Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HOOP (HUB OF CIRCULAR CITIES BOOSTING PLATFORM TO FOSTER INVESTMENTS FOR THE VALORISATION OF URBAN BIOWASTE AND WASTEWATER)
Berichtszeitraum: 2020-10-01 bis 2022-03-31
Each European generates around 200 kg of urban biowaste per year, representing one of the most important environmental issues. The currently most common systems for urban biowaste valorization (i.e. composting or anaerobic digestion) do not leverage biowaste’s whole potential and the final products are not of high added-value. Circular bioeconomy approaches offer innovative solutions using biowaste as resources for the obtention of high added-value bioproducts. However, their implementation on industrial scale faces important barriers, not only technical, but also economical, legal and administrative, among others. HOOP project offers project development assistance (PDA) and tools to overcome these barriers in 8 cities and regions of Europe, known as the HOOP Lighthouse (LH) Cities and Regions: Albano Laziale (IT), Almere (NL), Bergen Region (NO), Greater Porto Region (PT), Kuopio (FI), Münster (DE), Murcia (ES), Western Macedonia (GR). This PDA is provided by a multidisciplinary team of 15 technical partners. The Consortium is com-posed of 23 partners from 10 European countries. HOOP continues the work of the H2020 projects VALUE-WASTE, SCALIBUR and WaysTUP!
The main aim of HOOP project is to unlock bio-based investments and deploy local bioeconomies in the 8 LHs by providing PDA on technical and environmental studies, business models, financial engineering, innovative public procurement or stakeholder engagement. The PDA will result in a financial and non-financial leverage.
The experiences and best practices from the LHs will follow a replicability strategy through the Urban Circular Bioeconomy Hub (UCBH), a web-based platform which gives access to different kind of contents and hosts other online platforms, such as the HOOP Virtual Academy and the HOOP Network of Cities and Regions. The UCBH will make accessible resources about urban circular bioeconomy (UCBE) to its users. The Virtual Academy will compile resources about UCBE (existing and original) and the HOOP Network of Cities and Regions will be a framework of discussion, exchange of experiences and knowledge about UCBE among cities and regions around Europe.
The main aim of HOOP project is to unlock bio-based investments and deploy local bioeconomies in the 8 LHs by providing PDA on technical and environmental studies, business models, financial engineering, innovative public procurement or stakeholder engagement. The PDA will result in a financial and non-financial leverage.
The experiences and best practices from the LHs will follow a replicability strategy through the Urban Circular Bioeconomy Hub (UCBH), a web-based platform which gives access to different kind of contents and hosts other online platforms, such as the HOOP Virtual Academy and the HOOP Network of Cities and Regions. The UCBH will make accessible resources about urban circular bioeconomy (UCBE) to its users. The Virtual Academy will compile resources about UCBE (existing and original) and the HOOP Network of Cities and Regions will be a framework of discussion, exchange of experiences and knowledge about UCBE among cities and regions around Europe.
In order to allow the 15 Consortium technical partners to provide the PDA to the LHs, it is essential to get an in-depth knowing of each LH’s situation. This request of information takes place through the Local HOOP Committees - the PDA management bodies, formed by technical partners and representatives from the LHs which are the framework for data collection, presentation of the results and discussion about the UCBE projects in the LHs.
The circular bio-based economy context for the eight LHs (urban metabolism analysis and baseline studies) is the basis for understanding how they function and for setting multidisciplinary indicators (HOOP Urban Bioeconomy Indicators) to evaluate the impact of HOOP. A state-of-the-art of technologies for valorization of urban biowaste and urban wastewater sludge has been developed, considering a wide range of bioproducts and market sectors. In addition, different opportunities for financing UCBE projects have been identified, including the different options on national, regional and local level and considering EU Taxonomy. In addition, Biowaste Clubs were created, which are the framework for engagement and co-creation of the different quadruple helix stakeholders.
The final list of investment projects (16 till now), which are the basis of the tailored PDA will be officially confirmed in April 2022. Important advances have been also made in terms of financial opportunities and innovation public procurement. The Circular Investors Board (CIB) has been created and attracted high interest among the LHs. Important financial stakeholders, including the European Investment Bank are members of the CIB. Three CIB meetings have already taken place.
The HOOP Network of Cities and Regions started the procedure for recruitment around Europe from HOOP website, until the UCBH, which already has a beta-version, is launched. The HOOP Network had 33 cities and regions in March 2022. New cities and regions can join in HOOP website
From the 18 deliverables due during the First Reporting Period, all of them were submitted on time. From the 5 milestones due during the First Reporting Period, all of them have been achieved. 4 of them were achieved on time. In general terms, HOOP is running accordingly to the Action scheduled in the Grant Agreement.
HOOP project has an important presence in social networks and several webinars and networking events with other projects have taken place.
The circular bio-based economy context for the eight LHs (urban metabolism analysis and baseline studies) is the basis for understanding how they function and for setting multidisciplinary indicators (HOOP Urban Bioeconomy Indicators) to evaluate the impact of HOOP. A state-of-the-art of technologies for valorization of urban biowaste and urban wastewater sludge has been developed, considering a wide range of bioproducts and market sectors. In addition, different opportunities for financing UCBE projects have been identified, including the different options on national, regional and local level and considering EU Taxonomy. In addition, Biowaste Clubs were created, which are the framework for engagement and co-creation of the different quadruple helix stakeholders.
