Contact person
Johan Börjesson
Gruppchef
Contact Johan
-
A cluster for Biorefinery Development
Our society is facing the challenge of switching to a circular and bio-based economy. Here, the regions along the coast of Norrland have the unique opportunity to contribute with expertise, as well as natural resources, well-established industry and test and demo environments. Through both regional and national initiatives, Processum has built up an environment for innovation that has developed into a leading center of competence for biorefinery development, where several different actors collaborate.
Biorefinery Innovation Platform: Accelerate to commercialization
The project Biorefinery Innovation Platform: Accelerate to commercialization (IB: ACCEL) is operated by Processum and the project's approach is largely based on a model developed by Processum, where the core of the work is to initiate, conduct and support need-driven research and innovation in collaboration with industry, academia and society. Processum has since 2007 hosted a long-term initiative to develop an innovation environment, where the bio-based business community constitutes the core, but many different actors collaborate within the regional innovation platform.
Processum Bioeconomy Cluster owns 40% of Processum. The cluster consists of around 20 companies, but universities, authorities, incubator companies and start-up companies are also important partners. Together, we work openly and constantly to welcome new players who have an interest in the development of the biorefinery area and share the vision of sustainable development based on bio-based processes, green products, chemicals and materials. With the project Biorefinery Innovation Platform - Accelerate to commercialization, we are taking further steps together to strengthen the innovation environment on the journey towards the vision.
The goal to increase the pace of innovation and commercialization
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are an important part of Sweden's business and development, but they can rarely conduct their own research and development activities. IB: ACCEL's primary goal 2019-2022 is to increase the number of innovation processes involving innovative SMEs and the pace of innovation processes within the biorefinery's value chains. By inviting SMEs to take part in the innovation platform's open working model, companies can receive support with research and development as well as business models and commercialization.
The projects goals
1. To develop, test and implement an accelerated process for innovation through needs-driven development and commercialization
2. To develop the innovation environment into a sustainable regional innovation platform for biorefinery development with strengthened functions regarding access to financial and human capital, common goals and search direction, national and international legitimacy and attractiveness, access to test and demo environments for entrepreneurial experimentation and more effective coordination of these functions.
3. To initiate and develop international innovation collaborations within the biorefinery's value chains, for the benefit of the business community
Current calls
In the project IB: ACCEL, there are resources to guide and support companies to financing opportunities. Here are some calls that may be relevant for small and medium-sized companies with climate innovations in the circular bioeconomy.
- Concept development of innovations with a business focus; Ekonomiskt stöd för att utveckla ett affärskoncept (energimyndigheten.se) maximum grant SEK 500,000, support for development and verification as well as business development efforts, no co-financing required, TRL 2-4 at project start, open now and closes June 8.
- Verification of innovations with customer; Ekonomiskt stöd för att testa och utveckla en innovation med kund (energimyndigheten.se) maximum contribution SEK 3 million, support for development and verification as well as business development efforts, 45% support level for small companies, TRL 4-8, requirement for LoI with industrial customer, open now and closes May 23.
Do you have any thoughts or are you curious about these announcements or about other funding opportunities in the circular bioeconomy? Then contact Leif Lyckebäck, Innovation and process manager, Innovation system RISE, who will be able to provide guidance and some support in the application work - leif.lyckeback@ri.se
