Project description
Overcoming European dependency on rubber imports
The global rubber market relies on natural and synthetic rubber. Natural rubber sources have low genetic variability, making them highly vulnerable to pests and diseases, and their cultivation in Southeast Asia can compete with land used for food production. Synthetic rubber is derived mainly from fossil fuels and is concentrated in petrochemical industries in countries such as China and the US. This dependence creates strategic and economic vulnerabilities. The EU-funded RUBBIO project is developing three circular, bio-based rubber value chains in Europe using starch-rich food waste, including bread and potato waste. It produces platform chemicals and monomers to synthesise polybutadiene, nitrile butadiene rubber, and styrene butadiene rubber.
Objective
RUBBIO confronts the EU's strategic dependency on imported rubber, a critical raw material. The current global market is precariously balanced on two pillars, each with significant drawbacks. The first, natural rubber from Hevea brasiliensis plantations, is characterised by low genetic variability. This uniformity makes the plantations, which are concentrated in Southeast Asia, extremely vulnerable to pests and diseases that could devastate the global supply. Moreover, the expansion of these plantations often competes with land required for food production. The second pillar of the global market is synthetic rubber in its different formulations, which is mainly derived from fossil fuels. Synthetic rubber production is concentrated in nations with robust petrochemical industries, such as China and the United States. This dual dependency on imports for both natural and synthetic rubbers creates a significant strategic and economic vulnerability for European industries. Besides, the reliance on fossil-based materials is in direct opposition to the EU's goals for decarbonisation and a circular economy.
The main objective of RUBBIO is to develop three novel, sustainable, and circular bio-based rubber value chains within Europe, optimising efficient biomanufacturing approaches to synthesise versatile compounds from bio-based feedstock. A cornerstone of the project is its choice of feedstock: starch-containing food waste (bread and potato waste). By valorising this low-value stream, RUBBIO aligns with circular economy principles and the EU's ambitions for zero pollution. Precisely, RUBBIO will develop and optimise different biomanufacturing approaches to produce platform chemicals (butanediol and propionic acid) and monomers (butadiene, acrylonitrile, and styrene). The monomers will be then used to synthesise three commercially relevant rubbers: polybutadiene, nitrile butadiene rubber and styrene butadiene rubber for sectors lacking mature bio-based solutions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.6.6 - Bio-based Innovation Systems in the EU Bioeconomy
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
50720 Zaragoza
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.