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ROBOCOOP-EU

circulaR bioecOnomy Business mOdels owned by agroCOOPeratives

Project details

Type of project
Innovation Action - Demonstration
Project focus
Food, feed & cosmetics
Feedstock origin
Agri-food waste
Feedstock type
Food industry sidestreams
Project period
1 June 2023 - 31 May 2026
Status
In progress
CBE JU Contribution
€ 4 751 936,41
Call identifier
HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022

Summary

Large-scale roll-out of the bioeconomy requires the establishment of new cooperative business models involving primary producers and other stakeholders. Implemented in three regions – Extremadura, Spain; Apulia, Italy; and West Macedonia, Greece – ROBOCOOP-EU proposes circular regional business models for the use of waste streams from three agricultural sectors: grape, olive and stone fruit cultivation. 

The project will organise living labs, where stakeholders from along the bio-based value chain will work together to design and develop a profitable, zero-waste, multi-feedstock, industrial-scale biorefinery. This will offer new business opportunities for small and medium-scale farms and cooperatives, leading to a more diverse portfolio of bio-based products, a smaller ecological footprint and increased revenues and social impact. 

The general objective of ROBOCOOP-EU is the deployment of regional business models for the valorisation of agricultural waste streams. This should lead to the growth of more integrated and complex bio-based industries and production of a wider range of higher-value bio-based products. 

 

To achieve the general objective, it will be necessary to: 

  • optimise the availability and pre-treatment of feedstocks; 

  • establish a flexible, resource-efficient, multi-feedstock biorefinery; 

  • demonstrate the transformation of the waste streams into sustainable, high-added-value bio-based consumer products using extracts and sub-products obtained from the biorefinery; 

  • design and optimise an integrated, sustainable value chain; 

  • bring together all relevant actors, including research institutions, technology providers, agricultural cooperatives, regional governments and end users, in such a way as to guarantee the success of the model; 

  • define a model for replication of the results for similar waste streams. 

In terms of impact, ROBOCOOP-EU is expected to: 

  • integrate primary producers into bio-based systems and improve cooperation between stakeholders in rural areas by deploying replicable, circular regional business models; 

  • mobilise agricultural waste to produce added-value bio-based materials and 17 sustainable products – three food formulations, three feed additives, five cosmetic and nutraceutic products, one plasticiser and five fertilisers – through biorefinery processing; 

  • identify factors for success as regards contracts, training and capacity building; 

  • ensure fair distribution of the benefits through job creation and diversification and revitalisation of the rural economy; 

  • avoid greenhouse gas emissions by means of supply chain optimisation; 

  • preserve and improve soil quality and fertility; 

  • ensure public awareness and market uptake of bio-based solutions. 

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • UNIVERSIDAD DE EXTREMADURA Badajoz, Spain

Consortium

  • LA ENOLOGICA EXTREMENA SA Almendralejo, Spain
  • VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK N.V. Mol, Belgium
  • INTERNET OF FOOD ALLIANCE SUPPORT OFFICE IKE Thessaloniki, Greece
  • ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNION ATHINA, Greece
  • FUNDACION FUNDECYT - PARQUE CIENTIFICO Y TECNOLOGICO DE EXTREMADURA Badajoz, Spain
  • NATAC BIOTECH SL HERVAS, Spain
  • SAT SATIBA Almendralejo, Spain
  • BIO BASE EUROPE PILOT PLANT VZW Desteldonk Gent, Belgium
  • AGRUPACION DE COOPERATIVAS VALLE DEL JERTE SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA LIMITADA Valdastillas, Spain
  • KOKKALIARIS IOANNIS Greece
  • TROIL VEGAS ALTAS SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA DE ULTERIOR GRADO Valdetorres, Spain
  • AGROTIKOS SYNETAIRISMOS VELVENTOU H DIMITRA Velventos, Greece
  • FUNDACION CENTRO DE EXCELENCIA EN INVESTIGACION DE MEDICAMENTOS INNOVADORES EN ANDALUCIA Armilla Granada, Spain
  • ARION ILAC SANAYI TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI Istanbul, Turkey
  • CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE DI ALTISTUDI AGRONOMICI MEDITERRANEI Valenzano, Italy
  • SIEC BADAWCZA LUKASIEWICZ INSTYTUT NOWYCH SYNTEZ CHEMICZNYCH PULAWY, Poland
  • CLUSTER VIOOIKONOMIAS KAI PERIVALLONTOS DYTIKIS MAKEDONIAS Kozani, Greece
  • ROELMI HPC SRL Orrigio, Italy
  • ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND EUROPE BV Koog Aan De Zaan, Netherlands
Partners
  • INEUVO LTD Lichfield, United Kingdom