Olive mill and pomace oil extraction plant owners are our suppliers of Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW), a second-generation feedstock.
  Producers and manufacturers of bioplastics, including PHA, are potential customers. Plastic producers and manufacturers are expected to make the transition towards bioplastics but not immediately. Innovators will be the ones to take the lead in this shift.
  Engagement with investors is vital in capitalizing on sustainability trends in investments and making them understand the big opportunities for a good return on investment (ROI).
  The general public's choices influence market shifts towards bioplastics. Their support will act as a “domino effect” towards a swift and efficient transition, benefiting the environment, the industry and themselves.
  Collaboration with environmentally-oriented NGOs and national agencies supports environmental goals and aligns with current policy-making efforts.
  Multiple sectors, including medical, food, automotive, 3D printing, and agriculture, offer diverse applications for PHA. For example, the medical sector is benefiting from the fact that PHAs are 100% biosynthesized and non-toxic, making them ideal for being used for implants, scaffolds etc.
  We anticipate that tax policies, bans, subsidies, and other measures will be imposed by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, promoting the proliferation of plastic alternatives. Furthermore, the pressing issue of OMW is a substantial concern in our country, further enhancing the appeal of our project.
  The success of our project depends on the collective efforts of our team members.
  Conversations with Qlab (member of Ergoplanning’s network) resulted in a letter of support in regard to our system being implemented in biogas plants [7-19].

Olive Mill Wastewater Management Strategies in Mediterranean Countries

  Our questionnaire received a total of 15 responses, with the following breakdown by geographical origin: 47% from Italy, 40% from Greece, and 13% from Spain, as seen below:



  Understanding the type of olive oil mill is crucial for us because it influences the kind of waste produced and, subsequently, the management practices employed. Approximately half of the oil producers operate in 3-phase olive oil mills, while the remaining half operates in 2-phase olive oil mills. None of the producers were involved in olive pomace oil mills.



  The annual production volume of OMW appeared to exhibit significant variation among producers, ranging from a minimum of 150 cubic meters per year to a maximum of approximately 9000 cubic meters per year. This variation highlighted the diverse sizes of the facilities we surveyed. Notably, we observed that facility size did not show a correlation with the country of operation, as both Italian and Greek olive oil mills seemed to produce substantial amounts of OMW annually.



  As depicted in the data below, nearly 70% of olive oil mill owners opted to dispose OMW into evaporation ponds. This finding aligns with the prevalent information available in scientific literature and was an anticipated outcome for us. However, it's intriguing to observe that certain individuals have devised alternative approaches for OMW disposal. These methods include its utilization in plant fertigation, transfer to other facilities for biogas production, and, finally, transportation to specialized waste processing centers.



  The majority of producers, approximately 45%, considered their current OMW management methods to lack cost-efficiency. A substantial number of respondents mentioned that cost-effectiveness depended on the season. We infer that this reliance on seasonality is likely tied to the OMW volume a facility has to handle during the peak season, which typically spans 4-5 months when an olive oil mill operates at its maximum capacity.



  All the producers surveyed answered unanimously that there is no assistance provided by the public sector in OMW management.



  Around half of the participants answered that they receive help in managing OMW by private companies.



  Most of the producers stated that they would be interested in a company that collects OMW on site, highlighting the market gap that our team can take advantage of.



  An interesting fact that shaped our decision-making process, regarding our revenue streams, was that none of the participants would be willing to pay for an OMW collection service.

The PESTEL analysis highlights crucial factors affecting our project:

Politically: There's a shift towards sustainability with potential grants and plastic bans favoring bioplastics like PHA.

Economically: Fossil fuel and feedstock prices influence competitiveness by altering the cost-benefit ratio.

Socially: Growing social awareness and support for sustainability initiatives are encouraging, though plastic waste remains a concern. Additionally, another social concern pertains to the conflict between food/feed and biomaterials. Fortunately, OMW, being a second-generation waste, does not contribute to this conflict.

Technologically: advancements hold promise for PHA cost-effectiveness. Optimization, prediction models and Next-Generation-Industrial-Biotechnology are a big part of PHA’s production cost reduction.

Environmentally: factors underscore the urgency of sustainable alternatives, aligning with corporate social responsibility trends.

Legally: considerations, including waste management regulations, further favor our business plan implementation and shape our operations [20-44].

