The University of Extremadura (UEX) is the main public research institution in Extremadura with 4 university campuses. It has around 22,000 students and 2,405 researchers and professors. UEX is ranked 628th among universities worldwide (Scimago Institutions Ranking, SIR 2018) out of more than 5637 institutions surveyed; and it is Campus of International Excellence since 2011 in partnership with two Portuguese universities. According to the Shanghai 2021 ranking, the UEX rises to rank among the 601-700 best universities in the world. The School of Industrial Engineering of the University of Extremadura (UEx) is ranked No. 1 in Spain in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Faculty of Sports Sciences is ranked 28th in the world and No. 2 in Spain in Sports Sciences Schools.  

UEx has extensive laboratories and state-of-the-art research infrastructures. The Campus addresses high levels of excellence in teaching and research activity, knowledge transfer to the productive sector and entrepreneurship, as well as the dissemination of science and innovation to society, producing a high socio-economic impact within a cross-border campus of international dimension.

With 216 Research Groups and more than 3,000 projects and contracts, the UEX carries out multidisciplinary research beyond institutional boundaries. The research activity is carried out in a wide variety of scientific-technological areas and an important part of these research areas is aligned with the smart specialisation strategy of the Region, such as: Agrifood (Biology, Biotechnology, Production technologies, Meat products); Clean energies (Energy transition, Natural resources, Dehesa); Health (Health technologies, Biosanitary); Tourism (Culture); ICT (Information and communication technologies).

Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP) is an independent, state-of-the-art facility that operates from a laboratory level to a multi-ton scale. BBEPP is a service provider for process development, scale-up and custom manufacturing of biobased products and processes. A wide and flexible spectrum of modular unit operations combined with the experience of our highly competent engineers and technicians enables us to translate your biobased lab protocol into a viable industrial process.

BBEPP enables the conversion of renewable feedstocks into biochemicals, biomaterials, biofuels and other bioproducts by using technologies such as biomass pretreatment, biocatalysis, (gas)fermentation, green chemistry and product recovery and purification.

Since its establishment in 2008, the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant has grown into a mature organisation employing 170+ dynamic and engaged staff members. From 2013 to 2020, Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant successfully conducted more than 450 bilateral (private) projects with over 150 different small, medium and large sized companies. Along with private, bilateral projects, Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is currently involved in many consortium-based projects.

VITO is an independent Flemish research organisation in the area of cleantech and sustainable development. Within VITO’s sustainable chemistry unit, two teams participate in the Robocoop project: one working on biomass processing (PROBIO team) and another focusing on the MooV-model.

Within ROBOCOOP, the VITO-PROBIO team offers expertise and equipment (lab and small pilot scale) to design and optimise the cascaded fractionation of biomass in its separate components. The toolbox is extraction, conversion and purification technologies. We are a one-stop-shop for designing and scaling up your biorefinery process to produce bio-actives, nutraceuticals, feed/food ingredients and specialty chemicals. VITO is equipped with analytical devices to identify and quantification of biobased molecules. 

MooV is a consultancy service developed by VITO dedicated to optimise the design of supply chain networks and to support companies in rethinking their supply chains in an independent and scientific manner. MooV focusses on strategic and tactical decisions , such as determining the location of new activities, merging chains, introducing new products, etc. With the MooV team, we offer experts who customise our proprietary MooV model to calculate the impact of choices on our client’s supply chains. We guide customers through the results to better understand and organizetheir chain.

Łukasiewicz Research Network – New Chemical Syntheses Institute is a research institute with long-lasting tradition and expertise, a widely recognised brand and active worldwide as a supplier of technologies and chemical products in the field of chemical and agricultural sciences with special regard to chemical engineering problems. The scope of its activities relates directly to scientific research in the area of: extraction (with supercritical carbon dioxide), fertilizers, biodegradable materials, as well as catalysts and nitrogen technologies. Being part of the third largest R&D network in Europe, the Łukasiewicz Research Network, and having access to modern and comprehensive research infrastructure and most talented researchers, the Institute offers its clients best solutions to entrepreneurial challenges. For years the Institute’s experts have been providing innovative technologies and implementing them on the market in many countries – e.g. Hungary, Germany, Croatia, Columbia, Chile. We are also realising many R&D projects funded by Polish and European funds, in cooperation with national and international consortia to constantly raise the level of our expertise, foresee the economic trends and offer the best and innovative response to the needs of entrepreneurs through ready-to-use solutions.

The Institute’s Supercritical Extraction Research Group conducts research in the field of plant material extraction with the use of carbon dioxide in the supercritical state, extracts purification and processing. We also own facilities which enable performing services from laboratory through semi-technical to production scale. The products of extraction find application in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food and feed industries, as well as in the polymeric materials industry.

