Lignin biorefineries and biorecycling were the focus of attention, when Professor Georg Gübitz, Head of Department at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, presented recent trends in sustainable biomass production and biorefineries at the FACCE SURPLUS final conference.

The rise of bioeconomy in the early twenty-first century - and lessons for the future - was the topic, when Dr. Christian Patermann, the “father” of European bioeconomy, gave a presentation at the FACCE SURPLUS final conference in Brussels.

We have significant technological knowledge to develop the bioeconomy, but we need incentives for farmers and the industry to turn research into business. This was one of the main conclusions of the discussion at the FACCE SURPLUS final conference in Brussels. The discussion was moderated by Christian Patermann who has followed the development of the bioeconomy policy since he participated in formulating the first Commission policies early this century.

Increasing sustainability by waste reduction and material cycles are one of the big challenges we are facing today.

Marianne Claessens, scientific advisor at VLAIO, (Flander’s Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), is evaluating the participation of Flanders in the FACCE SURPLUS project.

Heather McKhann, coordinator of the FACCE JPI, is commenting on the FACCE Surplus project.

As the ERA-NET FACCE SURPLUS is coming to an end, it is time to look back on the interesting results from the research projects and evaluate their overall impact.

Producers of Cichorium crops produce significant quantities of by-products and waste fractions that have so far yielded little. However, they contain valuable components. Semi-finished products from the biorefinery of Belgian Endive roots can serve as an ingredient for food and drinks or as a raw material for the production of bioplastics. Within the CichOpt project, researchers are investigating how these waste fractions and by-products can provide real added value for the Belgian Endive grower in the future.

FACCE SURPLUS will hold its final celebratory conference on February 26th 2020 in Brussels (Belgium). The objective of this encounter is to display not only FACCE SURPLUS achievements but also the recent developments of European bioeconomy. Dr. Christian Patermann, the “father” of bioeconomy has already confirmed his participation.

Fruit that is not suitable for consumption, cow manure, but also cheese whey or sewage sludge – these are all examples of wet waste streams produced daily in very large volumes. The partners in the SUPERVALUE project investigate how they can be utilized to produce an added value.