  Our SWOT analysis underscores that PHA production can be expensive and poses challenges, but our commitment to developing a cost-effective system and the success of bigger players, like Danimer Scientific, highlight the market potential of our solution. While we recognize weaknesses in expertise, capital, and technology readiness (TRL 2), we have proactively sought collaborations, and feedback from experts (see the “Kenotolmo” competition for more info), while conducting our market research.
  Through oPHAelia, we aspire to provide a solution in order to surpass the current limitations due to costs in PHA production. A substantial part of these production costs (up to 50%), stems from feedstock expenses alone. Utilizing OMW gives us a competitive advantage on that aspect, because it offers us a sustainable, low-cost, and on-demand feedstock sourcing.
  Synthetic biology introduces efficiency in our system. A good example is our WET LAB’s induced lysozyme-based lysis system (See Design) which aims at a more efficient and affordable PHA recovery, when downstream processing corresponds to 30% of the production costs.
  Producing mcl-PHA in contrast to the more common scl-PHA is another competitive advantage, because of their significantly different properties.
  By utilizing OMW, oPHAelia addresses a longstanding problem in Greece and the Mediterranean region. Given the increasing focus on sustainable policies, oPHAelia's approach to OMW utilization positions it as an attractive candidate for subsidies.
  We do face competition in the growing PHA market, and financial challenges in Greece could affect us. However, we also identify opportunities in sustainability policymaking, regulatory framework, trends, the expanding bioplastic market, 3D printing development, the shift from fossil fuels, technology and research advancements, and a significant market gap in Greece (and the Balkan region).
  To our knowledge, there is currently no company or startup with plans to commercialize PHAs in Greece, highlighting a unique opportunity for our project in the Greek market [60-67].

  PLA corresponds to the highest percentage of the bioplastics market (13.9%) with PHA being further down the list (1.2%). We attempted to create a small comparison between these biomaterials to indicate the beneficial characteristics of PHA and why we imply that PHAs have the capability to compete with the current leader of the bioplastics market - PLA.



  PLA today is predominantly produced from carbohydrate rich crops i.e. food crops and there is no sufficient research on waste valorization towards PLA production, especially when considering a viable one.
  Interestingly, to our knowledge, there is no specific research on utilizing OMW for PLA production.
  PHAs have a far greater monomer diversity (>150), compared to PLA (lactic acid and lactide), which makes PHAs highly advantageous in terms of quantity and quality of the resultant properties, and thus possible applications.
  PLA has no or very low degradability in the natural environment at room temperature and requires a high temperature, which is beyond the limits of the natural environment.
  PLA is compostable rather than biodegradable in the natural environment. Like the majority of petroleum-based plastics, polylactic acid will be fragmented by mechanical weathering and due to uncommon microorganisms for polylactic acid degradation and assimilation, these fragments will turn to microplastics.
  PHAs have the ability to be transformed into water and carbon dioxide if oxygen is present. They can also be transformed into methane under anaerobic conditions, via microorganisms present in water and soil. No harmful end products or intermediates are produced.
  They are biodegraded by various marine microbes in a wide range of marine environments, including coastal, shallow-water, and deep-sea environments.
  Although only PHB have been FDA-approved for medical applications to date, their proven favorable properties (immunologically inert, biocompatible, rapid tissue ingrowth, bioresorbable, slow biodegradable tissue scaffolds), as well as a large number of promising studies with other PHAs, justifies the trust in an optimistic outlook regarding the development of these biopolymers.
  In general, the FDA (food AND DRUG administration) has approved PLA to make contact with biological fluids and it is mentioned that adverse reactions or foreign body response to PLA are extremely rare. Despite that, through our research, we have found some speculations of side effects and toxicity concerns.
  PHA viability issues remain, due to higher costs of production than PLA, until Synthetic Biology, Next Generation Industrial Biotechnology and economies of scale turn the tides [68-82].

Danimer Scientific (US)


  Danimer Scientific , makes PHA (including medium chain length) using oils derived from the seeds of plants such as canola and soy. The result is plastic pellets. Our competitive advantage is the use of Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW). Our feedstock utilization contributes to zero waste policy and does not add to the food-biomaterials conflict, while Danimer Scientific’s feedstock (canola oil) does.

