WEEI

Reduction of nitrate pollution, recovery of organic waste and environmental monitoring SERENA reduces nitrate diffuse pollution in ecosystems through the research of innovative technologies for the denitrification of groundwater, the recovery of organic waste and the development of systems for monitoring the concentration of nitrates in water. The project addresses the decontamination of aquifers through bioremediation and chemical reduction technologies, combined with research into denitrifying enzymes. In addition, the anaerobic co-digestion of slurry and vegetable water is explored together with the use of nanoparticles with the aim of mitigating the inhibition problems of current technology. SERENA [...]

Promoting sustainability in the European wine sector. WatEnerWine improves the efficiency of water and energy use in the European wine sector and other agri-food sectors, while promoting the use of renewable energy sources. The project develops a strategy focused on improving the support structures for the sustainable transition of the sector, including the creation of Green Transition Centers to advise wineries on the adoption of new technologies that optimise the use of resources such as water and energy. WatEnerWine also facilitates knowledge transfer within the industry through good practice guides and innovation catalogs, carrying out events [...]

Technological and innovative entrepreneurship program in Lleida. EMPRÈN BIO 4.0 promotes technological and innovative entrepreneurship as a driver of new sustainable business models in Lleida. The project boosts the economic and business fabric through the bioeconomy and its value chains: agri-food, biomaterials, bioenergy, biofertilizers, biofuels, bioproducts, bioplastics and the economic and social valorisation of ecosystem services. EMPRÈN BIO 4.0 supports entrepreneurs through specialised training and mentoring to promote the creation and growth of companies based on innovation, technology and new business models in the field of bioeconomy. The objective is to promote the valorisation of renewable [...]

R&D to help the agri-food industry face the challenges of climate change and increase its competitiveness. Agrosimbiosis addresses the competitiveness gaps associated with the challenges of the climate crisis in the agri-food sector through the development and adaptation of technologies. Within the context of this project, the R&D line "Obtaining high-value bioproducts from agroindustry" develops and validates a paste made from discarded walnuts for export, incorporating a microencapsulated polyphenol extract to improve its oxidative stability and promote its commercial viability. This study arises from the collaboration between the Center for Systems Biotechnology of the Andrés Bello [...]

Development of a substrate with properties similar to conventional substrates, made from the by-products of the agri-food industry as an alternative to peat and/or coconut fiber. AGRIVAL identifies which by-products and mixtures from the agri-food industry have similar properties to peat and coconut fiber in order to generate sustainable and efficient substrates. Once characterised, the new substrates will be used in crops of local agricultural producers, particularly in strawberry and tomato crops, to assess their technical, economic, and environmental application. Currently, peat and coconut fiber are key components in the production of agricultural substrates, as they [...]

Insecticulture and circular economy. LIVLAB-IN transforms agriculture and agroindustry through insecticulture and the principles of the circular economy. This project uses insect production as a solution for the valorisation of by-products, waste and plant residues, contributing to a more sustainable and profitable model in several links of the food chain, from the first transformation to the waste generated in food stores. Through this methodology, LIVLAB-IN proposes solutions to optimise the use of resources (breeding substrate, space, energy and water), to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to take advantage of waste nutrients efficiently, helping to convert waste [...]

Nutrient management strategies for regional ecosystems across Europe. GREENHOOD pioneers a comprehensive approach to address the global challenge of unbalanced nutrient flows in regional ecosystems, tackling climate change and biodiversity loss. Specifically, GREENHOOD reduces nutrient losses in soil, air and water; develops scalable solutions for nutrient management, and enables cross-sector collaboration across all stakeholders. The rebalancing actions are being tested in four different demonstrators, representing different cases of unbalanced regions and focusing on diverse emitting hotspots, including diffuse and point-based emitting sectors. As outcomes of the project, GREENHOOD will implement nutrient flow mapping by analysing and [...]

Production of vehicular biomethane from agro-food waste in rural areas. The LIFE CHANDELIER project demonstrates an innovative solution for the production of high-quality vehicular biomethane in rural areas, using agro-food waste. LIFE CHANDELIER addresses one of the great environmental challenges of our time: the mitigation of climate change through the efficient and traceable production of biomethane, a renewable fuel with a significantly lower environmental impact than traditional fossil fuels. The project focuses on the integration of advanced technologies to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of biomethane production, while ensuring the economic and environmental sustainability [...]

