The BIOEAST HUB CR is the first national BIOEAST Hub in the BIOEAST region, established in line with the BIOEAST Governance and Roadmap with the support of the BIOEAST NCP and the Czech Ministry of Agriculture. Its mission is to bring together stakeholders and support their engagement in the bioeconomy. The HUB coordinates two macro-regional BIOEAST Thematic Working Groups—Freshwater-Based Bioeconomy and Bioeconomy Education—and initiated the BIOEAST UniNet, a network of bioeconomy universities in the BIOEAST macro-region. The BIOEAST HUB CR supports stakeholder engagement, policy dialogue, applied research, and the development of a national bioeconomy strategy. Its key activities include technology transfer, support for SMEs and research organizations in bioeconomy projects, raising awareness of BIC and CBE JU opportunities, and promoting the transfer of bioeconomy best practices across the BIOEAST region.
Website: www.bioeasthub.cz
Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón is a research and development center focused on driving technological innovation in companies and strategic sectors in Aragón. Specializing in fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, advanced engineering, and Industry 4.0, ITA collaborates with companies and institutions to enhance competitiveness and promote innovative technological solutions. Its work ranges from applied research to knowledge transfer and the development of customized projects for various industries.
Website: www.ita.es
The University of Valladolid (Uva), founded in 1241, is one of Spain’s oldest universities and a leading academic institution in Castilla y León. Known for its excellence in research and innovation, Uva participates in the ManuREfinery project through its Institute of Sustainable Processes (ISP) (https://isp.uva.es/). The ISP focuses on developing and evaluating technologies and tools to mitigate anthropogenic environmental impacts and harness underutilized sustainable resources, contributing to a carbon-neutral industry. Its work is organized into four specialized research units: Environmental Engineering for Sustainability (ENVIROENG), Systems Engineering and Evaluation of Industrial Processes (PROCESSES), Analysis and Control of Chemical and Biological Pollution (CHEMBIO), and Membranes and Advanced Materials (MATERIALS). Researchers from the ENVIROENG, PROCESSES, and CHEMBIO units are contributing to the project, focusing on valorizing syngas and biogas into microbial-based protein and developing biofiltration technology for ammonia recovery from farms.
Website: www.uva.es
Ghent university (UGent) is a top 100 university, 21st in place for Biotechnology (Shanghai Ranking), and one of the major universities in Belgium. The groups involved in the ManuREfinery project are the Treatment and Recovery at Source team (TRASLAB) and the Center of Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET). TRASLAB develops local solutions for water treatment, biomass processing and resource recovery by combining electrochemistry, bioreactor engineering and mixed culture biotechnology. CMET is specialized in the study and application of mixed microbial cultures with the aim of developing novel products and processes to improve the environment or human health in the most sustainable way, with an overall focus on resource recovery. Within the ManuREfinery project, the main role of UGent will be to develop the valorization line of grass into protein-rich animal feed and high-purity caproic acid at laboratory scale (WP 2, Task 2.5).
Website: www.ugent.be
The University of Zaragoza participates through the Fluid Dynamic Technologies Group, which belongs to The Aragon Institute for Engineering Research (I3A – i3a.unizar.es/en). We use advanced numerical methods to simulate fluid flow, heat transfer, and chemical reactions in environmental, biological, and industrial contexts. The Group’s activities span diverse fields, including weather prediction, pollutant transport in the atmospheric boundary layer and water bodies, risks posed by sea waves and river swells, the design and optimization of industrial and household equipment, and fluid flow in living organisms. The group is multidisciplinary, with researchers from Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics backgrounds, specializing in various numerical tools such as finite elements, finite volumes, Lagrangian methods, Monte Carlo methods, lattice Boltzmann, artificial intelligence, and reduced order models, among others.
Website: www.unizar.es
Guascor Energy is a global leading manufacturer & services provider of gas and diesel engines designed for power generation, cogeneration, waste conversion and marine use. For more than 50 years, the company has been supporting customers in the process of decarbonisation and decentralization of energy & power. We offer reliable, fuel-flexible & efficient engines ranging from 180 kW to 2 MW and aftersales services. Guascor Energy has a complete range of engines specially developed and optimized to work with gases from anaerobic processes. S Series, with a power output between 252 to 1067 kWb, while H Series, with a power output between 520 to 1373 kWb. We developed a fuel blending system specifically designed to mix Natural Gas and Biogas that allows fuel change from 0 to 100% and any ratio in between, on the engine itself and with no need to stop the engine. Our range of engines, with powers between 209 and 882 kWb, works with synthesis gases of different compositions and origins, with a Hydrogen content of up to 50% and a PCI between 4.6 and 14 MJ/Nm3. At Guascor Energy, we supply engines with a single cooling circuit, which allows the use of syngas at high temperatures and thus minimizes the problems derived from the formation of tar due to condensation in sensitive areas such as the intercooler.
Website: guascor-energy.com
Syspro is an industrial automation engineering company specialized in biotechnological processes. Our role in the project is that of technology provider, developing, manufacturing and automating several process systems for waste valorization.
