ExpectedOutcome:
A successful proposal will contribute to all Destination ‘’Zero pollution’ and in particular impacts related to enhancing circular bio-based systems to operate according to planetary boundaries, replacing fossil-based systems and their carbon footprint, mitigating climate change, restoring biodiversity and protecting air, water and soil quality along supply chain of biological feedstock and industrial value chains within the EU and Associated Countries and across borders. Furthermore, it will contribute by substituting harmful chemicals by safer, less toxic and generally more sustainable alternatives notably by boosting innovative biotechnology and other related technologies to create zero-pollution bio-based solutions.
Industrial biotechnology has a high potential to contribute to increased sustainability and in particular ‘zero pollution’ ambition of the European Green Deal, in respect to the (circular) industrial bio-based processes.
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:
- Improved environmental sustainability, especially in terms of reduced toxicity, and overall safety to live organisms and ecosystems, of industrial bio-based processes, and of chemical and materials outputs, aligned with the EU climate-goals and zero-pollution ambition of the European Green Deal, in particular by lowering the input requirements in terms of e.g., land use, (virgin) feedstocks, water and energy, and by general advancement of non-toxic / zero-pollution production processes with positive impacts on water, air and soil quality.
- Improved industrial competitiveness by developing scalable, flexible and robust multi-product manufacturing, responding to current trends in the industrial biotechnology (e.g., on-demand production, small-volume outputs, lower capital expenditure, digital / artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, lower/minimal dependence on scarce natural resources, especially in terms of biological feedstocks), ensuring links to EU / Associated Countries industrial ecosystems (SMEs, EU Partnerships such as Circular Bio-based Europe JU).
- Enhanced social engagement and understanding of advanced bio-based innovation and in particular biotechnology among broad sectors of society, with active social innovation supported via dialogue with e.g., NGOs, end-user and consumer groups, schools or science centres etc.
Enhanced market up-take linked to improved governance[1] enabled by dialogue with regulatory actors and supporting networks, and by improved public awareness.
Scope:
- The scope covers a wide array of biotechnology techniques, including targeted and specific approaches for DNA modification, including synthetic engineering at gene or genome level, in line with the binding regulatory requirements, including related necessary technical aspects in other fields, such as synthetic biology, cell sorting, automation, robotics, IT data/digital/AI innovations, or the ‘biofoundry’ concept[2], [3]. Approaches based on improved enzymatic solutions should carefully consider a parallel topic[4], to avoid overlaps, and create synergies.
- Environmental improvements, especially reduced pollution/toxicity and lowered impacts should be verified and demonstrated by established methodology of life cycle assessment, and the monitoring approaches throughout the project need to be clearly established.
- Production of biofuels and bioenergy is excluded from scope, to avoid overlaps with Horizon Europe Cluster 5. Health applications need to be carefully considered to avoid possible overlaps with activities supported under Horizon Europe Cluster 1.
- Clear communication and dissemination activities are an essential element, including awareness raising, engagement of societal actors (NGOs, consumer organisations, professional organisations). Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with other projects funded under this topic and other relevant topics.
- International cooperation options may be considered, for win-win cooperation, and pursued if contributing to the European industrial competitiveness.
- In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
Specific Topic Conditions:
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-8 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
[1]See parallel topic HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-6: Co-creation and trust-building measures for biotechnology and bio-based innovation systems.
[2]http://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/biofoundries-the-new-factories-for-genetic-products/.
[3]http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/bd16d851-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/bd16d851-en.
[4]HORIZON-CL6-2023-CIRCBIO-01-5: Broadening the spectrum of robust enzymes and microbial hosts in industrial biotechnology.