Turning agri-food waste and biomass into sustainable polymers. The Polymers-5B project develops novel alternative biological polymers synthesized from biobased monomers sourced from underexploited second-generation feedstocks, such as agri/food waste and biomass, obeying the food first and cascading principle. Polymers-5B brings together cutting-edge technologies and knowledge to develop and drive innovation in biocatalysis and green chemistry processes, generating novel bio-based polymers like polyesters and polyamides with pendent functional groups (e.g. hydroxy, carboxylic, amine, epoxy, thiol, etc.), polyphenols and polyfurans, which mimic fossil-based polymers properties, targeting improved biodegradability. These new polymers will be blended to provide valuable bio-composites [...]

Point-of-Care devices for urgent care triage. The POC4TRIAGE project develops new Point-of-Care (PoC) devices capable of rapidly detecting a patient’s cardiorespiratory or cardiovascular conditions in emergency and critical care settings, and to enable accurate clinical triage by activating real-time data from these devices. Eurecat participates in the project through its Functional Printing and Embedded Devices Unit, which leads the development of a novel sub-hairline non-invasive EEG-based head caps for rapid stroke diagnosis and a handheld, rapid immunodetector to diagnose stroke. The Waste, Energy and Environmental Impact (WEEI) Unit is in charge of the life cycle analysis [...]

Thermochemical processes for the valorization of forest resources. BIOFORIN is a strategic project to promote the regional bioeconomy and climate resilience through the boost of research and the development of new applications of added value in the market. BIOFORIN brings together the entire value chain, from forest owners to end users, to generate a sustainable forest management model oriented towards industrial use. The initiative promotes a boost in the use of forest biomass, in the first instance for thermal use, generating at the same time an opportunity for a sustainable and resilient management of forest masses, [...]

New technology for the generation of green hydrogen. The H-LEAF project develops a PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolyser based on a new national patented technology. H-LEAF focuses on the research of new scalable and sustainable components, coatings, materials and processes to overcome current limitations in the provision of materials for hydrogen production, vital to the energy transition in Spain. The project promotes scientific research to obtain new electrode and membrane designs using scalable industrial printing techniques free of perfluorinated chemicals. H-LEAF develops new bipolar plates using technologies such as stamped stainless steel substrate and 3D printing [...]

Zero emission electric vehicles enabled by harmonised circularity. The ZEvRA project improves the circularity of light-duty electric vehicles (EVs) throughout their entire value chain, from materials supply and manufacturing to end-of-life (EoL) processes. To do so, ZEvRA develops a Design for Circularity (DfC) methodology and a holistic circularity assessment aimed at improving the production of electric vehicles based on the 9Rs concept. This methodology is validated by developing zero emission solutions for the most important automotive materials, covering over 84% of material mix. These solutions are supported by a set of digital tools to support the [...]

Green, low-cost, and environmentally friendly recycling processes for end-of-life batteries. The REVITALISE project offers a holistic solution for green, low-cost and low environmental impact recycling of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC Hi-Ni), lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and sodium-ion (Na-Ion) batteries, representing 85% of battery waste streams up to 2025. REVITALISE develops low-cost and green processes to recover a full range of battery materials, including NMC, LFP, aluminium, copper, lithium, graphite, fluorides, phosphates and plastics. The project proves overall recycling rates of over 91% at TRL4 for waste processed from post-production scrap and end-of-life battery black [...]

Development of new biodegradable plastic formulations for the biomedical sector. The PHASAL project develops different bioplastic formulations that introduce PHB-HV with different loads of hydroxyvalerate (-HV) from the revaluation of organic waste. The objective is that these formulations, applicable to the health field, present advanced biodegradability and biocompatibility properties to minimize the environmental impact they present due to their poor recyclability. In this sense, PHASAL develops a complex rigid packaging system, such as a suture kit, and a direct medical application with controlled drug release, such as a transdermal patch. The new advanced formulations developed during [...]