Reaching European forest based bioeconomyfull potential: the need for shared pilot

facilities and new models of collaborations

Mika HärkönenVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

Industrial Technologies 2016

Crossing the “valley of death” requires pilot anddemonstration infrastructure

CONCEPTVALIDATION

CONCEPTVALIDATIONINVENTIONINVENTION

LABORATORYPROTO-TYPING

& INCUBATION

LABORATORYPROTO-TYPING

& INCUBATION

PILOTPRODUCTION

&DEMONSTRATION

PILOTPRODUCTION

&DEMONSTRATION

INITIALMARKET

INTRODUCTION

INITIALMARKET

INTRODUCTION

MARKETEXPANSION

MARKETEXPANSION

PILOT PRODUCTION• Creates information needed for large

investments and commercialisation• 4 main barriers*

- Access to capital- Limited market articulation- Quality of the innovation ecosystem- Availability of human capital*Findings of EU FP7 Multi-KETs project

Shared pilot facilities speed up developmentcycle and commercialization

Why do industry needshared pilot facilities?

• Access to knowhow• Financial reasons

- Lower capitalexpenditure

- Lower operatingcosts

• Shared cost and risks,yet own benefit

KET HLG recommendations*

ü Boost European technologyinfrastructures to supportindustry

ü Ensure pan-European access ofindustry to a set of KETstechnology infrastructures(public and private)

ü Facilitate a workable fundingmechanism supporting capital-intensive expenditures

*European Commission High-Level Expert Group onKey Enabling Technologies, Final report pg. 60

New breakthrough pilot facilities requirecoordinated investments to European research

and innovation infrastructures

• Pilot lines for the new enabling technologies• New equipment in strategic complementary facilities• Research projects for novel products and processes• Facilitate access of SME:s to shared pilot facilities• Improved cooperation and transfer of best practices• Developing business models• Valorisation of IPR• Training of future professionals

High potential in energy products, chemicals,new materials - anything else?

Examples of future enablers for bioeconomy:1) Gas fermentation for C1 gas valorisation

Downstreamplatform:

gas fermentation

Downstreamplatform:

gas fermentation

Upstream platforms:power2gas,gasification,

anaerobic digestion

Upstream platforms:power2gas,gasification,

anaerobic digestion

FeedstockForest residueAgro residueMSWetc.

ProductsSCP, valuechemicals,bulkchemicals,fuels.

New innovations needed forthe fermenter technology anddownstream units

=> PILOT FACILITIES NEEDED

2) Novel cellulose based functional fibres andpackaging materials

New processing methods andinnovations needed for cellulosemodification and processing

=> PILOT FACILITIES NEEDED

New processing methodsHigh solid contentprocessing,Foam forming

New processing methodsHigh solid contentprocessing,Foam forming

Pulp,Recycled paper

Pulp,Recycled paper

NEW CELLULOSEPRODUCTS

Absorbing fibresThermoformable fibresNanocelluloseFoamed materials

NEW CELLULOSEPRODUCTS

Absorbing fibresThermoformable fibresNanocelluloseFoamed materials

3) Recycling of textile waste to new fibres

New pre-treatment, dissolution andfibre spinning process steps and newtype of textile fibres

=> PILOT FACILITIES NEEDED

New environmentallyfriendly cellulose dissolution

and spinning methods

Recycledcellulose fibres,Cotton textile

waste

Recycledcellulose fibres,Cotton textile

waste

NEW CELLULOSEBASED TEXTILE FIBRES

ERIFORE - European Research Infrastructure forCircular Forest Bioeconomy

List of partners and country

1. VTT - FI2. Aalto University - FI3. Fraunhofer - DE4. SP - SE5. KTH - SE6. SINTEF - NO7. FCBA - FR8. INRA - FR9. Tecnalia - ES10. Wood K Plus - AT11. Institute of Wood Chem. - LT12. Inst. Macromol. PetruPoni - RO13. Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant - BE

ERIFORE – a roadmap to cooperation action plan

Networking and collaborationfor Innovation Ecosystems in Bioeconony

EU-GREAT2014-2017(H2020)

ERIFORE2016-2018(H2020)

SMART PILOTS2016-2020(INTERREG)

We warmly welcome you to the1st ERIFORE open workshop

• 6th September, 2016 in Leuna, Germany.

• The aim of the workshop is1. to present an overview of European forest

based research infrastructures2. to identify key development needs and

bioeconomy value networks.

http://erifore.eu/workshops/workshop-1/

AcknowledgementThis project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654371.

Consortium: