The LIGNOFLAG project demonstrates an integrated and whole value chain oriented approach to drive forth the bio-based production of ethanol as sustainable transport fuel or chemical building block. The project approach involves the collaboration of the relevant actors along the whole value chain – from feedstock (straw) supply and logistics via process co-products (lignin as biochar, sludge as fertilizer) utilisation and valorization to advanced bio-ethanol production and product distribution. The core part of the project is the first-of-a-kind commercial flagship plant for lignocellulosic feedstock to ethanol conversion (60,000 tons/year) that serves to showcase the techno-economic viability of an innovative bio-refinery concept and shall boost EU bio-ethanol production. Based on Clariant’s innovative technology (e.g. onsite-enzyme production, tailor-made enzymes, chemical-free pre-treatment, intensive energy integration) in combination with new harvesting techniques, smart co-product use, accurate and comprehensive Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and flanked by an ambitious dissemination and IPR/exploitation strategy the flagship plant will contribute to the calls’ as well as to the BBI JU objectives highlighted in the Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SIRA). LIGNOFLAG fosters the essential transition to a post-petroleum EU society by decoupling economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation.

Recent developments render the biobased sector a key player in European Economy providing a great impetus towards Circular Business Models of resource efficiency. Developments in biobased nanomaterials are coupled with biotechnologies applied to biomass converting the renewable resources into high added-value polymers. BIOMAC will establish an Open Innovation Test Bed (OITB) Ecosystem providing open access to SMEs or Industry to a single-entry point. Starting from the utilization of biomass sources followed by the production of biobased nanoparticles and different building blocks the ecosystem produces biopolymers for the strategic sectors of Food Packaging, Construction, Automotive and Printed Electronics which consist a high market share. A self-sustainable open innovation ecosystem for the upscaling of upscaled processes across the supply and value chain is intended to be created in order fill this gap. Although the last two decades a high number of publications have been only a very limited number of such cases has been finally commercialized and reached the market end users. Some of the reasons that these have not been adopted by the market are lack of investment, funding for further development, upscaling and the limited willingness of end users to adopt nanomaterials into their processes, this is the ‘valley of death’ which BIOMAC intends to overcome. The OITB will offer services that cover the assessment of regulation & safety, sustainability, circularity and market potential among with modeling, process control, standardization and characterization; accessible at fair conditions and cost. BIOMAC establishes a concrete community of open collaboration for stakeholders and customers enabling innovation and minimization of investment risks. This will be achieved by offering an open innovation ecosystem, in which technologies that have been developed up to TRL4-5 will be able to be upscaled and validated up to TRL 7.