In 2017, EU GHG emissions, including emissions from international aviationEurope has successfully reduced its GHG emissions since 1990 levels. The pace of reducing CO2 emissions is positive, however it is projected to slow after 2020 resulting in difficulties to achieve EU’s reduction target of 55% by 2030 as planned in the European Green Deal. Additional measures and policies are foreseen in EU to forefront this situation. Negative emissions technologies, as carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) ones are currently a priority to explore, especially in non-exploited industrial sectors such as the bio-based industry as they significantly contribute to CO2 emissions. CATCO2NVERS will contribute to reduce GHG emissions from the bio-based industries developing 5 innovative and integrated technologies based on 3 catalytic methods (electrochemical, enzymatic and thermochemical). It will transform waste-CO2 (up to 90%) and residual biomass from 2 bio-based industries into 5 added-value chemicals (glyoxylic acid, lactic acid, furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME), cyclic carbonated fatty acid methyl esters (CCFAMEs) with production yields between 70-90%. Methanol which will not have an energetic use but will be used in CATCO2NVERS own technologies. These target chemicals will be used as building blocks and monomers to obtain biopolymers of 100% bio-origin. Industrial partners will validate the application of the obtained chemical building blocks on the most relevant markets. In addition, the waste-CO2 stream will be conditioned by removing potential inhibitors for the catalysts. CATCO2NVERS will meet some of the principles in green chemistry (atom economy, use of renewable feedstocks, reduce derivatives and use of catalysts instead of stoichiometric reagents). CATCO2NVERS will explore an energy and resource efficient scenario following an industrial symbiosis model to ensure a biorefinery process along the CO2 valorization chain with zero or negative GHG emissions.

Vehicles are composed by different materials and a noticeable and fundamental fraction of them (20% w/w) is constituted by plastic material, among which polyurethanes. PU is fundamental since, thanks to its properties, it enables to reduce the overall weight of the car, resulting also in a lower fuel consumption. More and more vehicles’ manufacturers and suppliers are betting on biobased alternatives derived from renewable raw materials, but a biobased plastic able to mimic technical properties of PUs as well as to provide the required aesthetics and haptics has not been developed yet. The BIOMOTIVE project will pave the ground towards the production and subsequent market penetration of biobased automotive interior parts with enhanced technical performance, improved environmental profile and economic competitiveness, with the aim of replacing the fossil-based, non-biodegradable counterparts. Within the project, innovative and advanced biobased materials with an increased biobased content (60-80%), i.e. thermoplastic polyurethanes, 2-components thermoset polyurethane foams and regenerated natural fibres, will be produced starting from renewable biomass feedstock not in competition with food and feed, leveraging innovative production techniques. Such materials will be validated into cars’ interior parts (door handles and automotive seats) demonstrating advanced properties in terms of resistance to fire, mechanical strength and flexibility as well as improved recyclability of the end-of-life products. The project will also aim at demonstrating an innovative process for the production of up to 80% biobased NIPUs, with moisture-repellant properties. The involvement of external industrial players thorough targeted dissemination events will pave the ground to the widening of the market applications of the developed biomaterials: regenerated fibres from paper-grade wood pulp into textile production and biobased TPUs in nature based solutions within the construction sector.

FRONTSH1P aims at ensuring green and just transition of the Polish Lodzkie Region towards decarbonization and territorial regeneration through demonstration at TRL7 of highly replicable circular systemic models and FRONTSH1P aims is to create a territorial cluster of circular initiatives to accelerate the transition to a more green, resilient economy, able to provide sustainable responses to the need of the involved regions. The proposed model will be implemented and demonstrated in Lodzkie Region, where key territorial partners, and particularly the Regional Institution, the scientific partner, the representative of civil society and Industry Groups, will play a relevant role in promoting, facilitating, and enabling systemics and circular economy at regional scale. The involvement of those relevant actors will allow the promotion of the circular economy and to reach relevant actors, such as municipalities, companies, consumers, and civil society, which will be engaged in a participatory approach to collect needs and perceived constraints. From this activity, the cluster system will identify and define a circular economy strategy, with clear objectives, measurable targets, and a proper monitoring method. Moreover, the cluster will facilitate collaborations and co-operations among relevant actors for boosting circularity. It will mean to: - Identify already available initiatives and policies at local, regional, national, and international level - Create platforms to explore opportunities and to share information, best practices, and successful examples - Activate a strong communication between universities, businesses, and civil society for the technological transfer - Exchange information and experiences with other Regions and Countries The proposal will foresee activities, such as the definition of regulatory instruments aimed at accelerating the transition to a circular economy creating a Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) in which the proposed systemic solution is embedded.

RUNFASTER4EU will demonstrate the sustainability and replicability at industrial scale (TRL8) of a new value chain focused on the large-scale cultivation of low-ILUC-risk oil crops on marginal lands, avoiding competition with food or feed. These crops will provide vegetable oils and residual biomass for high-value bio-based products (cosmetics formulations, bio-stimulants, feed ingredients, herbicides, dielectric fluids, bioplastics, NIPU for vertical gardens) in a cascading approach. Building on previous and ongoing EU projects (FIRST2RUN, BRILIAN, MIDAS, CARINA), RUNFASTER will i) enhance bio-based value chains, prioritizing soil health and carbon sequestration, ii) upgrade two flagship plants in Italy (Matrica - Porto Torres, Versalis - Crescentino) and iii) realize Large-scale cultivations, i.e., safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), validating innovative agronomic practices with farmer involvement. RUNFASTER partners will demonstrate downstream processing and cascading valorisation of biomass, with products tested by end-user industries to meet SSbD standards. Sustainability, circularity, and safety will be assessed via Life Cycle and Ecosystem Services methods. RUNFASTER will engage local communities, provide guidelines and training for farmers, and develop an IP-compliant exploitation strategy and business plan for replication. The approach will also be validated in Spain, Greece, Serbia, and Romania on fragile (i.e. contaminated) soils with other crops, such as cardoon and rapeseed.