Fundación MEDINA is a non-profit research organization focused on the discovery of novel bioactive natural products to be developed as new drugs and high value biotechnology products. MEDINA was established in Granada from the former Drug Discovery Research Center of Merck Sharp & Dohme de España. MEDINA has more than 50 years’ inherited experience in the discovery of new natural products (NPs) drugs, with research expertise in bacterial and fungal microbiology, production of secondary metabolites, NPs chemistry (isolation and structural elucidation), cutting-edge HTS screening technologies and early preclinical ADME-Tox of new leads (www.medinadiscovery.com).

MEDINA is a reference center in microbial natural products research, secondary metabolite production and microbial bioengineering, leveraging  one of the largest microbial collections (190.000 strains) and NPs libraries (200.000 samples). Taking advantage of its HTS capacities, assay development and validation tools, ADME-tox and bioanalytics, MEDINA is a high capacity screening node of the new European infrastructure EU-OPENSCREEN ERIC (www.eu-openscreen.eu/). In addition, MEDINA has unique strengths in the Chemistry of Natural Products, including extraction, bioassay-guided purification of compounds and structural elucidation, with modern extraction and purification methods of NPs, and high throughput analytical tools applied for dereplication and structural analysis (LC-MS, NMR).

MEDINA develops both internal and collaborative research projects funded by regional, national and international grants, as well as contract research programs with large pharma and biotech companies supporting the discovery of new drug leads, bioactive molecules and extracts with application in different industrial sectors (pharma, cosmetics, agriculture, green biotechnology).

National Technical University of Athens participates with the Research team of Prof. Antonios Kokosis through the Industrial Process System Engineering Unit. The group expertise is strong in Advanced Process Design, Modelling and Optimization.  Current research areas involve applications that include the design and scale-up of several biorefineries (ligno-cellulosic, oleo-chemical, aquatic, waste-based), retrofitting of conventional process industries into Circular Economy plants, development of industrial symbiosis networks and industrial ecology paradigms, integration of large (or big-data streams) with systems assets with a view to build services and observatories, systems applications in community clusters (cities, ports, professional clusters).

Natac is dedicated to researching, developing, and sustainably manufacturing healthy extracts and ingredients of a botanical origin, with a significant focus on Mediterranean plants. Natac is fully geared at research and development, basing its differentiation in the market on the ability to create innovative products adapted to the specific needs of each customer and the peculiarities of each case with the ability to transfer science to the market.

Natac has developed a totally innovative business model in the plant extracts sector since it was first set up, which is based on upcycling agri-food biomass. This model is based on establishing strategic partnerships with different players in the value chain, both downstream and upstream, in order to weave together integrated sustainable business networks, thus ensuring traceability, sustainability, and economic development.

Innovation is an essential element for Natac, which serves as a basis for attaining a differentiated sustainable model for the company. Natac has taken part in and led more than 40 R&D projects with both national and international funding since it was founded. Natac is currently working intensely on five lines of research that are closely aligned with the company’s strategy of seeking a sustainable model and in which traceability and quality are its hallmarks including: upcycling of agri-food biomass, development of medicinal plant crops, towards zero waste, new high-value applications and strategic products and projects.

Arion Manufacturing Site and Arion R&D Center is one of the group companies of ZEKNER Inc. Arion Manufacturing Site was established in Istanbul Tuzla Organised Industrial Zone in 15.000 m2 indoor area in two seperate site for pharmaceuticals and feed additives.

Product range manufactured in Arion includes Veterinary antibacterials, antiparasitics, vitamin, minerals and clinical products.

Arion Feed Additives Facility started operating in 2016. Products include oral liquid, oral powder and tablets for farm animals, horses, poultry, pet and bees.  Arion Feed Additives Facility has GMP+ Certificate and also registered in FDA database.

Veterinary pharmaceuticals and feed additives developed and manufactured in Arion are exported more than 20 countries including South America, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia.

Arion Research and Development Center has been approved by Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology in 2017. It is  involved in local and international research projects, and continues to work in cooperation with the leading universities of our country. It is the first R&D Center developing Veterinary Pharmaceuticals in Turkiye. Our main research area is environment friendly products containing essential oils which are non-chemical and does not lead to residues. Also we are developing new feed additives to improve productivity for farm animals which contains yeasts provided by local R&D centers in cooperation with large-scale livestock farms. We are developing new feed supplements for pets in user friendly forms.

ROELMI HPC is an Italian company involved in the R&D, production and commercialization of sustainable ingredients for the health and personal care markets. The company has decided to work by selecting cutting-edge technologies, always with a main focus on people safety and environment preservation, to develop innovative ingredients. The choice of sustainability is in everyday activities of the company, following the NIP® motto (Nature Is People).

ROELMI HPC has experience in bio-fermentation and green chemistry technologies, thanks to the expertise developed in its internal lab of R&D.

