Approval of 4 EFRO-projects for our cluster

In July 2017, the Flemish government has launched an EFRO-call for the “Support of spreading technologies with the purpose of valorization and commercialization” within its Cluster policy. After an application and evaluation process, four projects from our cluster were approved and granted.

In the first project, LignoValue Pilot, VITO and its partners Jacobs België NV and VMH will construct a pilot line (TRL 5-6, production capacity of ± 200 kg/day) for the conversion of wood/lignin into biobased aromatics. This will allow the production of larger amounts of these biobased aromatics, as such allowing companies to take further steps in their application development path. The aim will be to design the pilot line as flexible as possible to demonstrate different depolymerization processes. For this purpose, the most preferential conversion technologies  that will be identified in the recently-approved Catalisti project ‘Bio-Aromatics Feedstock Technology Assessment (BAFTA)’ (in which a thorough landscape analysis including the most promising technologies for isolating and depolymerization of lignin will be made)  will be implemented on relevant scale.

Also, two projects coordinated by member companies were granted. Within the DUVAL project, Agfa Gevaert will implement and provide a continuous thin film evaporator platform for the Flemish chemical industry. The InQbet Accelerator project from P&G has the aim to increase the success of start-ups and growth companies in commercialising innovative products and business models.

In the fourth project, Bio Base Flow, the BioBase Europe Pilot Plant will accelerate technology transfer and improve project management by means of new processing equipment and an innovative concept of partner hubs and project management room with integrated infrastructure for process steering.