BIOPOLY Cluster
The BIOPOLY Cluster unites four EU-funded projects — POLYMEER, BIOPYRANIA, FURIOUS, and POLYMERS-5B — under a shared mission to accelerate innovation in sustainable, bio-based polymers.
Aligned with the European Commission’s expectations for collaboration under the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), the cluster fosters the creation of synergies and knowledge exchange to maximise the impact of research and dissemination efforts.
Objectives
Through this collaboration, the cluster aims to:
01
Exchange best practices and research insights to ensure faster learning and progress across projects.
02
Enhance the visibility and impact of results through joint dissemination, shared events, and cross-promotion.
03
Promote sustainability and innovation in polymer science, focusing on circularity, advanced materials, and bio-based feedstocks.
Projects
POLYMEER aims to establish a sustainable bio-based value chain for bioplastic products, using brewers’ spent grain (BSG) as feedstock. With a focus on agricultural films, brewery tertiary packaging, and automotive textiles, the project involves designing bioplastics that are recyclable and/or biodegradable.
BIOPYRANIA aims to produce new classes of polyamides (PA) and polybenzimidazoles (PBI) from bio-based aromatic monomers, synthesised from amino acids obtained from second-generation woody biomass.
The goal is to provide high-performance, environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuel products, responding to growing industry demands and European sustainability regulations. The new polymers will help to reduce dependence on fossil resources in strategic sectors such as electric mobility and clean hydrogen.
FURIOUS brings together research organisations, universities, and industrial partners from across Europe to develop a new generation of high-performance, bio-based polymers derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as sustainable alternatives to fossil-based plastics.
The project focuses on three industrial sectors with particularly stringent material demands: biomedical and electronic packaging, the automotive sector, and underwater devices.
POLYMERS-5B aims to develop novel, alternative bio-based polymers synthesised from bio-based monomers (diacids, diols, diamines, hydroxyacids, amino acids, aromatic and phenolic compounds, fatty acids, oils and furans), sourced from under-exploited second-generation feedstocks such as agri-food waste (tomato and olive waste) and biomass (wood pulp and lignin derivatives), in accordance with the ‘food first’ and ‘cascading’ principles.
Joint activities
Cluster activities include co-hosted webinars, shared conference sessions, joint communication campaigns, and regular coordination meetings. The cluster welcomes partnerships with other relevant EU projects, embracing an open and collaborative spirit to broaden its impact and reach.
From Waste to Performance: Designing Bio-Based Polymers for Real Applications
Introducing the BIOPOLY Cluster: Accelerating Innovation in Bio-Based Polymers