The project partners have collected about 2000 actors in the Alpine space and identified more than 225 potential biolinks. These biolinks are business opportunities based on ideas for new biobased value creation. In order to verify whether these value chains are workable, the project partners have brought together relevant companies located in the Alpine space in so-called “piloting sessions”. In these well prepared exclusive online sessions the matched companies were able to discuss the viability of the business idea, its chances of success and issues crucial to a potential business cooperation.
One potential biolink was identified by the project partners of Chemie-Cluster Bayern, CSALP-University of Tuscia and Trentino Hub Innovation. In Trento, about 80 percent of the residues from forestry and sawmills, such as sawdust and wood chips, are used for energy purposes only. Therefore, the biolink idea is to further process the material in order to add higher value to this biomass. The German company LXP Group has established a process, where biomass is processed to separate cellulosic and lignin fractions. The LX-process creates no wast streams and a switch between biomass (e.g. wood chips to grass) is possible from one day to the next. The cellulose and lignin can be further converted into chemicals and high added value products. A possible strategic partnership between the suppliers of biomass in Trento (together with local chambers of commerce and the national ministry for agriculture) and the processor LXP in Germany was discussed in a “piloting session”.
The participants found the biolink, feasible and are now evaluating possible cooperation. In order to avoid long transportation routes and to reduce carbon emissions, the building of a new LX-process plant in Trento could be an option. Currently the biomass of the Trento region is tested by LXP.
In addition to the above explained biolink, the project partnership is currently working on more than 30 other company matches in order to promote biobased value creation. Furthermore, project partners are creating videos that explain the individual biolinks in further detail.
About the project:
The project AlpLinkBioEco promotes the sustainable, regional development in the Alpine space. It is funded with two million euro by the Interreg-Alpine Space 2012-2020 programme. The duration of the project is three years and will end in 2021. AlpLinkBioEco develops a strategy for a biobased circular economy beyond regional borders. The value chain generator, a digital tool developed within the project will generate and help to realise new, cross-sectoral value chains in the four industries wood, packaging, agriculture, and chemistry.