PolyFerm Canada - TerraVerdae Bioworks (Canada)



  TerraVerdae Bioworks has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire 100% of the equity of PolyFerm Canada. PolyFerm Canada was commercializing mcl-PHA as irregular pieces, pellets, and latex. In 2016, PolyFerm Canada licensed its technology to TerraVerdae Bioproducts, an industrial biotechnology company developing advanced bioplastics and biomaterials from C1-feedstocks while also having a synthetic biology platform. It is not certain if TerraVerdae will continue the mcl-PHA production or produce them in pellet form, because currently they produce powder, filament, nano PHA particles, and elastomeric PHA. If they don’t continue the mcl-PHA or don’t keep the pellet form, we will have the competitive advantage.

Tianan Biologic Materials Co. (CHINA)


  The company focuses on P(3HB-co-3HV) copolyester production. Two of its products are ENMAT Y1000P and ENMAT Y3000P (PHBV and PHB pellets, respectively). Their PHA is made using cassava starch as the raw material. Our competitive advantages are the use of SynBio, and our feedstock. We use a cost free waste whereas Tianan uses cassava starch which again adds to the food-biomaterials conflict.

Yield 10 (Canada)


  Yield10 is Metabolix’s successor company that produces PHB. It uses camelina seeds for PHA production, oils for nutrition etc. It also uses advanced genetic engineering and synthetic biology techniques. We would assume that we have an advantage, because we utilize OMW while they exploit camelina seeds, adding to the food-biomaterials conflict. However, that statement would not be valid, because they have an efficient way of mitigating their drawback by utilizing their feedstock towards the production of both PHA and omega-3 oil for nutrition. As a result, our competitive advantage is our mcl-PHA.

Phabuilder (China)


  Phabuilder, a synthetic biology company, states that in their new factory they will be able to use non-food feedstock to produce various types of biodegradable polymer PHA, including mcl-PHA (PHB, P34HB, P34HBHV, PHBHHx, PHB5HV, P3HP3HB) under next generation industrial biotechnology (NGIB) technology. They utilize second generation feedstock such as stalks and kitchen waste. One of their products is “PHAlife” (PB3400G) and is in pellet form. We observe that we share similar disciplines. We would have to research further their processes in order to find where we have the advantage. For example, our downstream process could be more cost-efficient due to our autolysis-lysozyme system for the extraction step.

Bioextrax (Sweden)


  The company was founded in 2014 and is consistently working to develop innovative and green solutions based on microbiology. They state that the unique features of Bioextrax technology can work with all PHA producing bacteria and with all PHA types. More specifically, they have developed a unique and GMO-free process which increases the conversion rate between sucrose and PHA, allowing for a significantly lower production cost for PHA.
  In addition, they have developed and patented a biological extraction method. To summarize briefly, Bioextrax provides licenses for their technologies related to PHA biopolymer extraction and PHA production from sucrose. This leaves us in a favorable position, as it remains uncertain whether they will proceed with their own PHA production, giving us a substantial advantage in terms of scope. Moreover, their suggestion of using sucrose as a feedstock does not offer a more cost-efficient alternative compared to OMW. Additionally, sucrose falls into the category of first-generation feedstocks, in contrast to ours, which is a second-generation feedstock, thereby accentuating the conflict between biomaterials and food resources.

Genecis (Canada)


  Genecis quote in their website; “Our process is lower in cost and emissions than competing bioplastics producers because we use organic waste (such as food waste) as a feedstock.” They produce PHBV (many times it is considered a mcl-PHA), they are considering pellet production and are developing a synthetic biology platform.
  Although we have a lot of common areas, maybe we have an advantage in terms of sourcing. We will establish certain channels with our olive oil and pomace oil producers, securing an “on demand” sourcing. In contrast we do not know if their organic waste will be available whenever they need it. More importantly, feedstock plays a crucial role in the end product itself [3], which means that if their feedstock is not more defined in terms of physicochemical characteristics, their products might not have a standard quality.

Paques biomaterials (Netherlands)


  Paques biomaterials uses natural bacteria and processes to produce biodegradable PHBV (sometimes it is considered a mcl-PHA) biopolymer, using organic material. They have a mixed culture approach and use green solvents. Their product is called Caleyda. We are not aware if they plan to sell it as pellets. Our competitive advantage is the use of synthetic biology, which helps systems become more efficient and safe.

Mango Materials (US)


  They produce P3HB and one of their products is YOPP PHA Pellets. They are using waste methane gas as feedstock and methanotrophs which currently are not genetically modified. That leaves us with two competitive advantages; MCL-PHA product vs the more common SCL-PHA and the use of synthetic biology.

Bluepha (China)


  In the context of “Next Generation Industrial Biotechnology”, the Chinese company Bluepha uses a recombinant strain of a soil bacterium obtained by means of synthetic biology for production of P(3HB-co-3HHx); medium chain length PHA. According to the company, “alternative carbon sources” such as crops and kitchen waste are used as substrates for the cultivation, which is carried out in seawater. Their product is sold as pellets.
  We observe a similar approach in terms of waste valorization and use of synthetic biology and pellet product form. Hence, we cannot draw conclusions about possible advantages. Bluepha, having some of its members participated in iGEM acts as an exemplar since the first steps of our project.

Customer Segments: We focus on a niche and segmented market, targeting specific customers like bioplastic/plastic producers and manufacturers, plus 3D printing companies that operate specialized machinery. We assist them by selling MCL-PHA pellets, which will be competitively priced, readily processable, and ideal for blending with other materials, such as SCL-PHAs or PLA, yielding new properties and market opportunities.

Value Proposition: Our key value propositions include utilizing olive mill waste as feedstock, employing synthetic biology for efficient PHA production, offering MCL-PHA with unique properties and versatile application possibilities, all of which will be “encapsulated” in our pellets, ensuring ease of use and environmental friendliness.

Distribution Channels: We plan to raise awareness through expos and conferences, offer product samples for evaluation, and maintain standard communication channels like a website, email, and phone line. Transportation channels will be established to ensure our products reach their destinations efficiently. In addition, the OMW will be transferred from the olive oil mills to our facility when needed.

Customer Relationship: We maintain ongoing relationships with customers, collaborate on R&D synergies, offer additional benefits to valued customers, communicate the essence of oPHAelia effectively, and focus on building trust-based partnerships.

Revenue Streams: Our revenue comes from transaction-based sales, project revenue, government grants and subsidies, crowdfunding and donations, and revenue from business partnerships and licensing agreements.

Key Resources: Key resources include facilities, equipment, tech and market knowledge, IP, financial capital, partnerships, and our wet design. However, the most important resource is the people’s willingness to make oPHAelia possible. Our team members’ efforts, and with the guidance of our PIs and advisors, coupled with feedback from stakeholders and experts, are all key resources for the development of oPHAelia.

Key Activities: MCL-PHA production and scaling up, RnD, including an iterative process (Try-Build-Test-Review), market research, and fundraising will be the main activities. More specifically, RnD will play a key role, particularly in our efforts to leverage additional waste materials for PHA production and experimentation to diversify our product offerings (e.g., SCL-PHAs). Scale-up, a critical aspect of our venture, presents challenges and requires substantial time and resources, especially in the PHA industry. On the other hand, it promises increased competitiveness through economies of scale.

Key Partners: Our key partners include feedstock suppliers (Olive Mill Owners and Pomace Oil Extraction Plant Owners), our university, industry associations, entities for strategic alliances, and our customers who should be viewed as partners. B2B transactions rely heavily on genuine customer relationships.

Cost Structure: Production, RnD, and Investment costs will be our core sources of cost. Although conducting a cost breakdown analysis is not feasible due to our venture’s stage, this BMC segment prompts us to consider our sources of cost and research on expenditures. This exercise helps us understand which investments and decisions are worth pursuing, given the associated risks and resource commitments [86-89].

Phase 1 (10 + ½ Months): Our first milestone: iGEM Jamboree! It will be a great honor and a big opportunity for us to present our project - oPHAelia.

Phase 2 (6 + ⅓ Months): Nothing stops at iGEM. Having acquired all this experience and knowledge, we are confident in pursuing the realization of oPHAelia. Our initial tasks are the completion of our proof of concept in order to reach a TRL 3, while finding the resources and funding to achieve it.

Phase 3 (6 Months): After completing our proof of concept in a flask scale, we will proceed with the acquisition of lab bioreactors to test our system at a larger scale and document any interplay with our system. In addition, this phase is an opportunity for a second attempt of being funded. We are already in discussions on entering the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit of our University.

Phase 4 (12 Months): This will be a very exciting and really important phase for the future of oPHAelia. Pilot scale stage will determine the “Go” or “No Go” of our venture. It requires many and a large variety of resources in order to take place. Synergies and the introduction of new team members will play a major role. Overall, the stakes of failure are high but if succeed in reaching our goals, important opportunities will emerge.

Phase 5 (12 Months): This is the time to approach our first customers. By the end of this phase, we will have our first products – PHA pellets.

  Since as a team, we are in the early stages of familiarizing ourselves with the PHA industry, we aren't yet able to provide precise cost estimates for the commercialization of our products, as this process demands an extensive market analysis to assess the best value chain for our PHA.
  Also, before reaching this stage of scaling up our PHA, several preliminary steps need to be done, as outlined in our Milestones for the next 2 years. Following our participation in the iGEM competition, we plan to continue with experiments to establish our proof-of-concept, enhance the biosafety of our system, and conduct experiments aimed at identifying the best downstream processes and fermentation conditions. These efforts collectively contribute to advancing our Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
  Our team has estimated the associated costs for these crucial processes in the following section.



  So, through these estimations, we can assess that our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) would be approximately 22,000€.
  Once we achieve the outlined milestones, we anticipate reaching a TRL of approximately 5, deeming us ready for the pilot phase. Estimating costs for this phase proves challenging since it depends on our RnD, and also potential partnerships or synergies formed during this critical stage.
  More specifically, to thoroughly evaluate the economic aspects of our OMW-to-PHA production process it is essential to conduct a techno-economic analysis (TEA). More specifically, according to Andhalkar et al., (2023):

  “A TEA is a method of assessment that allows researchers and industries to evaluate the costs and profits of a certain biorefinery or plant run with specific process kinetics. In this regard, cost analysis is done to gauge the costs associated with raw materials, equipment, utility, product selling price, profit analysis, and the economy of the process.”

  Recognizing the complex and innovative nature of our approach, and our strengths and weaknesses, we have taken a proactive approach to prepare a preliminary TEA. Drawing inspiration from the TEA provided by the WOW project and the engineering principles. Since the engineering circle is primarily designed for technical problem-solving, its systematic and structured approach can be adapted and applied to our economic assessment to help us ensure that the end product meets the initial expectations and that the development process is efficient in terms of money, time, and resources used.



  This initial TEA which is available on our business plan serves as a starting point, demonstrating our intent to delve into cost analysis as we progress further with oPHAelia, aiming for greater precision and comprehensiveness in our economic assessments in the future. All in all, our current focus, as emphasized by experts in the mini-acceleration program we're part of, is to estimate the costs we need to progress to the next phases, which is the money needed for our MVP: 22,000 euros [111-112].

Possible Safety - Toxicity issues due to blended products

  To date, the byproducts of PHA have not been shown to have any toxic effects on the surrounding environment, including soil, marine seabeds or even the human body. Considerations still emerge due to blending of PHA with other (bio)plastics, plasticizers etc. For example, a comparison study with conventional plastics indicated that bioplastics and plant-based materials can be similarly toxic.
  Mitigation steps could be product safety assessments, integrating chemical toxicity into the life cycle assessment of materials and using a more green chemistry approach for the production of biobased materials. We would synergize with customers that take safety into high consideration when producing / manufacturing their products.

Misconception about throwing out bioplastic products

  Understanding the truths about biodegradable plastics will provide support for the progressive substitution of conventional plastics with biodegradable plastics.
  The first step toward the correct use of bioplastics is public awareness campaigns regarding the terms “biodegradable” and “eco-friendly”. Miscommunication and misconception of the term biodegradable causes mismanagement of bioplastics by the public and leads to more littering. In the long run, rather than trying to find more materials that can easily degrade, we also need to change our consumerism habits and the rampant use of single use and disposable items. It is also important that companies take responsibility for how they dispose of their toxic wastes. Luckily, PHA-based bioplastics are biodegradable in all indicated environments. Nevertheless, littering should never be encouraged. Possible mitigation steps would be to organize educational campaigns and make sure that our customers do not encourage littering actions or make use of greenwashing practices.

