A new 3.8 million projecthas been launched tosupport the development of promising industrial value chains in the bio-economy. This SuperBIO innovation project is supported through the EU Horizon2020 (H2020)funding programme and is aimed at the EU bio-basedbusiness community. The project provides 10 different types of innovation services to third party SMEs which could befunded by the project for 75%. This funding, it is hoped, will bring the all important value chains closer to reality. The SuperBIO consortium includes four industrial cluster organisations (from Belgium, France, Spain and Poland), and six service providers (from the UK, Germany and Belgium).H2020 is the largest ever European funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of 79 billion itwill run until 2020.
The EU bio-economy in general comprises those parts of the economy thatuse renewable biological resources from land and sea such as crops, forests, fish, animals and micro-organisms to produce food, materials, chemicals and energy. A flourishing bio-economy offersmultiple advantages for the EU in the global economy. It decreases dependence on oil-producing countries by displacing fossil resources, uses local feedstock, decreases greenhouse gas emissions, and enables job creation, economic growth and re-industrialization of the EU. It currently already employs more than 18 million people and represents a turnover of more than 2 trillion. This strong foundation means that Europe is well placed togrow and diversify its current bio-economy. Innovation focusses on producing a larger variety of bio-based bulk or specialty products, using various types of feedstocks and introducing bio-based products in new sectors.
To furtherinnovate in the EU bio-economy, new partnerships and connections need to be established between different sectors (e.g. between chemistry and agriculture, between producers and end-users). SuperBIO helps to build these connections by engaging withthe wider bio-based business community.It supports cross sectorial and cross border industrial value chain building and provides innovation support services to SMEs. Industrial stakeholders are invited to submit their idea for an innovative value chain to the SuperBIO project. The consortium ensures that their information will be treated confidential throughout the process. The combined expertise in the bio-based economy and skills of the consortium enable them to identify promising ideas for new innovative value chains.
SuperBIO then supports cross sectorial and cross borderdevelopment of the value chain of the selected ideas. Once a value chain is created SuperBIO analyzes the gaps to be filled and further requirements to bring this value chain closer to the market. Based on this, SuperBIO offers selected innovation services to SMEs that are part of the value chain. Six services providers are included in the consortium offering a combined set of 10 different professional innovation services:scale-up and proof-of-concept, IP support, life cycle assessment, techno-economic evaluation, feedstock analysis, market research, sustainability advice, business planning, access to investors and grant writing. These services arefunded by the projectfor 75%, the remaining 25% being covered by the SME receiving the service.
In short, SuperBIO offers aunique opportunity to bring innovative, sustainable, cross border and cross sectorial value chains closer to the market.
The SuperBIO project aims to build at least 10 new value chains around innovative and promising ideas from the business community. In addition, SuperBIO will offer innovation services to at least 30 third party SMEs that are part of identified value chains.
For more information regarding the SuperBIO project and the scope of its innovation services, contact the project manager, the cluster organisation that covers your country, or visit the website:www.h2020-superbio.eu.
Note, for British organisations considering applying this was the post-Brexit government statement on this: “The referendum result has no immediate effect on those applying to or participating in Horizon 2020. UK researchers and businesses can continue to apply to the programme in the usual way. The future of UK access to European research and innovation funding will be a matter for future discussions. Government is determined to ensure that the UK continues to play a leading role in European and international research and innovation.”
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