Central Europe has significant potential to turn agricultural and agro-industrial biomass into high-value products through territorial biorefineries. At the start of the project, however, this circular approach was still underdeveloped. Value chains were fragmented, market demand for bio-based products was limited, and regulatory differences between regions made it difficult for companies to scale solutions across borders.

Large volumes of agricultural and agro-industrial residues – such as apple pomace, radicchio leaves, hemp fibres, corn cobs, pumpkin seed press cake, winery lees and others – were often treated as waste rather than resources. Companies lacked practical tools to map available biomass streams, identify viable valorisation technologies and connect with potential buyers. At the same time, differing national and regional regulations created barriers to transnational cooperation and market development.

TeBiCE combined research, regional knowledge and practical testing to show how these by-products could be transformed into new materials, products and business opportunities. The partnership worked closely with companies and other stakeholders to test selected value chains and identify the technical, market and regulatory conditions needed to replicate successful solutions in other regions of Central Europe.

The project delivered concrete, usable results:

A transnational strategy for a barrier-free market for agricultural by-products and waste, providing a common framework for identifying and addressing regulatory and market barriers across Central Europe.
A set of pilot actions that tested practical valorisation pathways (including drying and micronisation processes, insect farming on agri-residues, hemp fibre applications, and cooperative models for pumpkin seed meal).
A Book of Good Examples documenting transferable lessons and real business cases. Methodology for developing circular value chain.

Supporting reports and practical materials that help companies and public authorities analyse value chains and overcome technical, market and regulatory barriers. The project’s main outputs and related deliverables are available in the Outputs section of this website.

Through the pilot actions, partners mapped local biomass streams, tested processing methods and documented the technical, logistical and economic steps required to turn residues into usable materials. These real-life experiences were consolidated into practical recommendations and decision-support materials. Companies can now use the project’s tools and examples to assess the feasibility of new value chains, while public authorities can draw on the transnational strategy to improve regulatory frameworks.

The pilots demonstrated concrete ways for companies to transform previously underused by-products into marketable materials and lower the entry barriers for SMEs wishing to engage in bio-based value chains. Cross-border cooperation generated practical evidence that supports more coherent regulatory approaches in Central Europe.
All knowledge, methods, pilot experiences, the Book of Good Examples and the report on operative measures remain available after the project’s completion. SMEs, public authorities, clusters and research organisations can reuse these results to develop their own circular solutions. The main outputs and supporting materials can be found in the Outputs and Media sections of this website.