Marseille, France – June 27, 2024 – LUCRA, a Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) funded initiative in sustainable biochemical solutions, is proud to announce its significant participation in the 32nd European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE), held from June 24-27, 2024 in Marseille, France. This prestigious event, renowned as the leading platform for global biomass innovation, provides an ideal venue for LUCRA to showcase its groundbreaking work in sustainable succinic acid production.

Event Background
The EUBCE has a rich history, dating back to its inception in 1980 by the European Commission. Initially a scientific event, the conference has evolved to encompass industrial applications, technological exhibitions, and a focus on governmental policies towards biomass as a renewable resource. Today, the EUBCE represents a critical forum balancing environmental sustainability with economic performance, bridging the gap between academia, research institutions, and industry.

LUCRA Contributions
LUCRA contributed to the EUBCE through a series of presentations, a stakeholder workshop and an exhibition booth, highlighting its innovative approach and fostering dialogue on sustainable biomass utilization:

• Joint Stakeholder Workshop: LUCRA & Waste2Func
  On the first day as the EUBCE event kicked-off, LUCRA was co-hosting its first stakeholder workshop with CBE JU Project Waste2Func. The workshop first’s part focused on setting the scene with presenting shortly both projects. The second part – an interactive session of circa 60 min – targeted the feedstock/biomass supplier and the technology provider by using Mentimeter as an online tool to collect answers in a structured way and then discuss outcomes with the audience by sharing information from the project and/or examples from the audience. The goal was to interact with the stakeholders to share the project‘s challenges and results and hear their vision of the story (valorisation of waste streams and making a relevant business case out of it).
  The interactive session with circa 30 participants on waste valorisation towards biobased molecules was a great success: Many participants shared what they think is needed to make it work from both feedstock owners and technology providers point of views.
  
  The WASTE2FUNC project aims to resolve supply chain hurdles towards the efficient conversion of food (crop) waste into two types of biobased functional molecules for use in home- and personal care applications: lactic acid and microbial biosurfactants, functionally outperforming or equalling their respective fossil-based and/or 1G bio-based benchmarks.
  
  
• Oral Presentation: “LUCRA – Sustainable Succinic Acid Production Using an Integrated Electrochemical Bioreactor and Renewable Feedstock“
  In this dedicated session of CBE, LUCRA was presented by its coordinator, Tanja Meyer (Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant), sharing the project’s vision and ambition watched by 53 participants of the EUBCE conference.
  In detail, explaining the 4 pillars the project is working on, such as biomass valorisation, scale-up processed (e.g. pretreatment & fermentation), and the development of a new downstream purification approach through developing an electrochemical membrane unit. And lastly the testing of the application material of the biobased succinic acid by industrial relevant partners.
  
  
• Oral Presentation: “Succinic Acid Production via Fermentation with an Engineered Escherichia coli Strain Using Biowaste Fraction and Softwood Sawdust Hydrolysates”
  In this session Apostolis Petropoulos from University of Athens presented in the Auditorium in front of circa 60 participants the results of the first 12 months of LUCRA regarding the optimisation of the fermentation process for succinic acid production using engineered E.coli strains.
  
  
• Oral Presentation: “BBEU Project: Organic Waste Streams on the Table” (LUCRA & Waste2Func)
  This talk gave highlights about the collaborative efforts in utilizing waste streams as feedstock and implementing as such the cascading principle. LUCRA and Waste2Func were mentioned as good examples.
  
  
• Exhibition Booth: LUCRA
  Being part of the exhibition allowed EUCBE participants to visit the booth and learn about the project and facilitate potential collaborations.