The company is also an expert in formulation and can develop prototypes of finished products containing all its ingredients, in order to speed-up the time to market for the customers.

La Enologica Extremena SA is a company dedicated to the winemaking sector, fertilizers and phytosanity products. Established in the market for 90 years and with a turnover of more than 1M euros, the company occupies one oenologist and two agronomists.

InoFA is a vertically integrated, quadruple helix, cluster dedicated to the digitalisation of a sustainable Greek agrofood sector. With over 80 members, InoFA covers geographically the whole of Greece.

The aim of the cluster is to create a permanent network of real economy players along the supply chain, technology and service providers, RTOs and civil society institutions, with a view to promoting the sustainability of the agrifood sector.

Given the European Green Deal, and in order to stay relevant to the needs of the real economy members, it was decided that InoFA should design projects and provide them with tools that minimise the environmental footprint of their activities.

Thus, cluster members are engaged with biostimulants as an alternative to chemical fertilisers, compostable cover ground covers, utilisation of photonic technologies for yield and quality management, sustainable irrigation, sustainable management of free range bovines, and other innovative practices, as means of surviving the transition period. At the same time, InoFa make farmers visible by facilitating short supply chains, digital traceability and proof of provenance and digital marketing.

Our aim is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, science and technology for the socio-economic among quadruple helix members, supporting the innovation processes, entrepreneurship and cooperation for the promotion of intelligent, sustainable and inclusive development of the Extremadura. 

Satiba is a winery constituted in the form of a cooperative, composed of 20 members. With more than 40 years of activity and great international vocation, the winery is located in the center of Extremadura, the 2nd Spanish wine region. All members are farmers who come together to get more added value from their agricultural products, in this case, grape products. The cooperative transforms 3M kilos of grapes and produces more than 2M liters of wine, with a large percentage of the production being exported, especially to Portugal.

TROIL is an olive pomace treatment plant. With a cogeneration plant we dry the olive pomace producing: Olive pits for biomass; Crude pomace oil; partially defatted olive pulp for animal feed; Concentrated and ultrafiltrated vegetation water from the pomace that is used for phenol extraction and fertilization. We also encapsulate iron nanoparticles with that concentrated vegetation water.

AGRUPACIÓN DE COOPERATIVAS VALLE DEL JERTE SCL, Cooperative Limited Society (hereinafter ACVJ), is a second degree cooperative founded in 1986. It is formed by of a group of 15 agricultural cooperatives from the Jerte´s Valley and La Vera, regions of the north of Extremadura. Its main objective is process and commercialize the agricultural products of its farmers, although it also provides support throughout the pre-harvest phase.

The ACVJs main product are cherries for fresh consumption, among which highlights the

Picota cherries, an autochthonous variety, for which we are positioned as European leaders. However, the ACVJ works with a great diversity of products, among which stand out fruits for fresh consumption such as chestnuts and plums, ready-made products such as dried figs, and processed products such as liqueurs and olive oil.

The entity coordinates production in the member cooperatives and is dedicated to process, market and distribute all agricultural products generated by its partners, with the aim of achieving the best conditions for its members. To this end, it has developed a strategy based on diversification, improvement and innovation in terms of processes, products and marketing strategies. The ACVJ is in charge of developing R&D projects and studies focused on improving the production phase in the field and processing in the industry.

CIHEAM Bari is the Italian headquarter of CIHEAM (Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes), an intergovernmental organization founded in 1962 under the aegis of the OECD and the Council of Europe, which operates through its 4 Institutes based in Bari (Italy), Chania (Greece), Montpellier (France) and Zaragoza (Spain), while the General Secretariat is based in Paris.

CIHEAM Bari enjoys the privileges of extra-territoriality granted to international organizations by the Republic of Italy through the Establishment agreement signed to the Italian Government in 1962, ratified in Italy with law N. 932 of 13 July 1965 and with the supplementary protocol to the Agreement ratified with law N. 159 of 26 May 2000.

CIHEAM Bari’s mission targets post-graduate higher education applied research and development cooperation.

CIHEAM Bari network involves hundreds of institutions located in several Mediterranean and African countries. In Italy, CIHEAM Bari avails of a network of around 200 bodies among research, private sector, entrepreneurship, producers’ organizations, institutions. Thanks to this network, CIHEAM Bari ensures a timely mobilization of hundreds of experts able to operate abroad and in Italy.

CIHEAM Bari’s facilities include an International Campus located in Valenzano (Bari, Italy) and a seat in Tricase (Lecce, Italy) where capacity building actions are continuously carried out with both in-person and distance learning methodologies.

