Tech4Biowaste:About
TECH4BIOWASTE
A DYNAMIC DATABASE OF RELEVANT TECHNOLOGIES OF BIO-WASTE UTILISATION
Bio-waste is a key waste stream in Europe with a high potential for contributing to a more circular economy. The Tech4Biowaste project will pave the way for deployment of bio-waste technologies and technology configurations by setting-up a database providing a comprehensive technology overview (TRL 4-9) for the valorisation of bio-waste (food waste, garden waste, municipal waste) into value added applications including organic soil improvers, fertilisers, organic chemicals, fuels and energy.
The database content will be determined jointly with actors across the bio-waste value chain. Technology providers can showcase new and emerging technologies, even at lower TRL. Technology searchers can analyse and compare bio-waste valorisation technologies. Both categories of users can assess their commercialisation potential through the associated decision support tool.
The Tech4Biowaste database will be composed of unique features based on the latest IT technologies, including artificial intelligence, and use of Open Source software. In order to catalyse significant database usage and future growth, it directly builds on the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP)-led Pilots4U network and links with the nova-Institut GmbH (nova)-led (parallel-developed) Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI). A hybrid model will be used to populate the database, combining inputs from the consortium’s publishers’ team, a community of volunteers, and automated scripts and tools („bots").
Tech4Biowaste will mobilise stakeholders (incl. intended users and contributors) for direct involvement (Co-creation, Training, Testing Panel, and Advisory Board) e.g. in the design of the database, in the development of a continuation and expansion scenario and finally for the Business Plan targeting sustained growth and continuity of the open platform
Objectives
Main objectives of the Tech4Biowaste project are:
- To offer stakeholders along the bio-based value-chain with different backgrounds and expertise a one-stop and comprehensive bio-waste technology overview that allows to analyse and compare bio-waste valorisation technologies.
- To reach the stakeholders through offering high visibility and unique features based on the latest IT technologies as well as co-creation and training opportunities, generating significant database usage for those interested in bio-waste utilisation and valorisation technologies.
- To pave the way for the deployment of bio-waste technologies and technology configurations by assessing the commercialisation potential with respect to continuity planning for technology suppliers, technology searchers and users reflecting regional differences in bio-waste availability and composition.
- To generate and engage an increasing number of database users for future database expansion by embedding and integrating the bio-waste technology database into the Renewable Carbon Community platform. Thus actively targeting stakeholders within the broader areas of biomass utilisation and linked technologies.
- To ensure the long-term operation of the database by setting up a business model and governance structure for the platform.
History and timeline
The Tech4Biowaste project officially startet in April 2021. In general, the project is divided in 4 phases which are:
- Feasibility
- Validation
- Roll-out
- Expansion
After the official end of the project in April 2023 the Tech4Biowaste database continues its operation and will be available for users and contributors.
Consortium and management structure
The Tech4Biowaste consortium is composed of three European-based companies including:
- Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP) represented by:
- BTG Biomass Technology Group BV (BTG) represented by:
- nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH (nova) represented by:
Database governance and quality
To maintain reliable data of high quality, all technology and feedstock descriptions have been written and reviewed by experts from the Tech4Biowaste consortium.
Specific details presented on any given technology rely on information directly provided by the technology owners either by direct communication, direct input into the database, or from public sources. The consortium holds regular checks to identify data exaggeration. However, the data quality of the technology lies by the technology owners themselves. Any database user is encouraged to alert the consortium on any outlier or oddity.
Call-to-Action and release video campaign
A Call-to-Action and release video was created by the Tech4Biowaste team under the creative and organisational lead of BBEPP and nova. Production and direction by "Tell All The People". The "actors" are all from the Tech4Biowaste consortium. Filming locations are the BBEPP pilot facilities in Ghent, Belgium and the Wikipedia Bureau in Cologne, Germany.
Funding
This project reveives funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101023200.
