On June 17, the third regional Living Lab workshop of the ROBOCOOP-EU project—funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)—was held in Extremadura, bringing together 15 key stakeholders from the agro-industrial, research, public administration, and social sectors.
The shared goal? To drive forward a sustainable biorefinery model that maximizes the value of side streams from the region’s olive, stone fruit, and vineyard production.
During the session, the project team presented progress on optimizing laboratory-scale processes and developing a conceptual model where primary producers play an active role in biomass pre-processing.
Participants also explored the regulatory landscape shaping the bio-based industry, highlighting the importance of local expertise. A key focus was the involvement of regional experts in a new European working group of primary producers.
Celina Pérez Casado, Director General for Enterprise of the Regional Government of Extremadura (Extremadura Empresarial), reaffirmed the region’s commitment to impactful, strategic initiatives. She also introduced several support mechanisms, including PREMIA grants and a range of regional and national incentives for R&D&I.
Project partner NATAC unveiled its biorefinery design proposal, tailored to meet varying purity requirements across target end-user sectors such as food and cosmetics.
The workshop concluded with the preliminary development of viable business models, which will be refined in the lead-up to the next regional workshop, scheduled for October 2025.