CLuBE is a platform for cooperation of the three pillars of the regional economy: the public sector, research and entrepreneurship. It seeks to develop synergies between local and regional players and businesses in bioenergy and the environment, aiming at introducing and developing innovation in the sector and increasing its added value. CluBE is developing R&D and business activities in the fields of bioenergy and environment, in order to reinforce smart, bio, green and circular economy in the region and the neighboring area, namely through: (i) Energetic exploitation of biomass for household and industrial use and especially for district heating systems for small, medium or large cities, (ii) Increasing the share of biofuels and biohydrogen in the energy mix of transportation fuels, (iii) Co-firing with lignite in existing power stations and/or future heating plants, (iv) Optimization of heating systems and (v) Improvement of energy efficiency for households, public and private buildings

The Rural Cooperative Producers Organisation (A.S.O.P.) «Dimitra» in Velvento with more than 170 producers, follows all the modern methods of cultivation, harvesting, packing and distribution of the fresh fruits. «Dimitra» carves its own unique path in the industry, combining harmoniously tradition, taste and expertise. The Rural Cooperative «Dimitra» in Velvento with absolute respect to the consumer and to the environment invests constantly to the new technologies and the manpower. The vision and the objective of the Rural Cooperative «Dimitra» is the production and distribution of the fresh fruits, the top quality, the unique taste and the maximum safety for the consumer and all these in affordable prices.

ENTEKA is a modern constantly developing and evolving company. It offers innovative integrated solutions in the beverage industry, which are designed, installed and supported by its highly trained staff with skills and expertise. The company’s goal is to showcase the regional flavors. It has succeeded in encapsulating them in a bottle, demonstrating the uniqueness of the area, and promoting a new professional concept that connects customers, vine growers, and wineries in the region. The company started to operate in the field in 2016, aiming exclusively at the beverage sector, setting high goals and with a unique vision and purpose of direct customer service, it managed to establish itself in the beverage sector with an upward trend in a few years. ENTEKA guarantees directness with its customers, speed in transactions, constant upgrading in all areas of its object.

AIMPLAS, Plastics Technology Centre, is a leading research organization based in Paterna, Spain. Founded in 1990; with 12,000 m² of space, including more than 35 pilot plants for material processing, it helps companies across the plastics industry develop new products, improve materials, and adopt circular economy and recycling practices. Its diverse core activities include Research and Development, Testing and Analysis in accredited laboratories, as well as Industry Training.  

Its Key Research & Innovation Areas include Ecodesign & Recyclability, Advanced Waste Management, Traceability, Decarbonization & Carbon Capture and so on. Its expertise includes cutting-edge recycling technologies, such as Mechanical Recycling Optimization and Chemical & Enzymatic Recycling.  

The Universidad of Córdoba (UCO) is a non-profit High Education and Research institution established in 1972. This University is considered at the forefront of research in Andalusia and is ranking among the top research institutions at the national level. UCO has a commitment with society, promoting innovation, research and technological development as an instrument for the social and economic progress. In this way, transfer of knowledge is too, one of the missions of this university.

The research efforts are compound of 235 research units and more than 2.500 employees,covering different disciplines. Our institution is also involved in The Agrifood Campus ofinternational Excellence (ceiA3) as well as in several research centers as the IMIBIC (Institute Maimonides of Biomedical Research) and the “University Research Institute of Fine Chemicals and Nanochemistry” and in the creation of the Córdoba TechPark.

UCO is also equipped with cutting-edge centralized research facilities which are located onRabanales Campus. These facilities include a Scanning Confocal Electron Microscope (SCEM), a Genomics and Proteomics Unit, A NIR/MIR Spectroscopy Unit, a Mass Spectrometry Unit, a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Unit, among others.

Currently, UCO has been granted with 29 projects funded through Horizon Europe and 51projects funded by other European programs (since 2021). In a previous period (2014-2020), UCO obtained 45 projects funded through the H2020 Program and 51 projects funded by other European programs. A Knowledge Transfer Office as well as an International Projects Office facilitate the management, implementation and dissemination of transnational projects achieved by our university as well as the transfer of knowledge and protection of obtained results.

INEUVO Ltd is a UK based SME company that provides scale up engineering solutions with the aim to meet the current trends towards innovative, smarter intelligent production and manufacturing. The company offers sustainable engineering solutions and circular bioeconomy strategies for process development, optimisation, waste valorisation to bioenergy, biofuels and biochemicals with improved materials, energy efficiency and water utilisation. Our services include project development, coordination and management, new and innovative technology scale up strategies, sustainable process modelling, simulation and optimization, energy efficiency and exergy analysis, techno-economic assessment, commercialisation and business plans. Our circular bioeconomy and sustainable engineering solutions focus on scale up strategies for technology and processes that the use of biomass, organic residues, agricultural waste, sewage sludge, wastewater or other sustainable feedstocks for production of bioenergy, biofuels and biobased chemicals.