The LIFE RESTART project was presented at the 19th International Conference on Renewable Resources & Biorefineries held in Riga, Latvia, from 31 May to 2 June 2023.

The Conference on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries is an important annual event at European and global level where delegates from university, industry, governmental and non-governmental organizations present their views on topics such as industrial biotechnology, sustainable (green) chemistry and policies related to the use of renewable raw materials for non-food applications and energy supply.

The conference, which was attended by over 300 international partecipants from over 30 countries around the worlde further aims at providing an overview of the scientific, technical, economic, environmental and social issues of renewable resources and biorefineries in order to give an impetus to the biobased economy and to present new developments in this sector.

This year Crossing presented, on behalf of all participating partners, LIFE RESTART, the close-to-market (C2M) project co-financed by the European Union under the LIFE Programme (LIFE21-ENV-IT-LIFE RESTART /101074314).

Participation in the conference was divided into two main events: the technical contribution in the plenary session, and the presentation within the framework of the Biobased Market.

Plenary session

Professor Valentina Beghetto, President of Crossing, held a lesson titled “Reuse of Agrifood Waste for Biocomposites” where she presented the main topics of the LIFE RESTART  project: starting from an overview of beer production in Europe, she then moved on to analyze the quantity of waste produced, and how it can be reused in an innovative way in a circular economy perspective for the production of green, high quality, biodegradable, recyclable and cost-effective bioplastics: an ecological alternative to fossil-based plastics.

After briefly introducing the various partners of the initiative (MeSSInA Foundation, EcosMed, Messina Brewery, University of Messina and Bibetech Srl), Beghetto focused on the objectives and the economic and environmental impact the project will have on various industries, as well as on the generation of new jobs in the long term. The audience from various sectors asked relevant questions about the technologies used in the process, the characteristics of the product obtained, and its possible uses.

 Strategic commercial focus

Dr. Riccardo Samiolo, Director of Crossing, took part in the Biobased Market, an event with a strategic-commercial focus organized within the framework of the Conference, where companies and start-ups had the chance of presenting their products to potential partners and stakeholders.

Here Crossing had the opportunity to explore the possible future outcomes of this business model also in relation to the use of the technology for other types of biomasses. About thirty people interacted at our booth at the Market, and four qualified contacts emerged with multinationals and universities doing similar research on biomasses other than those of the LIFE RESTART project.

This activity allowed the LIFE RESTART partnership project to connect with other companies or researchers who have similar experiences and has therefore proved to be of great value for the transferability and replicability of the project itself.

Click here to see more on LIFE RESTART events.