Recycling system issues

  Both petrol- and bio-based plastics will coexist in the production of sustainable and cost-effective materials for a long time to come. Thus, the increased use of bioplastics may have serious implications for the recycled plastics industry. Conventional plastics recycling operations are already well established. However, the introduction of bioplastics to the market has created a number of issues that need to be addressed. One important question concerns the potential risk of contamination of the collected conventional plastics. In addition, there are concerns about the cost of separation, yield loss and impact on recycled materials quality and processing. Another important issue is to develop technologically viable, effective, efficient and economical recovery systems and end markets for postconsumer bio-based materials without jeopardizing the existing recycling systems.
  PHA disintegration and biodegradation occur through microbial processes, meaning that it can be easily integrated into industrial composters as well as home composting systems. PHAs may also be degraded in aerobic lagoon water treatment systems since PHA is also degradable in water. This also means that separation of PHA and biowastes need not be as stringent as in the case of other bioplastics, which could reduce the need for separate bins and composting systems. Even in landfills, their degradation would still occur in anaerobic conditions, albeit a lot slower. Moreover, PHA can be disposed into anaerobic wastewater treatment digesters since the activated sludge contains microbes that are capable of degrading the polymer. In this manner, the disposal of PHA can be integrated into already existing disposal systems.
  On the other hand, recycling of some PHAs like P(3HB) may not be feasible since it is not very stable at high temperatures, and may be difficult to isolate if mixed with PET and other conventional plastics in recycling units.
  Mitigation is restricted to encouraging and putting pressure on the development of recycling systems for both bioplastics and plastics [116-121].

  Our team participated in the annual entrepreneurship competition called "Kenotolmo," ("Dare to Innovate"), organized by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit (IEU) of the University of Thessaly. Its primary aim is to develop skills and promote entrepreneurial initiatives among members of the academic community at the University of Thessaly.

  During the competition, student teams were invited to showcase their entrepreneurial ideas and engage in various educational activities. On the final day of the competition, we presented our 5-minute pitch deck to the competition committee with the idea we had at the beginning of our iGEM journey.
  At that time, our approach for collecting and detoxifying olive mill wastewater (OMW) involved a portable processing unit featuring a bioreactor designed for detoxification. However, during our presentation to the competition committee, we received feedback and questions. They expressed concerns about our proposal to use the liquid fraction of OMW as a fertilizer, considering it risky and unrealistic for commercialization. They also raised doubts about the concept of a mobile detoxification unit, citing practical and safety challenges. As a result, we decided to explore alternative approaches.

We received valuable insights from mentors during the competition:
  Mr. Konstantinos Lafkas, Initiator at ExO Greece, Board Member a FEAC Engineering, PartnerPartner at UniFund, and Scale-Up Coach recognized the untapped potential in our waste-focused venture, particularly within Greece's dynamic food industry. Mr. Lafkas emphasized market disruption through innovative ideas and cutting-edge technologies and suggested that we should not only focus on three-phase mills but also on two-phase mills and subsequently on olive pomace oil factories.
  Lastly,he suggested that our communication should be focused on the wider region of Thessaly and subsequently extended to a nationwide level, while also we should carry out in-depth research on the potential market of interest; we should contact countries that have a strong presence in the olive oil sector (Italy and Spain). This guidance later sparked a sequence of questionnaires and extensive research within our fellow Mediterranean countries (see our questionnaires), which is presented in our stakeholder analysis earlier in this page.
  Mr. Athanasios-Antonios Leontaris, Lawyer-Legal Advisor at Ratio Legal Services and Industry Fellow at the University of Nicosia focused on repurposing OMW; he stressed the importance of robust contracts for partnerships with olive oil producers to ensure the sustainable use of our detoxified product as fertilizer. He also highlighted the need to protect intellectual property rights as we venture into bioplastics production.
  Mr. George Pilpilidis, Co-founder & CEO at Kleesto and Chief Executive Officer at Hopwave, focused on defining the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) and identifying specific pain points addressed by our product in repurposing OMW. His mentoring provided a roadmap to refine our business idea, ensuring its practicality and relevance in our entrepreneurial journey.

Some of the thematics that were discussed during these days:

European report on Bioeconomy Strategy (2022)

What we highlighted as extra important:

  National bioeconomy strategies are being increased, which is good because it is possible that our government will support research and projects like oPHAelia and give subsidies or reduce certain costs.
  Public sector’s participation in research and innovation is encouraging and universities will play a major role in bridging the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge.
  A lot more attention is going to be given in biomass holistic and efficient usage.
  Bio-based approaches are being advanced due to research, innovation and investments. Now is a good time for us to seek funding.
  The EU bioeconomy strategy will be further encouraged in the framework of the EU Green Deal. The macro environment is suitable for our projects development.

Bioeconomy Strategy – EU regions (GR)

What we highlighted as extra important:

  Greece does not have a dedicated bioeconomy strategy. However: Greek National Action Plan on Circular Economy (2021) and National Waste Management Plan do exist.
  At a regional level, Thessaly mentions the circular economy as an important element - but with no specific plan or strategy at present.
  There are only 2 Greek regions with a bioeconomy strategy (Central Macedonia and Crete). Ideally, we would like our region (Thessaly) to attain such a strategy and us to become one of the key actors.
  We understood that on a National level, the concept of bioeconomy is still immature and through further research we verified our assumptions that our educational level in these aspects is quite low. These data helped us enrich our PESTEL and Stakeholder analysis.

Trends in the EU Bioeconomy (2023)

  What we highlighted as extra important:

  There are 5 objectives that a sustainable and circular EU bioeconomy should achieve (1. Ensuring food and nutrition security, 2. managing natural resources sustainably, 3. Reducing dependence on non-renewable, unsustainable resources, 4. Mitigating and adapting to climate change, 5. Strengthening European competitiveness and creating jobs. We believe that oPHAelia covers most of the aforementioned aspects.
  Reuse of biomass is important. This is why we try to find ways to reuse any waste that could be created during industrial processes. More specifically we intend to utilize our residual biomass towards biogas production to cover some of the needs of our future facility.
  Luckily there are job openings because of the growth of the bioeconomy sector (see figure below). This is something that would be extremely useful for our nation due to financial instability and unemployment rates.



  Communication campaigns for circular economy / bioeconomy awareness are needed: Citizens have not been dominant voices in the EU bioeconomy scene. We understood the importance and responsibility that we have as a team to inform our community about all the possibilities of a more circular approach and the benefits of a bioeconomy strategy.

[1] IOOC. International Olive Oil Council. https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/
[2] Kokkinidis, T. World Environment Day: Plastic Pollution Threatens Marine Life in Greece. Greek Reporter. https://greekreporter.com/2023/06/05/world-environment-day-plastic-pollution-marine-life-greece/ (accessed 2023-06-18).
[3] Prieto, A.; Escapa, I. F.; Martínez, V.; Dinjaski, N.; Herencias, C.; De La Peña, F.; Tarazona, N.; Revelles, O. A Holistic View of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Metabolism in Pseudomonas Putida: Polyhydroxyalkanoate Metabolism in Pseudomonas Putida. Environ. Microbiol. 2016, 18 (2), 341–357. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.12760
[4] Leong, Y. K.; Show, P. L.; Lan, J. C.-W.; Loh, H.-S.; Lam, H. L.; Ling, T. C. Economic and Environmental Analysis of PHAs Production Process. Clean Technol. Environ. Policy 2017, 19 (7), 1941–1953. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-017-1377-2.
[5] Chen, G. Q., Chen, X. Y., Wu, F. Q., & Chen, J. C. (2020, January). Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) toward cost competitiveness and functionality. Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research, 3(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aiepr.2019.11.001
[6] Nassar, M. M. A., Alzebdeh, K. I., Pervez, T., Al-Hinai, N., Munam, A., Al-Jahwari, F., & Sider, I. (2021, January 4). Polymer powder and pellets comparative performances as bio-based composites. Iranian Polymer Journal, 30(3), 269–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-020-00888-4
[7] Institute for Industrial Development. Project Report Of Biodegradable Plastic Pellets. Retrieved September 30, 2023, from https://www.kviconline.gov.in/pmegp/pmegpweb/docs/commonprojectprofile/Biodegradable%20Plastic%20Pellets%20(PLA%20Based).pdf
[8] Poltronieri, P., & Kumar, P. (2017). Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) in industrial applications. Handbook of ecomaterials, 4, 2843-2872.
[9] Rosenboom, J. G., Langer, R., & Traverso, G. (2022, January 20). Bioplastics for a circular economy. Nature Reviews Materials, 7(2), 117–137. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00407-8
[10] Global plastic waste set to almost triple by 2060, says OECD. (2022, June 3). OECD. Retrieved September 30, 2023, from https://www.oecd.org/newsroom/global-plastic-waste-set-to-almost-triple-by-2060.htm#:~:text=The%20projected%20rise%20in%20plastics%20consumption%20and%20waste,required%20to%20create%20USD%201%20of%20economic%20output
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