Sustainable production of Cellulose-based products and additives to be used in SMEs and rural areas

Project Information

CELISE

Grant agreement ID: 101007733

DOI

10.3030/101007733

Project closed

EC signature date 9 November 2020

Start date 1 October 2021

End date 30 September 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 621 000,00

EU contribution

€ 621 000,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD DE CANTABRIA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CELISE (Sustainable production of Cellulose-based products and additives to be used in SMEs and rural areas)

Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Rural areas and small and medium enterprises need to be considered in nowadays in order to reduce inequalities and increase the social progress. In this sense, CELISE is an international project for helping the SMEs and rural areas within the bioeconomy.

The overall aim of CELISE was to build and strengthen a multinational partnership between Europe and Latin America, enabling the exchange of knowledge and experience around sustainable biomass processing. The project was designed to balance three perspectives of the sustainability. From a social perspective, it focused on rural and/or vulnerable territories, co-creation workshops, educational programmes and approaches that can be deployed in smaller-scale settings. From an environmental perspective, it prioritised the use of residues as raw materials, the reduction of chemical reactants when possible, and the role of bioenergy. From an economic perspective, it looked at realistic applications for everyday products and supported decision-making through engineering and mathematical tools, in order to optimise business models.

CELISE also aligned with broader EU and UN priorities, explicitly linking its approach to Sustainable Development Goals 7 (clean energy), 9 (industry and innovation) and 11 (sustainable communities). By the end of the project, CELISE successfully completed all planned Work Packages and delivered scientific outputs, training results and dissemination actions, while establishing durable cooperation between Europe and Latin America that is expected to continue beyond the action.

A summary of the CELISE project can also be seen in the following publication: https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/celise-project-seeds-of-sustainability-in-rural-areas/62494/

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

From start to completion, CELISE implemented coordinated research, training, mobility and outreach activities structured in five Work Packages. On the scientific side, the project delivered six major technical deliverables that cover the full chain from biomass understanding to processing routes and decision tools. Work included the characterisation of more than 10 types of biomass residues. This helped partners compare different raw materials and understand how their composition and structure affect processing performance.

In terms of processing, CELISE evaluated both established and novel pre-treatment methods. Acid and alkaline treatments and steam explosion were studied alongside more environmentally friendly or emerging routes, including hydrothermal/auto-hydrolysis processes and deep eutectic solvents. These pre-treatments help make plant residues more accessible for downstream conversion and material production. Building on these routes, the project reported the production and testing of cellulose fibres, nanocellulose, biochar and biocomposites, demonstrating several paths for converting residues into higher-value products. In parallel, CELISE developed modelling and optimisation tools to support decision-making in small biorefinery contexts, including Aspen Plus, Artificial Neural Networks for prediction and optimisation, complemented by environmental and economic evaluation approaches such as Life Cycle Assessment.

Mobility and training were central to CELISE. The project completed 105.24 person-months involving 49 researchers, with near gender balance (24 women and 25 men). The programme included 29 Experienced Researchers (ER), 17 Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) and 3 technical staff. Mobility flows were genuinely intercontinental.

CELISE also invested strongly in communication and dissemination. Over the project, partners produced 13 peer-reviewed scientific publications, 16 conference contributions and 2 outreach-focused publications. The project maintained a stable public presence through its website and social media, including measurable indicators such as LinkedIn (210 followers; 2,256 annual impressions), X/Twitter (40–463 impressions per post), and YouTube (595 total views). Outreach and education were significant, with more than 10 workshops delivered in rural or vulnerable settings, activities carried out with indigenous Wayúu communities in Colombia, and school/community engagement actions. These activities helped translate scientific concepts into accessible formats and supported the project’s societal mission.

Regarding exploitation, CELISE reinforced practical opportunities linked to its results. For example, the project strengthened know-how around pilot-scale and industry-relevant processes (e.g. steam explosion and pyrolysis collaborations), and the modelling and sustainability tools developed during the action are being reused by partners in follow-up research, education and new proposal development.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

CELISE progressed beyond the state of the art by combining, within one coherent framework, (1) experimental biomass processing and product development, (2) digital and mathematical tools for prediction and optimisation, and (3) socio-economic and community perspectives that are often addressed separately in research projects. Instead of focusing on a single feedstock or a single conversion technology, CELISE demonstrated that a range of lignocellulosic residues from different regions can be characterised and processed using multiple pathways, including both conventional methods and greener alternatives (such as hydrothermal routes and DES-based approaches). This multi-pathway strategy supports flexibility, which is important for small-scale and rural settings where the available biomass and local constraints can vary widely.

A key advancement is the integration of modelling tools (such as Aspen process simulation and ANN approaches) with experimental work and sustainability evaluation. This makes it easier to compare processing options, explore “what-if” scenarios and support decision-making for SMEs or local initiatives. By including LCA-based perspectives, CELISE also contributes to a better understanding of environmental trade-offs, helping ensure that solutions designed for rural development are not only technically viable but also environmentally responsible.

The socio-economic impact of CELISE includes the strengthening of human capital and institutional capacity through its mobility programme. Many researchers gained practical experience in new research environments, improved their skills and contributed to joint outputs. The project also strengthened intersectoral links by involving SMEs and industry-oriented partners in secondments, training, and result-oriented discussions, increasing the relevance of the work for real-world innovation.

From a wider societal perspective, CELISE placed strong emphasis on community and educational engagement, including outreach workshops in rural areas and work with vulnerable and indigenous communities. These actions contribute to awareness and empowerment, supporting the idea that biomass residues can become local resources, potentially enabling new forms of circular economy and sustainable entrepreneurship.

In the longer term, CELISE’s work supports pathways towards cleaner production, rural innovation and cross-continental cooperation, with expected continuation through new proposals, ongoing publications and sustained collaboration among the partner network.

Map of the exchanges during the CELISE project

Picture of the Final Meeting

isits to different institutions during the secondments of UCC and UNACH at UC

Picture of the Mid-Term Meeting

Bag with the CELISE logo during the Mid-Term Meeting in Warsaw

Seminar about the CELISE Project in Santander