What's GREEN-LOOP?
What's GREEN-LOOP?
GREEN-LOOP aims at enhancing and supporting the bioeconomy at European level through robust product design adapted to new sustainable and circular schemes, reducing the cost of manufacture and accelerating the market introduction of novel bio-based products.
The innovation potential focus on the techniques required to deliver GREEN-LOOP’s vision that include the retrofit of conventional manufacture systems to adapt new bio-based production, electrification of manufacturing systems (microwaves and ultrasound), advanced control with monitoring, artificial intelligence and sustainable designs of final products.
GREEN-LOOP will cover the whole value chain: biomass sourcing, conversion and pre-treatment, disruptive and enhanced bio-based production at industrialization system up to TRL6, end-user testing and finally, next use activities (recycle, refurbish and reuse).
Three innovative bio-based materials and components for industrial sectors will be designed and optimised, whose processes will refer to:
- Multifunctional fire-retardant and vibrational pads from
- Bottle closures for packaging, food and beverage sectors from
- Sliding bearings for appliance and tools from
CIRCULARITY BY DESIGN
GREEN-LOOP will focus on a production and consumption model which involves reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling the manufactured bio-based products. Waste will itself become a resource, consequently minimising the actual amount of waste. Furthermore, GREEN-LOOP will explore and apply opportunities for a second use of the products through cleaner production audit to seek win-win solutions through technological route change, bio-raw material use, and process optimization for each value chain. These topics will be a target in the business model innovation activities, social engagement and training activities.
GREEN AND SMART MANUFACTURING
The project will tackle policies and regulations at European level, review economic incentives and perform a detailed analysis of the competitive advantages of implementing bio-based products. Smart connectivity will be included to perform data collection from machines and devices through controllers and sensors; then, those datasets will be converted into meaningful information. The monitoring and controls systems to be included in GREEN-LOOP will lead to consistent products with low variability, higher repeatability with the highest quality standards. A module with self-configuration based on previous experiences will be included to maintain manufacture as enhanced as possible.
GREEN-LOOP PLATFORM FOR CIRCULAR PRODUCTS
GREEN LOOP value chains will be evaluated and optimised within a multidisciplinary platform that will facilitate the analysis of business opportunities from raw materials sourcing to next-use (recycle, reuse, refurbish), enhances activities to create new bio-based products and assesses environmental and social issues. These results will provide information of the social engagement that could be reached, show the business optimisation for each bio-based product and the circularity aspects . The platform will also be part of the training activities and will also serve as a facilitator to ensure sound and effective data sharing for open repositories.
TRAINING PROGRAM
GREEN-LOOP will provide a strategy that ensures that society can have access to job-career opportunities and that bioeconomy businesses have access to the talents they need. The training program will be focused on advanced manufacture techniques, bio-based materials and products, lessons learnt and value chain assessment of new projects via the GREEN-LOOP platform, Smart manufacture, business plans and international policies and regulations. The training program will address the short and long term activities related to marketing and business needed to deploy novel bio-based products.