SUMMER 2019
We experience nature very well during the summer time. We are out of doors, sun is shining, we see all around flowers, we taste the salt of the sea, we are visiting exotic places. We may not enjoy nature only. We may also use nature as a driver of economics. We turn from a fossil-based economy to a bio-based one. The Bio-Based Industry Joint Undertaking is a large European programme to facilitate this turn, as you will read below.
Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking
The bio-based industry of Europe has set-up a R&D-programme together with the European Commission to stimulate the bio-based economy in Europe. It is called the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking, in short BBI JU. BBI JU should be the catalyst for a sustainable bio-based economy in Europe.
BBI JU announces yearly calls for proposals under the EU framework programme Horizon2020. It grants three types of projects, (i) Research and Innovation Actions, (ii) Innovation Actions – Demonstration, and (iii) Innovation Actions – Flagship. The Actions are closer and closer to the market going from (i) to (iii). The evaluation of the proposal follows the general guidelines of Horizon2020, except that the minimum of the score of ‘impact’ needs to be 4 at least and the total sum of scores 11 (out of the 15). The support of industry is pivotal in each of the types of actions, but the significance increases even going from (i) to (iii). In addition, impact is largely directed to new bio-based value chains and new cross-sector interconnections expressing the importance of business in the BBI JU programme.
Driehoek Research Support is preparing a Research and Innovation Action on behalf of CSIC in Madrid since April. CSIC is leading a consortium of twelve partners based in five European countries, i.e. Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece and Portugal. It includes four companies. Execution of the project requires funding of about 4.5 million Euros and four years. The aim of the proposed project, which is called BROC, is to generate high-performance bio-materials out of olive-mill waste of the food processing industry. The bio-materials should be used in the agro-chemicals industry to replace the fossil-based ones.
The tasks of Driehoek Research Support in BROC are, (i) guiding the partners in preparing their contributions and budgets, (ii) writing the part ‘impact’ (iii) organising the part ‘implementation’ and (iv) putting all bits and pieces together in one, coherent, proposal.
Preparing a proposal during summer time is a challenge due to all the holidays. The proposal needs to be submitted by the end of August. It, however, is especially a pleasure to collaborate with such a variety of scientists working in academia and industry all over Europe. We know in February 2020 whether all the effort and enthusiasm will be granted. The competition is severe. It is like the Champions League in football.
Do you like to have a maximum of return of your research money? Does your research belong to the Life Sciences? Just contact us for more information, on paper, by way of a presentation, or an exploring chat.
