Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking

CBE JU has funded nearly 200 projects scaling up Europe’s circular bio-based industries, and 17 of them are highly innovative first-of-their-kind biorefineries built across Europe. These industrial-scale facilities demonstrate the commercial viability of bio-based processes, fostering economic growth and environmental benefits.

The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) is a key promoter of sustainable growth and competitiveness in Europe. Since 2014, the partnership between the EU and the private sector (Bio-based Industries Consortium) has funded projects advancing Europe’s circular bio-based sector via competitive calls for project proposals.

So far, CBE JU has funded nearly 200 projects scaling up Europe’s circular bio-based industries, and 17 of them are highly innovative first-of-their-kind biorefineries built across Europe. These industrial-scale facilities demonstrate the commercial viability of bio-based processes, fostering economic growth and environmental benefits. The investments made in these projects have helped create jobs in rural and coastal regions and offered new business opportunities to primary producers. To strengthen the EU’s bio-based industries, the joint undertaking has also funded more than 80 demonstration plants scaling up clean technologies.

CBE JU plays a key role in de-risking investments in the EU’s bio-based sector. 35% of the 1,550 CBE JU beneficiaries are SMEs, and 25% universities and research centres. SMEs coordinate about 15% of all CBE JU-funded projects. The programme has a high leverage effect: for every euro of CBE JU funding, the programme attracts €3.5 in private investments.

The forest sector is an essential component of the bio-based industries. Forest-based biomass, including side streams from wood processing and pulp and paper industries, serves as feedstock for a wide range of bio-based products. Through its funding, CBE JU has successfully de-risked and attracted private investments in pioneering technologies. However, securing the financing to further scale up to a commercial level remains a challenge. Modest market appeal and limited regulatory incentives currently result in a scarcity of investment capital. Stimulating private investments in bio-based solutions is key to bringing more sustainably produced forest-based products to market.

Forestry-based chemicals innovation hub in Estonia

With a €21 million CBE JU support, the SWEETWOODS project has built a first-of-its-kind, highly efficient, reduced environmental impact industrial biorefinery to obtain high-value compounds using hardwood waste as a raw material. The biorefinery is part of a new industry that is advancing an innovation hub in Estonia focused on forestry‑based chemicals and materials.

Resources

• Browse CBE JU-funded projects with focus on forestry
• Discover the achievement stories of CBE JU-funded projects
• Subscribe to CBE JU newsletter
• SWEETWOODS

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The Forestry Hub of Catalonia is an initiative supporting innovation in forestry value chains. Its facilities for research, development, transfer, facilitation and training.

The Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP) is a leading open-access facility supporting the scale-up of bio-based innovations from lab to industrial scale.

CMPC Ventures’ Venture Client supports start-ups through partnerships, pilots, and direct investment. Launched in 2024, the CMPC has completed 15 pilots, including two forestry-focused projects.

ECBF is the first private venture capital fund exclusively dedicated to investing in growth-stage companies within the European bioeconomy.

Biocastanea upcycles chestnut burr waste into certified eco‐cosmeceuticals via green extraction of antioxidants. Biocastanea promotes zero‐waste valorisation and scalable bioeconomy.

Strong by Form develops Woodflow, a biomimetic, digitally-designed timber composite replacing steel, concrete, plastics via strategic partnerships, phased financing, deep-tech planning.

Biocon’s reductive catalytic fractionation transforms lignocellulose into lignin oil, pulp, and sugars at pilot scale.

With a strong track record, GAV shares lessons on avoiding the “Valley of Death” and supporting start-ups to scale successfully.

PhotonHub Europe and the EIC Scaling Club provide approaches to help the commercialisation of technologies across various sectors.

Read the cases presented at the Workshop: Scaling up forest-based innovations in Europe on 15 May 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.

• Category: Resources, Factsheets
• Tag: workshop, scaling up forest innovations factsheet