In 2024, CBE JU continued to accelerate Europe’s shift towards a circular, bio-based economy by supporting innovative projects that transform renewable resources into sustainable products and materials. As a public-private partnership, CBE JU is a key instrument in implementing the EU’s bioeconomy strategy by fostering innovation, supporting the transition to a circular and climate-neutral economy, generating sustainable employment and addressing environmental challenges.
The CBE JU country & organisation participation dashboard is a new interactive tool designed to offer a clear and accessible overview of how EU member states and associated countries are involved in BBI/CBE JU projects.
The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) hosted its first projects cluster workshop today, bringing together around 60 participants to explore latest developments in bio-based materials for agriculture and packaging applications. The event brought together CBE JU-funded projects, other Horizon Europe-funded projects, representatives from the European Commission and the Bio-based Industries Consortium.
CBE JU has officially launched its Working group on primary producers, a three-year initiative to ensure that farmers, foresters, fishers and aquaculture producers can actively shape innovative circular bio-based systems and benefit from their involvement in them.
CBE JU welcomes the European Commission’s new strategic initiative announced today aiming to protect the health of our ocean and fully optimise Europe's maritime assets. The European Ocean Pact puts in place a reinforced governance framework for ocean management and, among other measures, promotes the blue bioeconomy, targeting sustainable algae production and a better aquatic biomass waste valorisation. Over the past 10 years, CBE JU has invested in projects scaling up circular bio-based solutions in the aquaculture sector and preparing the ground for this large-scale initiative.
The European Commission presented today the EU Startup and scaleup strategy with the aim to position the EU as the best place in the world to start and scale global technology-driven companies. The strategy will support many highly innovative small businesses of the bio-based sector, currently in great need of a regulatory push to reach their full potential in Europe.
Following its 2024 call for proposals, CBE JU has now signed grant agreements with 30 projects. The funded consortia, made of a total of 416 beneficiaries from 33 countries, will develop innovative bio-based solutions at scale to reduce Europe’s reliance on fossil resources, create green jobs, and drive sustainable economic growth.
The CBE JU 2025 call for project proposals is now open for submission. A total of €172 million will be dedicated to advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe across 13 topics. All stakeholders of the circular bio-based sector can apply before the deadline of 18 September 2025, 17:00 Brussels time.
CBE JU founding partners have amended the partnership’s annual work programme to increase the call for projects budget to €172 million and to update its topics. Some CBE JU-specific requirements have changed, and the deadline to submit project proposals is extended.
CBE JU representatives were in Hervás, Spain, yesterday, to celebrate the launch of the SUSTAINEXT biorefinery’s construction. When completed, the plant will process 20 000 tonnes of agricultural sidestreams a year to produce healthy ingredients for various sectors ranging from food to cosmetics, to chemicals.
