Integrated Process and Product Design for Sustainable Biorefineries

Bio-based economy in Europe involves 22 million people and turns over roughly 2.4 billion €. The full realization of its huge potential, however, requires expert knowledge and synergy of different competencies. In particular, key questions and bottlenecks awaiting clear answers are:

- How to design and integrate flexible and product-tailored processes for the available biomass feedstocks?
- How to integrate chemical and biochemical routes into sustainable biorefining of the given feedstocks?
- How to relate the biomass extraction and separation processes with the properties of the desired products and the sustainable utilization of the depleted matrices?
- How the production processes can be integrated into closed loop production?

The overall goal of IProPBio is to exchange complementary theoretical and experimental knowledge of research Staff while looking for innovative answers to such important questions. IProPBio is divided in 4 research oriented work packages plus two supporting packages for internal knowledge sharing and results dissemination. Alternative feedstock and high-value products characterization; thermodynamic data analysis and properties prediction; alternative technological flowsheets for economic and eco-compatible conversion of waste biomass into high value products; mass and energy integration studies to reduce wastes and enhance the profitability; life cycle assessment to determine the net contribution of the best designs to environmental pollution, are the main issues approached in the work packages.

IPropBio will significantly impact:
- The competitiveness of EU bioeconomy.
- Participants’ potential and new carrier perspectives.
- Exchange and transfer of high-quality multidisciplinary knowledge, advanced expertise, research and innovation between academic and non-academic participants in EU member states and third countries through the dissemination of the results achieved to target groups and the general public.