Develop bio-based high-performance materials for various and demanding applications Develop bio-based products with high functional qualities for specific market applications that cannot be met by currently available fossil-based products and can improve the environment in their entire life cycle (in their use and in their end-of-life phase).Proposals should include successful testing of the developed products to efficiently prove that they offer the required performance in the targeted application(s). To that end, the developed products’ end-users should be involved to accurately define the required performance and properties and the approaches to forced ageing tests.While the functional (technical) requirements of the bio-based products are dictated by the end products, their required end-of-life qualities depend on the use of the end products and their potential risk of environmental burden.Depending on the targeted application(s) and use, proposals should: (i) determine the functional requirements of the developed products; (ii) prove that the products meet those requirements; and (iii) show that the products do not burden the environment in their entire life cycle including their end-of-life phase.This topic includes any bio-based feedstock, provided it can be sourced in a way that is sustainable both from an environmental and an economic perspective.Proposals should address all requirements for RIA as shown in Table 3 in the Introduction of the Annual Work plan 2019.The technology readiness level (TRL) at the end of the project should be 4-5 for the bio-based value chain in question. Proposals should clearly state the starting and end TRLs of the key technology or technologies targeted in the project.Industry participation in the project would be considered as an added value because it can play a supportive role to demonstrate the potential for integrating the developed concepts and technologies into current industrial landscapes or existing plants so they can be deployed more quickly and scaled up to apply industry-wide.Indicative funding:It is considered that proposals requesting a contribution of between EUR 2 million and EUR 5 million would be able to address this specific challenge appropriately. However, this does not preclude the submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. High-performance applications often demand stable materials that, for example, can withstand temperature variations or are resistant to salt or to degradation by enzymes. Moreover, society increasingly demands products and applications that are sustainable and that can improve the environment in their entire life cycle (during their use and at their end of life).The demand for high-performing, safe and sustainable bio-based materials exists today in market sectors as diverse as cosmetics, personal care, home care, packaging, coatings, resins and paints, additives, fibres, insulation, automotive, construction and others. The requirements for their functional capabilities and end of life may, however, differ.The specific challenge is to identify and make available high-performance bio-based products for market applications that demand specific performance in use and in the end-of-life phase. Expected impacts linked to BBI JU KPIs:contribute to KPI 1 – create at least one new cross-sector interconnection in the bio-based economy;contribute to KPI 2 – set the basis for at least one new bio-based value chain;contribute to KPI 5 – validate at least two new bio-based materials with high performances for selected application(s);contribute to KPI 8 – validate at least one new and improved processing technology reflecting the ‘TRL gain’ since the start of the project. Environmental impacts:increase performance (from a technical, environmental and/or economic perspective) of the obtained products or materials as compared with existing benchmarks;increase the overall resource efficiency;reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Economic impacts:increase income and business opportunities for stakeholders and actors (including primary producers) in the bio-based sectors. Social impacts:create new job opportunities in the associated industrial sectors. Type of action: Research and innovation action.
