Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking

Advancing a competitive bioeconomy for a sustainable future is the primary mission of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU).

In the context of the European Green Deal, A Clean Planet for All Communication and the Farm to Fork, the European bio-based sector, including SMEs, regions and primary producers, should become climate neutral, more circular and more sustainable while remaining competitive on the global market. A strong, resource efficient and competitive bio-based innovation ecosystem can decrease Europe’s dependency on and accelerate the substitution of non-renewable fossil raw materials and mineral resources.

CBE JU is thereby supporting research and innovation activities in the field of sustainable bio-based solutions under the umbrella of Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme for the 2021-2027 period. CBE JU aims to foster the development, upscaling and deployment of new, disruptive and innovative technologies and processes to use all available sources of sustainable biomass to their full potential and turn it into sustainable and circular biobased products. Also in line with the expectations set in the new Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Communication and the Clean Industrial Deal and outlined in the EC political guidelines, by replacing non-renewable fossil resources with waste and sustainably sourced biomass to produce industrial and consumer goods, the bio-based industries will help Europe become the world’s first climate-neutral continent while increasing the sustainability and circularity of production and consumption systems and be part of a just economic transition. In this way, the bio-based industries greatly contribute to the competitiveness and sustainability of the EU Bioeconomy, and will play a key role in the upcoming EU Bioeconomy strategy update in 2025.

Call topics

Innovation actions – flagship (IA-flagship)

• Urban-industrial symbiosis for bio-waste valorisation - €20 million

• Bio-based drop-ins/smart drop-in platform chemicals, via cost-effective, sustainable and resource-efficient conversion of biomass - €20 million

• Circular-by-design fibre-based packaging with improved properties - €20 million

• Retrofitting of (bio)refineries industrial plants towards higher-value bio-based products - €20 million

Innovation actions (IA)

• Sustainable macroalgae systems for innovative, added-value applications: cultivation and optimised production systems - €14 million

• Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) bio-based solutions to replace hazardous conventional chemicals for textiles production - €14 million

• Scaling-up nutritional proteins from alternative sources - €14 million

• Cost-effective and robust continuous biotech bio-based processes - €14 million

• SSbD bio-based polymers/copolymers unlocking new market applications - €14 million

Research and innovation actions (RIA)

• Valorisation of untapped forest biomass - €7 million

• Bio-based and biodegradable delivery systems for fertilising products to reduce microplastics pollution & promote soil health - €7 million

• Alternative biomanufacturing routes for natural and synthetic rubber - €7 million

Coordination and support actions (CSA)

• Develop and deploy new curricula and knowledge exchange practices relevant to bio-based systems - €1 million