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Strategic Analysis
This call aims to revolutionize waste management and circular economy by developing low-TRL, renewable energy-driven waste-to-value devices. The focus is on converting problematic waste streams (e.g., non-recyclable plastics, flue gases, brines) into high-value fuels, chemicals, and materials using innovative technologies like solar reforming, synthetic biology, and AI-driven computational material science. The project must align with EU policies on circular economy, critical raw materials, and decarbonization, while addressing decentralized, sustainable production and environmental remediation.
TRL 1 → 4
Based on programme defaults
Development of next generation technologies that turn problematic waste streams (e.g., non- or hard-to-recycle synthetic polymer materials, flue gases, wastewater, seawater desalination brines) into essential building blocks of a future circular economy.
Focus on technologies with low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs): solar reforming, synthetic biology devices, brine mining, integrated capture and conversion technologies, microbial-based and photocatalytic remediation processes.
Exclusion of thermochemical approaches (e.g., pyrolysis, gasification), 'dark' chemical recycling, food and biomass waste, traditional bulk metal waste, glass, paper, cardboard, and mono-PET waste.
Area 1: Fully integrated waste-to-value devices for converting waste streams into fuels, chemicals, and materials, or for remediation, driven solely by renewable energy sources (e.g., sunlight). Includes solar reforming, synthetic biology devices, integrated capture and conversion technologies, and brine mining technologies.
Area 2: Advances in computational material science and AI to understand underlying mechanisms enabling sustainable and scalable waste-to-value devices, including catalyst development, interface engineering, and multiscale modeling.
Area 3: Bottom-up synthetic biology for tailored microbial cell factories to degrade and valorize waste, producing fossil-free fuels, chemicals, and materials from abundantly available building blocks.
Fully integrated waste-to-value devices reaching TRL 4 within 3–4 years, capable of treating real-life industrial and household waste streams with minimal sorting and pre-treatment.
Energy- and material-efficient processes that minimize energy, water, chemicals, and land footprint, using environmentally safe and recyclable-by-design materials.
Devices that create products of higher economic and environmental value compared to the initial waste stream, avoiding down-cycling.
Robust, easy-to-handle systems independent of large-scale infrastructures, with extended lifetimes for decentralized applications.
Scientific breakthroughs in computational material science and AI, enabling accurate, less resource-intensive quantum mechanical and AI methods for guiding experimental work.
Multiscale modeling bridging atomic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic device levels to describe phenomena over different timescales.
Development of synthetic, fully artificial cells for large-scale biotechnology applications, tailored for carbon fixation or synthetic polymer decomposition.
Engineered cell-like systems for producing compounds from abundantly available building blocks (e.g., water, carbon oxides) and decomposing synthetic plastic waste into valorizable feedstocks.
Local energy and resource supply, enabling communities and remote areas to access reliable and sustainable waste recycling, supporting local production of fuels, chemicals, and materials.
Reduction or eventual independence from the importation of critical raw materials, addressing increasing demand for such materials in renewable energy and fuel technologies.
Increased share of recycled waste, minimizing waste disposal in open dumps, landfills, and incineration, and reducing negative environmental impacts.
Micro-/nanoplastic removal and progress toward zero-brine discharge from wastewater and seawater.
Decentralized, circular production of fuels, chemicals, and materials, replacing fossil resources with waste as a local resource, reducing demand for fossil fuels and associated CO2 and pollutant emissions.
Alignment with REPowerEU, Fit for 55, the Renewable Energy Directive, the Waste Framework Directive, the Critical Raw Materials Act, the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), the Plastics Strategy, the Industrial Carbon Management Strategy, and the Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.
EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP)
Critical Raw Materials Act
REPowerEU and Fit for 55
Waste Framework Directive and Plastics Strategy
Renewable Energy Directive and Industrial Carbon Management Strategy
Everything the call asks for, seen from the call's point of view. Each line shows what answers it, and which partner carries it.