Website: sysproautomation.com
Colsen is a Dutch developer and provider of environmental technologies for the agrofood and industrial sector. With a history of 35 years, Colsen is a pioneer in the application of innovative bioprocesses for industrial wastewater treatment, biogas production, and nutrient recovery. In ManuRefinery, Colsen designs and provides two pilot plants: A pilot-scale thermophilic anaerobic digester for methanisation of manure, and a pilot-scale fermenter for the production of microbial protein from biogas (WP2 and WP3)
Website: www.colsen.nl
Detricon is a Belgian SME constructing environmental technologies for the valorisation of valuable resources in waste water. The focus lies on the nutrient recovery out of manure and digestate with the Detricon stripping technology, producing ‘Green Fertilizers’ for local use. It aims to reduce the energy consumed for fertilizer production and transportation, giving farmers a cost equivalent alternative for making their land fertile. Within the ManuREfinery project, Detricon will provide a technological solution to recover ammonia from the digestate of pig slurry, as well as to recover phosphorous.
Website: www.detricon.eu
BIO2CHP is a spin-out company of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. It was established in 2017 and focuses on the development of biomass conversion technology for the utilisation of low quality organic waste. Specialised in fluidised bed reactor design, hot gas filtration (know-how since 1974 from the automotive industry), gas engines (test bench, exhaust measurements) automation and modelling, the primary goal of the company is the development and commercialisation of standardised and containerised biomass gasification units that produce clean and usable syngas from a variety of feedstocks. In the Manurefinery project, BIO2CHP will design, develop and demonstrate a prototype that transforms the solid fraction of biogas digestates into clean syngas that can be further used in the fermentation process.
Website: www.bio2chp.com
INTERPROD farm at Peris hosts 32,500 sows, boars, piglets, and weaners. The intensive breeding of animals entails significant NH3 emissions, in the range of 30-40 ppmv. These indoor air concentrations need to be reduced below the best available technique (BAT) threshold of 22.1 ppmv. It will be involved in T1.4, T3.4, T5.1, T5.2, T5.3, T5.4, T5.5
S.C. DENVER COM S.R.L. is a poultry farm with 38,750 heads that produces table eggs for different consumers. The farm is equipped with automatic systems of ventilation, feeding chains, eggs collection belts and lighting. Each house has a computer installed for monitoring daily water and feeding consumption. It will be involved in T1.4, T3.4, T5.1, T5.2, T5.3, T5.4, T5.5
AGROVALLFARM, SLU is a newly established agricultural company based in Barcelona, Spain, incorporated in April 2024. The company is engaged in the acquisition, ownership, operation, and management of poultry, pig, and other livestock farms, whether for lease or any other form of commercial exploitation.
The UECBV represents the EU’s national federations of livestock markets, traders (cattle, horses, sheep, pigs), meat traders (beef, horsemeat, lamb, pork), poultry meat importers and the broader meat industry, including slaughterhouses, cutting plants, and meat processing facilities. UECBV brings together more than 40 national and regional federations from EU, as well as from Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Ukraine. UECBV’s mission is to facilitate the development of an environment in which all EU livestock traders and meat companies can meet consumer and societal needs while competing effectively for sustainable growth. UECBV provides expertise based on scientific research, robust data management and effective communication, working within the regulatory framework. The UECBV is involved in several collective projects aimed at better understanding, analysing, and proposing solutions to reduce the sector’s environmental impact, as well as to reduce waste, preserve water quality, and develop best practices. The UECBV task in this project is to develop recommendations for the industry that utilises this technology and to promote its adoption by facilitating information sharing and fostering collaborations among stakeholders through the exchange of best practices, new technologies, and results.
Website: uecbv.eu/en/accueil
HYDROHM was established in 2020, as a spin-off company of Ghent University and the MELiSSA program of the European Space Agency (ESA). HYDROHM develops and implements electrochemical technology for a better water user experience on earth and in space. We believe in the electrification of water treatment as an opportunity to shift towards more local and sustainable water systems, with an increased focus on quality and health. Instead of dosing chemicals to treat water, electrochemical technologies use electricity, which is a renewable and traceless input.
Website: hydrohm.com
The Agricultural Institute of Slovenia(KIS) is the leading research institute in the field of agriculture in Slovenia. It deals comprehensively with the issues of modern agriculture and extends its activities to the fields of environmental protection and ecology. In its research dairy farm, KIS will manage a solid valorisation line (Demo Site 4), in which the solid fraction of digested manure will be converted into bio-ingredients for animal feed and bio-fertiliser.
Website: www.kis.si
Fertinagro is a company dedicated to plant nutrition. We have been working for 40 years to achieve the most competitive, valuable and sustainable agriculture in the world, with a policy of dynamic growth and a strong focus on research, which has allowed us to adapt to the new requirements of farmers and markets. Fertinagro in Manurefinery will be in charge of transforming the residues generated in the biorefineries, such as ashes, into biofertilizers.
