-
The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, has launched its Foresight Studies, analysing information from various sources and cross-referencing it with key stakeholders from the relevant sectors. It aims to establish new standardization activities led by Spanish organizations to support the development and implementation of innovative technologies and solutions.
-
The first study focuses on the use and recovery of residual biomass in the agri-food sector.
-
The large-scale deployment of new biowaste recovery technologies still faces technological and scientific challenges, as well as social, regulatory, and market-related obstacles.
Madrid, 17 December 2024 – The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, has published the first document in a new series of Foresight Studies that aim to support the industrial implementation of emerging technologies in which Spain can take a leading role in developing technical standards at the European and international levels. Such efforts will facilitate adoption while fostering innovation and the growth of Spain’s industrial ecosystem. To produce these studies, UNE analyses data gathered from diverse sources, including European R&D projects it has actively participated in since 2012, and validates it with representatives from each sector.
The first study focuses on the use and recovery of residual biomass in the agri-food sector.
In the field of bioeconomy, the strong push for research from the European Commission, as well as from Spain and local authorities, is driving the emergence of new technologies to enable the transformation of biodegradable waste into new high-value-added products or compounds for various industries (pharmaceutical, chemical, agrochemical, cosmetics, and the food industry).
A paradigm shift is being proposed in how biowaste from the agri-food chain is managed, waste that currently amounts to approximately 4 million tonnes annually in Spain and 30 million tonnes across Europe. The large-scale use of biowaste aims not only to reduce the significant environmental impact of the current management model, but also to promote the bioeconomy and its associated social benefits. However, the widespread deployment of new biowaste recovery technologies still faces challenges—not only technological and scientific but also social, regulatory, and market-related.
Based on a preliminary analysis of the seven European R&D projects in which UNE has participated, funded under the Horizon 2020 programme, a high level of interest and engagement from Spanish industry and research has been identified in developing emerging technologies for the recovery of residual biomass from various sources and for various end uses. This preliminary analysis suggests that standardization could serve as a key tool to facilitate the transfer of these technologies to the market and society. This aligns with Spain’s and the European Union’s policies advocating for increased recovery of organic waste, as well as with plans for ecological transition and the promotion of the circular economy.
Key Findings of the Study
Potential stakeholders in new standardization efforts related to the use and recovery of residual biomass from the agri-food chain include all those involved in and impacted by this value chain: producers, managers, and processors of residual biomass; industries using transformed biomass; consumers of end-products; legislators and public administrations; research centres, technology institutes, and universities.
Technical standardization in this field should be driven by the sector’s needs, which include: the creation and consolidation of markets, the organization of supply chains, the specification of requirements, and the removal of bureaucratic barriers to streamline procedures.
The study identifies several potential topics for standardization: biomass requirements and criteria for use in final applications, methodologies and processes for recovering residual biomass, criteria for biomass handling and preservation, guidelines for internal company management, and processes to ensure material traceability from the original biomass to the final product.
The Foresight Study "Use and Recovery of Residual Biomass in the Agri-Food Sector" was informed by contributions from the Technical Association for Waste Management and the Environment (ATEGRUS), the National Technology Centre for Canning and Food (CTNC), DMC Research Center, Enviro Hub Trashform, the Agro-Food Cluster Foundation of the Region of Murcia (Agrofood – Murcia), the Technological Institute of Packaging, Transport, and Logistics (ITENE), Isanatur Spain, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITERD), and the Spanish Technological and Innovation Platform for Biocircularity (BIOPLAT).
More information:
https://www.en.une.org/normalizacion/estudios-prospectivos-une/
