The Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU) is a € 3.7 billion public-private partnership between the EU and industry. It recognises the potential of bio-refinery technologies for converting renewable resources into bio-based products, materials and fuels.

Two BBI research projects dedicated to the rapidly growing sector of bioeconomy have just started (May 2018). In SUSBIND and SUSFERT Austrian and other European industrial and research partners work hand-in-hand towards the final goal: Development and market launch of sustainable eco-products.

SUSFERT (SUStainable FERTiliser) with an overall budget of €9.4 Mio (€6.6 Mio BBI-JU funding) aims to develop fertilisers based on a variety of residual flows from waste water, pulp industry and bioethanol production.

The project strategy is three-parted: First, Struvit  - a renewable phophate source – shall offer independence from import of resource-intensive phosphate. Second, beneficial soil microorganisms shall increase nutrient availability for plants and support plant growth & health. Third, a fully degradable coating shall facilitate a more targeted nutrient release.

With research teams from two Austrian (Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) & University of Natural Resources (BOKU)), and one Belgian (University of Antwerpen) institutions, the project engages experts in microbiology, plant science and material research. It runs for five years Small enterprises (Acies Bio, Slovenia; and ABiTEP, Germany) and big industrial partners (e.g. AGRANA, Austria) accomplish the projcet consortium and help to build local value chains.

For more information: www.susfert.au