The final list of investment projects (16 till now), which are the basis of the tailored PDA will be officially confirmed in April 2022. Important advances have been also made in terms of financial opportunities and innovation public procurement. The Circular Investors Board (CIB) has been created and attracted high interest among the LHs. Important financial stakeholders, including the European Investment Bank are members of the CIB. Three CIB meetings have already taken place.
The HOOP Network of Cities and Regions started the procedure for recruitment around Europe from HOOP website, until the UCBH, which already has a beta-version, is launched. The HOOP Network had 33 cities and regions in March 2022. New cities and regions can join in HOOP website
From the 18 deliverables due during the First Reporting Period, all of them were submitted on time. From the 5 milestones due during the First Reporting Period, all of them have been achieved. 4 of them were achieved on time. In general terms, HOOP is running accordingly to the Action scheduled in the Grant Agreement.
HOOP project has an important presence in social networks and several webinars and networking events with other projects have taken place.
HOOP represents not only a step forward in the state of the art but a change of paradigm through which the city becomes the focus instead of the technology itself, finding tailor-made solutions in technical, environmental and financial terms. Some features making HOOP different are:
• Customer-oriented approach, considering the local particularities and interests for the implementation of UCBE,
• Alternative technologies to conventional anaerobic digestion and composting to covering a wide range of market sectors
• Multidisciplinary PDA, unlocking several barriers (technical, environmental, financial, legal) simultaneously
• Project without pilots, but using the experience from other projects with pilots
• Development of tools (i.e. Circularity Label) for evaluation of circularity of cities and projects
• Strong focus on stakeholder engagement through Biowaste Clubs
The results obtained till now are:
• Local HOOP Committees, Biowaste Clubs and Circular Investors Board have been created and are fully operative
• UCBE in the LHs are in different degree of development. Advanced solutions, both from the technological point of view as from the enabling factors can be considered in those more developed. However, an effort is required in the implementation of separate collection in the LHs less developed, including how to ensure the quality of the biowaste.
• The 20 HOOP Urban Bioeconomy Indicators confirm the diversity among LHs (biowaste separate collection rate ranges from 4% to 94%).
• The state-of-the-art technologies for treatment of urban biowaste and wastewater sludge provide bioproducts in different market sectors, such as agriculture, nutrition, bioplastics, chemistry or cosmetics.
• Opportunities and tools for funding and attracting investors in LHs have been identified on different levels
• The project is in the critical point of selection and definition of the investment projects in UCBE, but all the LHs have identified at least one.
• The HOOP Network of Cities and Regions has started the recruitment and has 33 members
The most important expected impacts are:
• Leverage both financial and non-financial in the UCBE of the eight LHs,
• Creating the momentum for the development of initiatives in UCBE
• Building a network of cities and regions for exchange of knowledge about UCBE, bringing LHs into a forefront position in terms of UCBE
• Raising awareness among the citizens about separate collection of urban biowaste for increasing the recycling rate,
• Showing the stakeholders showing the opportunities of circular economy to create value in the cities and regions.
• Contribution to the creation of jobs in local economies
• Providing important feedback and orientation for larger initiatives, such as CCRI
• Customer-oriented approach, considering the local particularities and interests for the implementation of UCBE,
• Alternative technologies to conventional anaerobic digestion and composting to covering a wide range of market sectors
• Multidisciplinary PDA, unlocking several barriers (technical, environmental, financial, legal) simultaneously
• Project without pilots, but using the experience from other projects with pilots
• Development of tools (i.e. Circularity Label) for evaluation of circularity of cities and projects
• Strong focus on stakeholder engagement through Biowaste Clubs
The results obtained till now are:
• Local HOOP Committees, Biowaste Clubs and Circular Investors Board have been created and are fully operative
• UCBE in the LHs are in different degree of development. Advanced solutions, both from the technological point of view as from the enabling factors can be considered in those more developed. However, an effort is required in the implementation of separate collection in the LHs less developed, including how to ensure the quality of the biowaste.
• The 20 HOOP Urban Bioeconomy Indicators confirm the diversity among LHs (biowaste separate collection rate ranges from 4% to 94%).
• The state-of-the-art technologies for treatment of urban biowaste and wastewater sludge provide bioproducts in different market sectors, such as agriculture, nutrition, bioplastics, chemistry or cosmetics.
• Opportunities and tools for funding and attracting investors in LHs have been identified on different levels
• The project is in the critical point of selection and definition of the investment projects in UCBE, but all the LHs have identified at least one.
• The HOOP Network of Cities and Regions has started the recruitment and has 33 members
The most important expected impacts are:
• Leverage both financial and non-financial in the UCBE of the eight LHs,
• Creating the momentum for the development of initiatives in UCBE
• Building a network of cities and regions for exchange of knowledge about UCBE, bringing LHs into a forefront position in terms of UCBE
• Raising awareness among the citizens about separate collection of urban biowaste for increasing the recycling rate,
• Showing the stakeholders showing the opportunities of circular economy to create value in the cities and regions.
• Contribution to the creation of jobs in local economies
• Providing important feedback and orientation for larger initiatives, such as CCRI