2023 EUCYS winner meets bioeconomy changemakers in Brussels

The inspiring Finnish student took part in the EU Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival in Brussels on 13-14 March where she exchanged with young professionals working in various bioeconomy sectors. Elisa also had the opportunity to present her research project to a wide range of bioeconomy stakeholders, including representatives of the CBE JU Programme Office, its founding partners and advisory bodies, as well as the Representation of Finland to the EU and representatives of the EU Commissioner responsible for Research and Innovation. These meetings provided Elisa with insights into the EU textile industry and related policy initiatives at EU level, funding options, upscaling strategies for her work, and an understanding of the sustainability dynamics of the bio-based sector.

The young scientist's visit to Brussels offered an introduction into the world of policy making at EU and national levels in the area of sustainable textiles and reinforced her commitment to pursuing her career in the bio-based sector.  

Exchange with key CBE JU partners in Brussels  

The visit started with an exchange with the CBE JU Programme Office team.  

 The CBE JU team was and is fantastic. It was great to see incredible people doing very important work in a supportive and diverse environment. Everyone was very welcoming and seemed interested in my project, which was very encouraging. I got along well with everyone I had the chance to speak with and had a wonderful time thanks to them.

Elisa Jääskeläinen, EUCYS 2023 bioeconomy winner.

Elisa continued her visit by meeting with Niina Nurkkala, Senior Specialist for Research & Innovation, Space, Euratom at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU. During the meeting, Elisa presented her research and exchanged on concrete ways to address the significant sustainability issues of the fashion industry.  

It was very interesting to hear from Niina about the work she does in the permanent representation. 

Elisa Jääskeläinen, EUCYS 2023 winner.

To conclude her first day in Brussels, Elisa met Policy Officers at the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) of the European Commission who are coordinating the EU Sustainable Textiles Strategy. During the meeting, they discussed Elisa's research and the intricacies of funding required to sustain it. They also explored how she could upscale her research to align it to the EU textile strategy.

We had a good conversation about the kind of change in research and new innovations needed in the future for the improvement of the EU, including the involvement of young people and especially women in scientific circles.

Elisa Jääskeläinen, EUCYS 2023 winner.

Over the next two days, Elisa attended the European Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival, where she met Katrin Jõgi, one of the EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors and Sustainability Manager at Fibenol, the small enterprise leading the CBE JU-funded SWEETWOODS flagship project. They discussed how Elisa's research could be applied in bio-based projects and shared views on the need for financial support.

The Changemakers festival was a great opportunity to hear about the current and future plans for EU and the perspectives of experts in various fields of bioeconomy. 

Elisa Jääskeläinen, EUCYS 2023 winner.

During the festival, Elisa also met with Rob Beekers, Chair of the CBE JU Governing Board and Chair of the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), as well as Peter Wehrheim, Head of the Bioeconomy and Food Systems Unit at the Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (DG RTD) of the European Commission.

Elisa continued her interactions with EU policymakers by exchanging with John Bell, Vice-Chair of the CBE JU Governing Board and Director for a Healthy Planet at the Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (DG RTD) of the European Commission. Director Bell stressed the importance of engaging and mobilising young people in policy discussions and the important contribution they make to European science.

One point that stuck with me especially was what the EU Youth Ambassadors said about the inclusion of young people in decision making processes. I agreed with their view on how we, the youth, are present now and should not be regarded only as the future potential, instead we should be listened to and included in conversations now.

Elisa Jääskeläinen, EUCYS 2023 winner.

Elisa concluded her visit with a fruitful discussion with Nelly Bruno and Pauline Buffing, Cabinet Members with Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner responsible for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, on her experience at the annual EU Contest for Young Scientist (EUCYS), promoting young women in science and ways to make clothing more sustainable.

Bio-based solution for fast fashion

The young scientist won the 2023 EUCYS Bioeconomy Prize with her research project on an upcycling method to transform textile waste into valuable bio-based material: cellulose nanocrystals. This initiative directly addresses one of the most globally significant issues—the low recycling rate of textiles worldwide. Elisa's research shows promising results. The pre-treatment she developed made the cellulose fibres taken from a regular white cotton T-shirt much simpler. The process involved several steps. First, the t-shirt was ground into a fine powder by a mill. Next, a pretreatment using sodium hydroxide was applied to the powder, followed by hydrolysis. Her observations revealed significant changes in the fibres.  

Initially, the fibres had over 1,000 units of complexity. However, after treatment, this complexity was reduced to less than 300 units, representing a reduction of nearly 700 units. This indicates that discarded textiles worldwide could potentially be repurposed for a second life into various applications, ranging from glitter for clothing to bullet-proof vests.

Elisa’s work stood out among the 136 submissions from her fellow peers representing 36 European countries, highlighting the potential of bio-based solutions to address global challenges.  

What is EUCYS?  

Every year, the European Commission organises a contest for young scientists, which was set up to promote the ideals of cooperation and exchange between young scientists. The European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) serves as an annual showcase of the best of European student scientific achievement in various disciplines.  

The contest is part of the Science and Society activities managed by the Directorate-General for Research & Innovation of the European Commission. Since 2016, CBE JU has supported the contest by sponsoring the bioeconomy prize. The awarded project shall use raw materials of biological origin in a sustainable, renewable, and innovative way whilst promoting scientific research and raising environmental awareness. The winners visit the CBE JU Programme Office and meet the joint undertaking’s founding partners, as well as representatives of EU institutions in Brussels.    

The 2024 EUCYS edition will take place in early September in Katowice, Poland.