Website: fertinagro.com
Celignis is an SME dedicated to the development of innovations related to the use and valorisation of biomass and wastes. This is enabled through our state-of-the-art laboratories, equipment, and experienced personnel. We are a spin-out from an EU research project developed by Celignis’s founder and we are very much active in a number of ongoing Horizon and CBE projects that are advancing the art in biomass valorisation. Our roles in these projects cover the laboratory analysis of feedstocks and process intermediates and outputs, the profiling of bioactives and other high value constituents using advanced analytical equipment, the development of technologies for the extraction and modification of biomass derived components, and the technoeconomic evaluation of processes with a target of optimising technologies for commercial realisation. All of these activities we also offer as a service provider to stakeholders in the bioeconomy and we have a global network of hundreds of clients ranging from start-ups to large multinationals. These services are provided at two locations in Ireland, Celignis Analytical (for characterisation work) and Celignis Bioprocess (for bioprocess development activities). As partners in the ManuREfinery project we are the task leader of T3.5 and T4.3 while also actively involved in the T2.5.
Website: www.celignis.com
The Institute for Economic Forecasting (IPE) – Romanian Academy has a diverse research program, focused on fundamental academic research but also on applied research aimed at strengthening economic policies and development programs at national and regional levels. The main areas in which IPE carries out research projects include: (a)fundamental research – macroeconomic and financial modeling, at macro-, meso- and microeconomic levels; (b)Policy evaluation; (c) empirical studies and surveys – determinants of household behavior, studies and research on sustainable development and eco-economy/bioeconomy, development and impact of biotechnologies. It will be involved in T1.2, T1.4, T3.4, T5.1, T5.2, T5.3, T5.4, T5.5.
Website: ipe.ro
Established in 1321, the University of Florence (UNIFI) is one of the largest institutions in Italy with about 55,000 students, 1,700 teaching and research staff, 1,400 technical and administrative staff, and 1,600 PhD students and fellows. UNIFI has 21 different departments, offering about 40 research, knowledge-transfer, and advanced training centers. The team from UNIFI is mainly composed of two different research groups: the Sustainable Energy Research Group and Psychology of Sustainability group.The first group has extensive experience in energy-related topics, particularly in renewable energy, and has developed strong expertise in sustainability through life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC).The second is specialised in raising consciousness about SDGs in terms of Interest, Motivation and Self-Efficacy. This is a recommended practice to interface with local communities.
Website: www.unifi.it
ENCO is an innovative consulting firm specialized in providing services and support to private companies and research centers in the entire cycle of the Innovation Management. ENCO assists its clients with highly specialized services in R&I projects, providing tailor made support and guidance from the proposal development to the project implementation: securing funds, communication, dissemination, exploitation, marketing, business development and LCA.
As a partner in the ManuREfinery project, ENCO is actively involved across several integral tasks focusing on fostering stakeholder engagement, conducting market analysis, developing business models, and driving innovation management. ENCO is leading the market analysis for biorefineries and bio-based products, pinpointing market opportunities for ManuREfinery’s bioingredients and bioproducts across the EU, as well as formulating the Plan for Exploitation of Key Results, ensuring that ManuREfinery’s innovative technologies are poised for successful market entry. Lastly, ENCO heads the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Management team, safeguarding intellectual property and driving eco-innovation to maintain competitive advantages.
Additionally, ENCO will collaborate with INEUVO and BIOEAST to identify synergies among local rural stakeholders, supporting consultation and dialogue on cross-sectoral challenges in bio-based innovations. ENCO will also contribute to building a sustainable business model to scale ManuREfinery solutions.
Website: www.enco-consulting.it
Wagralim is the agri-food Innovation Cluster of Wallonia (Belgium). It supports the development and competitiveness of companies in the agri-food sector by fostering innovation, collaboration, and internationalisation. Wagralim connects businesses, research centers, universities, and public institutions to stimulate the creation of value-added products and sustainable food solutions.
Its key focus areas include health and nutrition, sustainable processes, industrial efficiency, and traceability. Wagralim also helps companies access funding, develop R&D projects, and enter international markets. By bringing together key players in the agri-food ecosystem, Wagralim contributes to making Wallonia a leader in food innovation.Wagralim is responsible for fostering synergies with other projects to enhance their overall impact. The cluster also contributes to shaping strategic approaches for development in rural regions.
Website: www.wagralim.be
INEUVO is an SME specializing in scale-up engineering and enterprise solutions for advanced and sustainable manufacturing. The company focuses on resource-efficient production in areas such as clean energy, biofuels, and bio-based products for the food, feed, cosmetics, and packaging sectors. It provides services including plant design, engineering, feasibility studies, process optimisation, techno-economic analysis, and project management. In the ManuREfinery project, INEUVO has a business, deployment, and exploitation-oriented role. It leads the development of deployment strategies for rural areas, coordinates stakeholder engagement activities, and leads the preparation of business models and business plans for scalability and replication. INEUVO also supports exploitation and innovation-related activities and leads the project’s data management and ethics task.
Website: ineuvo.com