This matrix lists everything the call asks for: outcomes, impacts, scope, the requirements buried in the call text, and policy alignment. Sign up free and GrantForge tracks each line against the concept you build.
| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Development of next generation technologies that turn problematic waste streams (e.g., non- or hard-to-recycle synthetic polymer materials, flue gases, wastewater, seawater desalination brines) into essential building blocks of a future circular economy. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Focus on technologies with low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs): solar reforming, synthetic biology devices, brine mining, integrated capture and conversion technologies, microbial-based and photocatalytic remediation processes. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Exclusion of thermochemical approaches (e.g., pyrolysis, gasification), 'dark' chemical recycling, food and biomass waste, traditional bulk metal waste, glass, paper, cardboard, and mono-PET waste. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Area 1: Fully integrated waste-to-value devices for converting waste streams into fuels, chemicals, and materials, or for remediation, driven solely by renewable energy sources (e.g., sunlight). Includes solar reforming, synthetic biology devices, integrated capture and conversion technologies, and brine mining technologies. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC5Area 2: Advances in computational material science and AI to understand underlying mechanisms enabling sustainable and scalable waste-to-value devices, including catalyst development, interface engineering, and multiscale modeling. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC6Area 3: Bottom-up synthetic biology for tailored microbial cell factories to degrade and valorize waste, producing fossil-free fuels, chemicals, and materials from abundantly available building blocks. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1Fully integrated waste-to-value devices reaching TRL 4 within 3–4 years, capable of treating real-life industrial and household waste streams with minimal sorting and pre-treatment. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2Energy- and material-efficient processes that minimize energy, water, chemicals, and land footprint, using environmentally safe and recyclable-by-design materials. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3Devices that create products of higher economic and environmental value compared to the initial waste stream, avoiding down-cycling. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO4Robust, easy-to-handle systems independent of large-scale infrastructures, with extended lifetimes for decentralized applications. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO5Scientific breakthroughs in computational material science and AI, enabling accurate, less resource-intensive quantum mechanical and AI methods for guiding experimental work. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO6Multiscale modeling bridging atomic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic device levels to describe phenomena over different timescales. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO7Development of synthetic, fully artificial cells for large-scale biotechnology applications, tailored for carbon fixation or synthetic polymer decomposition. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO8Engineered cell-like systems for producing compounds from abundantly available building blocks (e.g., water, carbon oxides) and decomposing synthetic plastic waste into valorizable feedstocks. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| REQ1Inter-project cooperation within Pathfinder Challenge portfolioSelected projects across Areas 1, 2, and 3 are expected to combine into a single portfolio with close interaction and a commonly developed vision to drive synergies, mutual learning, and speed up the innovation journey. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ2Interdisciplinary and hybrid integration across disciplinesProposals are encouraged to deploy integrated hybrid approaches at the interface of various disciplines, including autonomously operating devices continuously optimized with AI. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ3Validation across portfolio focus areasTheoretical models and computational tools developed under Area 2 are expected to be validated using devices stemming from Area 1. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ4Benchmarking against industrial and emerging recycling methodsProposals must clearly benchmark the proposed solution against industrially deployed recycling methods (e.g. mechanical recycling, composting, biogas fermentation, waste-to-energy) and emerging recycling approaches. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ5Environmental safety and recyclable-by-design requirementsProcesses must deploy environmentally safe, stable materials with non-toxic degradation products, optimise circular use of consumables, and develop devices that are recyclable-by-design. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1Local energy and resource supply, enabling communities and remote areas to access reliable and sustainable waste recycling, supporting local production of fuels, chemicals, and materials. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI2Reduction or eventual independence from the importation of critical raw materials, addressing increasing demand for such materials in renewable energy and fuel technologies. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI3Increased share of recycled waste, minimizing waste disposal in open dumps, landfills, and incineration, and reducing negative environmental impacts. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI4Micro-/nanoplastic removal and progress toward zero-brine discharge from wastewater and seawater. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI5Decentralized, circular production of fuels, chemicals, and materials, replacing fossil resources with waste as a local resource, reducing demand for fossil fuels and associated CO2 and pollutant emissions. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EI6Alignment with REPowerEU, Fit for 55, the Renewable Energy Directive, the Waste Framework Directive, the Critical Raw Materials Act, the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), the Plastics Strategy, the Industrial Carbon Management Strategy, and the Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| No underlying policies in this call. | |||
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
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