The EU aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by at least 55% by 2030. This ambition requires fast mitigation measures within all sectors. Paludiculture is the productive land use of wet and rewetted peatlands and can reduce GHG emissions by up to 70-80%. It thus has a large potential to support the EU’s climate targets and biodiversity strategy and still provide farmers and landowners with income, but only if the practice is scaled up. Currently, there are too few large-scale sites involving local actors that demonstrate industrial scale paludiculture farming models. PaluWise's 4 large-scale paludiculture sites in Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom will showcase best practices and solutions for converting degraded organic soils to paludiculture. They develop field-scale operations and their associated five value chains (crops: Downy Birch, Reed, Sedges, Typha, Reed Canary Grass). By having two established (NL, UK) and two new sites (FI, PL), PaluWise can demonstrate different stages of paludiculture and associated value chains, emphasising replicability and scalability. Network sites (e.g., PaludiZentrale, Germany) will provide lessons learnt guidance and engage actors in innovating improvements (e.g. maintaining high water levels, adapting machinery, choosing suitable crop species). A multi-actor approach is applied to co-innovate and improve cost-effective, climate smart value chains. Activities cover the full sequence from deciding where to set up a site (WP1 decision support tool for rewettability), what works well in a site (WP2 demos), what are the benefits/impacts in emission reduction, carbon sequestration potential, biodiversity and other ecosystem services at landscape scale (WP3, WP4), and how to upscale and get support (WP5). We will identify barriers and provide recommendations to boost improved policy and legislation for large-scale deployment of paludiculture in Europe.

BIOARC connects the agricultural and construction sector by developing high-performance bio-based building materials from agricultural by-products. Bacteria are included as co-creators through a biomineralization process, to develop lightweight, fire-resistant products – such as insulation boards, construction panels, acoustic panels, and partition walls. To ensure global scalability, the project will leverage regionally available resources like rice, wheat, sunflower, and hops, which are widely accessible not only in the EU but also in other parts of the world. By standardizing production processes and rigorously assessing the structural, thermal, acoustic, health-related, and durability properties of the materials, the project ensures consistent quality, performance and validating them in real-world construction environments. The project takes a bioregional approach, collaborating closely with local communities, farmers, craftsmen, and industries to develop local value chains that reduce carbon emissions and promote circular economy principles. By connecting stakeholders across four European bioregions, the project integrates a participatory design process, ensuring that the developed materials are not only environmentally sustainable but also culturally embedded and economically viable. The project engages with the NEB hub for results and impacts, as well as contributing to regenerative design principles in the construction sector. BIOARC aims to provide scalable, cost-effective, and high-performance materials, while supporting local economies and promoting resilience against environmental and economic changes.

The building and construction (B&C) industry, a significant global economic sector with a market size of $5.4 trillion in 2021, is projected to reach $11.1 trillion by 2031. Despite its significance, the sector is a leading contributor to environmental degradation, accounting for a large portion of global energy consumption, carbon emissions, natural resource depletion, and solid waste generation. ECOFUNC seeks to mitigate these impacts by advancing the use of carbon-negative polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), produced by microorganisms using CO2 as feedstock, thereby reducing the sector’s environmental footprint. The project will establish the first EU-based circular value chains for applications such as ventilated façade cladding, ceiling tiles, and internal partition walls. This will be achieved through the development of recyclable PHA-based panels, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional, non-biobased, and non-recyclable materials. ECOFUNC will also integrate bio-based flame retardants, natural fibers, and PHA foams to create high-performance panels, targeting a global warming potential of under 0.5 kg CO2-eq/m² and aiming to reduce life cycle costs by up to 20%. Guided by sustainability frameworks, including the DNSH and SSbD principles, the project is driven by a consortium of industry leaders and research institutions working on PHAs, fiber processing, panel production, and product validation. As part of its broader impact, ECOFUNC will explore the use of panels in the automotive sector as a spillover activity. Furthermore, end-of-life strategies will be implemented, incorporating both chemical recycling to convert PHA back into virgin-grade material and mechanical recycling to re-purpose it for applications in furniture and automotive. The project will develop 11 technologies and 10 value chains aimed at transforming the B&C industry, demonstrating the technical and economic viability of PHAs in promoting sustainable material practices.