CBE JU, boosting biocircular industries

The Annual Work Programme for 2023 of CBE JU has been published with a budget of 215.5 million euros

Horizon Europe’s broad strategy to promote high-level innovation in the European Union includes CBE JU, which specialises in the circularity of European bio-based industries. The Circular bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) is a partnership promoted since 2014 by the European Commission and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), which finances with a budget of €2 billion for the period 2021-2023 the transition towards climate neutrality promoted by the European Green Deal.

It has recently published its Work Programme for 2023, in which 215.5 million euros will be dedicated to boosting competitive circular bioindustries in 18 areas. An Info day will be held on 20 April to clarify any doubts, and afterwards the calls for proposals will be open until 20 September.

The objective of CBE JU

The main objective of CBE JU is to switch from the use of non-renewable fossil raw materials and minerals to bio-based circular production processes from waste and biomass. This will create sustainable economic growth, promote environmentally friendly employment and contribute to achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

To achieve this, the CBE JU association brings together the agents of the technology-based industries to solve different challenges driven by the public and private financing system. It has been proven that for every euro of public investment, CBE JU has generated 2.8 euros of private investment, which indicates its great power of attraction for private capital.

Its lines of action

In 2023, these are the 18 lines of action to finance projects worth 215.5 million euros:

· Optimised and integrated wood-based value chains: 17 million euros.

· Expansion and/or retrofitting of biorefineries towards higher-value bio-based chemicals and intermediates: EUR 17 million

· Bio-based packaging materials with improved properties: barrier, food contact, formability, printability, safety, recyclability/circularity by design: EUR 17 million.

· Valorisation of aquatic biomass waste and residues: €10 million.

· Small-scale biorefinery in rural areas: €15 million.

· Production of safe, sustainable and efficient biological fertilisers to improve soil health and quality: EUR 15 million.

· Improved fermentation processes (including downstream purification) to produce bio-based end products: ¤15 million.

· Recycling of bio-based plastics by increasing sorting and recycled content: €15 million.

· Development of scalable and safe bio-based surfactants with an improved sustainability profile: €15 million.

· Targeted and sustainable production routes towards bio-based alternatives to fossil-based chemical components: €15 million.

· High-performance bio-based composites and circular design: €15 million.

· Phytomanagement; soil curing with industrial crops, use of contaminated and saline land for industrial crop production: EUR 10 million.

· Optimisation of forestry value chains for high value applications and improved forest management: EUR 10 million.

· Robust and optimised biotechnological and chemical-industrial processes: EUR 10 million.

· Development of novel, high-performance bio-based polymers and copolymers: EUR 10 million.

· Pre-normative research to develop biodegradability standards for bio-based products in controlled and open environments: EUR 5 million.

· European network of pilot plants and test facilities to improve access to enlargement for SMEs and start-ups: €1.5 million.

· Supporting the capacity of regions to assess the environmental sustainability of bio-based sectors: €3 million.

Stay tuned to Kaila, because when the CBE JU calls for proposals are published you can find them here, and also look for partners to materialise your projects.