MODEL2BIO

The main MODEL2BIO project objective is to develop and validate its Decision-Support System (MODEL2BIO-DSS) tool. This is designed to link the food and drink primary sector with the bioindustry and help improve agri-food industry waste management. Within this, it has a number of specific objectives. It will:

• Increase the insight into the nine largest organic residual streams suitable for use as feedstock in the bioindustry.
• Increase knowledge of the most relevant biological, chemical, mechanical and thermal processes for valorising agri-food residual streams for added-value bioproducts and energy, in terms of efficiency, operability and microbiome characterisation.
• Develop and validate a MODEL2BIO simulation module for dynamically predicting the composition of the bio-based residual streams from the point of generation within the agri-food industry.
• Develop the MODEL2BIO optimisation algorithm to automatically select or prioritise the most appropriate routes for each specific stream.
• Develop and validate a life cycle analysis module able to provide a holistic vision of the general MODEL2BIO DSS tool, taking into account the solution proposed.
• Integrate the Simulation module, Optimisation algorithm and LCA module in the MODEL2BIO-DSS tool.
• Validate the MODEL2BIO DSS tool in three EU nodes in four countries and 16 agri-food sector companies.
• Decrease, by 30 %, the level of food waste and organic sidestreams routed to landfill or incineration.
• Reduce the carbon footprint of the total waste management process by 20 % in comparison to existing common routes for waste management.

In achieving its overall objectives, the MODEL2BIO project will help provide solutions to two pressing problems; the availability of locally-sourced feedstocks and the treatment of mixed biowaste. It will also make contributions to specific BBI JU KPIs through:

• Creating four new cross-sectoral interconnections in the biobased economy. Specifically, these will connect food manufacturers and the bio-industry; food manufacturers and the ICT sector; the ICT sector and the bio-industry; and the bio-industry with end users.
• Establishing a new bio-based value chain for residual stream valorisation, offering new business opportunities to current agri-food industry and waste management companies as well as other bio-based industries.
• Validating and increasing the technology readiness levels of five new processing technologies, namely:
  • Integrated mathematical modelling and simulation of the entire value chain of bio-based residual streams;
  • Microwave technology for stabilising by-products;
  • Infrared technology for stabilising by-products;
  • Supercritical Fluid extraction for extracting and fractionating of lipids, fatty acids and carotenoids;
  • Subcritical Water Extraction for recovering antioxidants.