The agri-food industry generates significant quantities of by-products, often regarded as waste, which in fact contain substantial amounts and varieties of compounds that, when suitably extracted, purified and processed, can be put to good use in various industrial sectors. Their utilisation generates not only an economic benefit (due to the availability of new commercial products and the avoidance of disposal costs), but also social, environmental and reputational benefits linked to the greater sustainability of agro-industrial production and the development of new related industries capable of creating new jobs.
With this in mind, the development of innovative processes and technologies for the valorisation of agro-industrial by-product fractions appears to be a promising avenue of development for a region rich in ‘raw materials’.
The project aims to integrate the expertise of research institutions and businesses with the needs of stakeholders in the agro-industrial sector and related industries whose core business lies in agro-pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and textiles.
The project partnership will focus on developing innovative processes for the pre-treatment, extraction/separation and valorisation of agro-industrial waste, using a ‘cascade’ biorefinery approach to produce bioactive compounds, chemicals and materials. With a view to a circular bioeconomy based on ‘Zero Waste’ processes, processing residues and by-products will be converted into energy carriers (e.g. biomethane) and agricultural products (e.g. soil improvers, biostimulants). Finally, the economic and environmental sustainability of the identified supply chains will be assessed, and a number of business cases will be developed for the products obtained.
Link: https://www.unitus.it/en/research/progetti-di-ricerca/percival/