based Optimization, Monitoring and Control as Enabling Technologies for bioprocess-product development and innovation tailored for the needs in life science industries. ModLife ETN will address excellence in research and training of next generation biochemical and process engineers in life sciences industries through: (1) Offering comprehensive training and knowledge transfer opportunities in multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral fields for training early stage researchers with multidisciplinary knowledge and competences bridging engineering and life sciences (2) Integrating and creating synergies among individually excellent but otherwise fragmented bioprocess engineering research centers across the European union in life sciences and biotechnology industries, (3) Building on advances in modeling and simulation, to develop cutting edge model-based enabling technologies and applications for optimization, monitoring and control for bioprocess and product development and innovation. The ModLife ETN aims at next generation of high performance computing tools and in-situ measurements for increasing efficiency, innovation and competitiveness of Europe’s life sciences and processing industries. Ultimately Modlife aims to help Europe realize the promising potential of life sciences and biotechnology- considered the next frontier technologies with profound impacts to knowledge based economy, by building the capacity to translate lab-scale life science discoveries to large scale new products and processes to match the human needs for health, nutrition and wellbeing.

The mechanical, chemical and biological properties of human skin may be challenged when in contact with another surface e.g. immobilized persons supported on a bed or in a wheelchair, amputees wearing a prosthesis, and individuals with orthoses or functional medical devices attached to the skin. This can result pressure ulcers, particularly in the elderly and those with comorbidities such as diabetes. Skin condition is also critical during interactions with personal care products such as creams, shavers, grooming devices, therapeutic lamps or massage equipment, which can result in various forms of irritation. The main scientific aim of STINTS is to understand the complex biomechanical and biochemical pathways leading to loss of skin integrity, following the exposure of the skin to prolonged pressure and shear forces that ultimately result in damage at the cellular level. The objective is to reduce the huge societal and financial costs of pressure ulcers by improving (a) the design of more effective preventative aids (mattresses, shoe insoles, incontinence products etc.), (b) early stage diagnosis (non-invasive biomarkers and sensors, and smart materials) and (c) ultrasound therapy. The new understanding of skin behaviour will also be exploited by application to personal care products (razors that cause minimal skin irritation and skin creams with more efficacious skin hydration and barrier properties). These objectives will be achieved by the deployment of experts in multi-scale computer simulation, experimental cellular and tissue biomechanics, biophysical monitoring, sensor design, medical devices and materials, and clinical studies. STINTS will create an ambitious environment of supradisciplinary inter-sectoral research training for early stage researchers that combines the needs for the creative skills of academic and industrial researchers, the entrepreneurial drive of the private sector and clinical innovation.