GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

To improve the knowledge for the implementation and scaling up of industrial symbiosis in the bio-based industries proposals should:

• Analyse the applicability of existing methods and approaches individuating and assessing technical solutions enabling the symbiosis to specific sectors/facilities within the bio-based industrial ecosystems (but also their symbiosis with non-bio-based industrial assets), including supported by digital innovation and AI, based on existing studies and on the knowledge collected and elaborated under the European Community of Practice (ECoP);
• Improve existing and/or develop new methods to assess the circularity and symbiosis of bio-based industrial ecosystems, taking into considerations specific KPIs developed in the above-mentioned ECoP;
• Assess and optimize the environmental sustainability of symbiotic processes in terms of (decreased) impacts on soil, water, and air quality, biodiversity and climate;
• Evaluate the economic and social benefits of the industrial symbiosis assets in terms of increased economic value of final industrial products, better distribution of economic and social benefits among the stakeholders, improved utilisation of local supply chains, and integration in local (national and regional) strategies supporting circular approaches;
• Individuate high-potential regions/areas, or specific industrial hubs for the demonstration of the developed symbiotic approach. Criteria for the individuation of such sites should focus on process level, symbiosis process implementation, commitment level of the local authorities and communities, regional specificities (business/industrial policy and strategies), additional funding, potential private investors, etc., also taking stock from the EU Hubs for Circularity (H4C) experiences;
• Engage with stakeholders, including local authorities and communities to disseminate the social and economic benefits from innovation in industrial symbiosis, bio-based industries, universities or other educational institutions to facilitate the training of circular practitioners;
• Develop a targeted reporting system of the effectiveness of the technical solutions, based on ad-hoc monitoring capacity along the bio-based value chains working in symbiosis.