The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), a €2 billion partnership between the EU and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) that funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe, has signed 31 grant agreements with project teams selected in the 2023 calls. As a result, 396 beneficiaries from 34 countries across the EU and beyond will receive nearly €215 million in funding to develop circular and sustainable bio-based consumer products and industrial systems to replace fossil-based ones.

A kick-off meeting took place on 13 June at Hervás in the Extremadura region of Spain for the Sustainext project. This is the first flagship project to be funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) and aims “to revolutionise the botanical extracts industry with a unique model that can then be replicated by the European bio-based industry”.

Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 has established the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). This is a €2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) that funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe.