Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Pilots4U (A network of bioeconomy open access pilot and multipurpose demo facilities)

Teaser

One of the main challenges in the rapidly evolving bio-economy is to bring the newly developed molecules and techniques from the lab to the market. Innovation progresses along the stages of the ‘innovation chain’: discovery (research) - technology development (piloting)...

Summary

One of the main challenges in the rapidly evolving bio-economy is to bring the newly developed molecules and techniques from the lab to the market. Innovation progresses along the stages of the ‘innovation chain’: discovery (research) - technology development (piloting) – first production (demo) – market introduction (deployment). The main bottleneck in the innovation chain of the bio-based economy today is the step from technology development to deployment. This step has to be performed first in a pilot plant and later in a demonstration plant where a production process can be tested and optimized in industrial production setting. Pilot- and demo-plants are expensive industrial installations that require specific expertise to be run and most SMEs and also a lot of large companies have no direct access to such facilities. As a result promising innovation processes grind to a halt. A solution to this problem are the ‘open access pilot- and multipurpose demo-infrastructures’. These are infrastructures that are open to all companies and research institutes, and can thus be seen as shared investments in research infrastructure. These infrastructures are not well known in the broad R&D&I communities across Europe. Neither are the communities aware of the nature and type of equipment and facilities that is available. Pilots4U wants to address this problem by grouping all European open access bio-economy pilot- and multipurpose demo facilities under one, very visible and easily accessible network. Pilots4U also wants to assess the current and future needs of the European bio-economy, and take the first steps to invest in equipment modules that are judged essential to catalyse the European bio- economy.
Pilots4U has the following objectives:
1. Setup one very visible, easy accessible network of open access pilot and multipurpose demo-infrastructures for the European bio-economy protecting IP rights of users.
2. An analysis of the current capabilities of this open access infrastructure network.
3. An analysis of the needs of the European biobased industry regarding pilot- and multipurpose demo-infrastructures, and a gap analysis to identify deficiencies.
4. A plan with remedies, actions and proposals for bridging the identified gap between current capabilities and European biobased industry needs.

Work performed

Pilots4U was able to setup a visible, easily accessible network of open access pilot and multipurpose demo-infrastructures for the European bio-economy by means of an open DATABASE hosted on the Pilots4U website (https://www.biopilots4u.eu/): All infrastructures known to the consortium were contacted to list their pilot equipment in this asset database. The existence of the database was communicated widely in and beyond the combined network of the partners, both to asset owners and potential database users. This has been done through different tools and means e.g. an intensive social media campaign; promotional material; press releases; a video and participation in events. By the end of the project, the database contained 451 entries from 82 organisations in 20 countries and has roughly about 500 page views monthly. The ‘About us’ page also shows the number of database searches per week. The Pilots4U network covers the following technological bioeconomy disciplines, that are a translation of the bio-economy fields covered by BIC: algal cultivation, anaerobic digestion, chemical conversion, fractionation and purification, industrial biotechnology, material technologies, pulping, thermal conversion. All defined ‘bioeconomy technological disciplines’ have database entries. Possible mechanisms to keep the database and the network active after the project end were identified. Feedback on these mechanisms was asked during several Pilots4U workshops and roundtables, which resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Pilots4U Project Partners securing as such the continuation of the network until a new governance and financial model has been fully implemented.
Furthermore, the European capabilities in terms of open access pilot- and demo infrastructure were assessed, based on the database entries, and the knowledge of the consortium. To assure that the network meets the needs of the European bio-economy industry current European pilot and demo-capabilities were compared with the needs of the European biobased industry which were questioned using an online survey. Info from both exercises was used to deliver a gap analysis to identify deficiencies in the provision of bioeconomy scale up needs (from an equipment or skills perspective). The conclusions were presented and validated with a wide range of bioeconomy experts via a series of workshops and webinars.
The outcomes of the gap analysis and horizon scan workshops were used to gain an understanding of the most urgent/high priority needs and gaps, namely investment is:
1. New equipment assets to strengthen existing centres
2. Coordination actions that help pilot plants to maximise the exploitation of existing equipment and expertise
3. Knowledge generation to increase the expertise and tools available at existing European pilot centres.
Associated business cases for investment were developed to drive plans and actions required to bridge identified gaps. Each business case included a detailed explanation of the issue to be addressed, possible options available, benefits of the recommended solution and an estimation of the cost of each proposed intervention incl. potential funding routes.

Final results

The project provided detailed data and information on accessible equipment and aligned personnel competences in the EU to support biorefinery scale-up and development. The outputs of the project provided essential information to enable guidance to facilitate the development of a strategy for the provision of equipment and process plant deemed essential to the continued development of the biorefinery sector in the EU.
Expected results obtained so far:
1. Detailed analysis of the relevant open access pilot plant and equipment modules available for use by research organisations and industry in the development and multipurpose demonstration of biorefinery processes
2. Assessment of the status of existing bioeconomy relevant plant and equipment modules in terms of continued provision and identifying key assets that are of critical importance to enabling development and multipurpose demonstration of biorefinery-relevant processes
3. Assessment of industry and SME needs currently and in the near-future
4. Opportunities to learn from demonstrable best operational practice
5. Development of operational and legal models to encourage joint working and collaboration, including IP arrangements
6. Awareness raising
7. One Europe-wide network of open access pilot and multipurpose demo-facilities with a central point of entry (containing a searchable database of infrastructure and equipment modules)
8. Gap analysis between available pilot and demo infrastructure for the EU bio-economy and actual industry needs
9. Business cases in response to the gap analysis including potential funding mechanisms
10. A Memorandum of Understanding between the project partners expressing the interest and commitment to continue the Pilots4U Network
11. A preliminary business plan for the post-project governance and financial model of the network
12. A set of policy recommendations resulting from the Pilots4U Project

Website & more info

More info: https://www.biopilots4u.eu/.