The second day of the Bio4Circularity (B4C) Network Kick-off Meeting was held on 3rd April 2025 at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) campus in Bergedorf. The first half of the day saw a series of introductions, not just from the team working behind B4C Network, but also from the premium members.
Dr. Jelena Barbir started the program with a warm welcome to all the members, followed by an introduction of the interdisciplinary B4C Team, each bringing along unique skills and capacities. Her presentation also gave an overview of the mission of the B4C Network and introduced its premium members.
The presentation series was then carried forward by the premium members, namely meKreo Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Prospex Institute, Cranfield University, Food Scale Hub, TICASS, University of Bologna (UNIBO), YAGHMA, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC). These presentations gave in-depth insights into their ongoing projects, while also highlighting past successes.
The areas of research carried out by the members included several innovative areas, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) by YAGHMA, value chain analysis, digital transformation and entrepreneurship by UNIBO, water treatment, bio-materials, industrial symbiosis, renewable energies and blue and green hydrogen production by TICASS. The core focus area of TalTech is the green transition, while Prospex Institute places a high value on driving stakeholder engagement. Meanwhile, MMU is heavily engaged in the areas of additive manufacturing electrochemistry, recycling, seaweed-derived biopolymers etc. MeKreo’s work focuses on sustainable and biodegradable materials, while KTU’s expertise spans multiple dimensions of environmental assessment and sustainability, including Life Cycle Assessment, carbon management, circularity, impact assessment etc. Food Scale Hub’s focus lies heavily on the Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystem nexus, while Cranfield University’s current research focus are in areas of cellulose fibres, nano fibres etc. CSIC also presented their interesting work in the areas of farming innovations using robotics.
The partner presentations were met with great interest and enthusiasm, followed by a lively Q&A round – several questions were posed and clarifications given. These in-depth discussions paved the way for future collaborations in the areas of project proposals, scientific publications and events. The outcomes of these discussions will be outlined in the next post, so watch this space!
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