This multi-country network accelerates the growth of the bio-based economy by providing financial, technological, training, networking and policy support to innovative enterprises in North West Europe.
- 23 November 2015
A client asked me to develop a new double extraction process but to make sure that it worked well before making an extra investment of about EUR 1 000 000. We needed to test the process on a semi-industrial scale. At the moment Eco Treasures are at the point of signing a contract of several hundreds of thousands of euros which represents a doubling or tripling of our annual turnover, allowing us to recruit 7 new employees.
Bio Base NWE is a network representing leading bio-based economy experts which advises entrepreneurs across North West Europe on how to develop new, marketable, bio-based products and processes. In its first two years, the network worked with 515 stakeholders by providing technical expertise, funding advice and networking opportunities. It also collected testimonials of the hurdles small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face.
Bio Base NWE provides financial support to SMEs to perform proof-of-concept studies and demonstrate innovative technologies at the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, an independent, state-of-the-art demonstration facility in Ghent, Belgium. In its first two years, 20 vouchers worth EUR 10 000 to EUR 30 000 were allocated to SMEs to use the test centre.
Bio-based products can replace non-renewable sources in the production of detergents, plastics, solvents, chemicals, fuels, and more. They offer opportunities to SMEs in areas including agro-industry, paper and pulp, and pharma.
Bridging the ‘R&D to commercialisation’ gap
Many SMEs in the bio-based sector find it difficult to bridge the gap between the R&D phase with newly developed technology and the commercial market with full-scale production. It requires investments in equipment, finding the right partners and time. Pilot plants can help by testing new concepts, but most SMEs do not have access to such facilities or they are simply too expensive.
Bio Base NWE’s aims to advise on feasibility studies, market analysis, investment scenarios, training programmes to help tackle the shortage of skilled professionals, as well as funding to use the pilot facilities in Ghent.
North West Europe leading bio-based growth
The project’s overall goal is to support the development of North West Europe as a leading region in the bio-based economy by facilitating innovation and business development in SMEs.
To help achieve this, project partners have held nine matchmaking events for companies and knowledge centres in the Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Germany and Ireland, attracting over 700 participants. Partners also represents the needs of SMEs in the implementation of the EU’s bio-economy strategy by participating in the Bio Industries Consortium.
The Bio Base NWE partnership consists of seven key players in the sector: Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (Belgium), Bio Base Europe Training Centre (Netherlands), Cluster Industrielle Biotechnology (Germany), Ghent Bio Economy Valley (Belgium), National Non-Food Crop Centre (UK), REWIN (Netherlands), and Technology Centre for Biorefining and Bioenergy (Ireland).
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Bio Base NWE” is EUR 6 149 175, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 3 074 588 from the North West Europe (NWE) Operational Programme for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.