Within the APEX (Advanced Process Economics through Oxidoreductases) project, MetGen will bring MetZyme® from small pilot scale to industrial production and commercial applications. MetZyme® is used to liberate cellulose from lignocellulosic material through oxidation of lignin. MetZyme® is an enzyme solution developed by MetGen, based on thermostabile oxidoreductase enzymes with wide pH tolerance, designed for harsh industrial conditions. This scale-up allows for its market demonstration at the industrial scale, within two target industries: pulp & paper mills and biorefineries where process economy is improved through energy- and technology cost reduction. In APEX, MetGen will also further improve the cost-efficiency of the industrial enzyme development technology, protected by international patents. The value proposition and competitiveness of the process are supported by lowering the production costs and optimising the whole supply chain in APEX. Small scale pilot studies have been already done with large industrial customers. They have shown that MetZyme® can significantly improve the economic and environmental sustainability of paper, chemicals, and biofuels – industries that are in a great need of more efficient processes with lower costs. Within pulp and paper it can significantly help to lower the production costs, based on reduced energy and chemical usage and improved fibre quality. MetZyme® also helps to optimize the catalysis of lignin and sugar conversion. This enables low-cost production of cellulosic fibers and sugars and supports the production of second-generation biofuels and bio-based chemicals, paving the way to sustainable European bioeconomy. APEX makes it possible for MetGen to bridge the gap between pilot and industrial scale, and thus become profitable and competitive, and in a few years to be recognized as one of the world’s most significant enzyme companies.

UNRAVEL aims to develop advanced pre-treatment, separation and conversion technologies for complex lignocellulosic biomass to produce usable lignin fragments, and monomeric sugars from the cellulose and hemicellulose fraction suitable for biochemical conversions. The technologies will be scaled up from lab (TRL 3) to pilot plant (TRL 5). UNRAVEL will achieve a breakthrough in the valorisation of lignocellulosic biomass by: • Utilizing complex lignocellulosic biomass sources such as forest residues, bark, straw, and nut shells • Recovering valuable components by feedstock pre-extraction prior to fractionation • Achieving at least 80% lignin yield, 90% glucan recovery from the cellulose and 80% yield of monomeric hemicellulose sugars by utilizing the TNO FABIOLA™ low temperature, energy-efficient acetone based fractionation process • Purifying the hemicellulose hydrolysate and qualifying it for fermentation into chemical building blocks • Developing lignin depolymerisation technologies • Establishing high-value lignin applications through the production of lignin-based PUR & PIR foams and lignin-based additives in bitumen for roofing applications • Demonstrating a 30% OPEX and 15 % carbon footprint reduction of the pre-treatment UNRAVEL will develop an integrated cross-sector value chain by bringing together specialists with expertise on feedstock composition, chemical pulping and pre-treatment, enzymes production, polymer chemistry, separation and reactor engineering, techno-economic and sustainability assessments and knowledge dissemination and exploitation and communication. The active involvement of three SME's and two large enterprises, active in wood pulping and the production of lignin-based building materials, strengthens a market-driven approach and commercial exploitation and implementation of the results generated in the UNRAVEL project.

B-LigZymes is an international, interdisciplinary and intersectorial platform that directly addresses current limitations in lignin degradation by generating technological and economical solutions inspired by fundamental research. B-LigZymes provides a holistic view for the development of biocatalytic processes involved in the valorisation of lignin. The B-LigZymes consortium is composed of 6 academic organizations, 4 of which are located in Europe (Portugal, The Netherlands, Italy and Germany), 1 in the United States and 1 in Argentina; there are 3 non-academic organizations in the partnership located in Spain, Finland and The Netherlands. The B-LigZymes programme foster collaborations across sectors, disciplines and countries and a shared culture of research & innovation (R&I) that welcomes and rewards creativity and entrepreneurship. The existent complementarity among Beneficiary Organizations and partners enables bi-directional international and intersectorial staff exchanges and the sharing of knowledge and ideas from research to market and vice-versa. These activities will be additionally nurtured by wide network training events, such as workshops, where the contribution of members with different expertise will bring a synergistic effect. Overall, the networking activities proposed will allow research members to develop new R&I and transferable skills that will boost future career opportunities, strengthening Europe’s human capital, competitiveness and growth and, contributing for a knowledge-based economy and society, in accordance to the expected objectives and impact of the RISE’s MSCA call.

LIGNOFUN is a groundbreaking initiative founded on the transformative idea to replace fossil-derived aromatic chemicals with sustainable, lignin-based alternatives while addressing environmental challenges like greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion. In the phase one, the project aims to advance two key lignin depolymerization technologies (METNIN and OHRIGINS) to industrially relevant scale (TRL6-7) and valorize low-value underutilized lignin from paper mills into valuable aromatic molecule rich streams. The second phase focuses on validation and TRL progression for each of these depolymerized streams into high-value demonstration prototypes (such as foams, nylon 66, adhesives, coatings, composites, wood panels, cosmetics, personal care products and rubber products), showcasing their potential for superior performance and economic viability. LIGNOFUN will also conduct a thorough impact assessment through process simulations and curated mass balance data, utilizing TEA, S-LCA, ssBD, and LCC analyses to optimize sustainability, economic feasibility, and social impact. The project’s robust consortium of 18 partners (7 SMEs, 1 large company, 9 RTOs, and 1 cluster) unites expertise from both industry and research, ensuring end-user engagement and the industrial adoption of results. By engaging stakeholders across the value chain, LIGNOFUN will foster industry uptake of sustainable, bio-based alternatives. The project will revolutionize lignin utilization and empower EU industries to reduce fossil dependence, driving sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness for a greener future.

Several crucial steps in wood industries involve extreme operation conditions (such as high temperature and pH) to remove or modify recalcitrant lignin that protects cellulose in the plant cell wall. Enzymes can substitute harsh and energy-demanding chemical treatments for sustainable production of bio-based building blocks and products in wood biorefinery. However, wild enzymes, evolved to act under natural environmental conditions, cannot be integrated into the current industrial processes. WoodZymes partners already have available extremozymes resisting very high temperature and pH that will be further optimized to be used as biocatalysts in wood industries. Enzyme application will include the recovery of phenolic compounds from enzymatic breakdown of technical lignin, and of lignin and hemicellulose compounds from enzymatic delignification and bleaching of kraft pulp (also resulting in more sustainable final cellulosic pulp). Extremophilic enzymes will also be used to valorize the latter compounds as bio-based precursors for adhesives in the manufacture of medium-density fiberboards, and as components of insulation polyurethane foams (substituting fossil building blocks), as well as for obtaining renewable sugar-based papermaking additives. WoodZymes illustrates the potential of extremozymes in the global bio-based economy, contributing to the sustainability and competitiveness of cellulose and board/polyurethane manufacture (as suggested by techno-economic and environmental analyses), and establishing a direct link between the pulp and wood industrial sectors. The feasibility of these objectives is based on a consortium from four EU countries formed by: i) four world-leading companies of the above industrial sectors; ii) a highly-active biotech SME commercializing extremophilic enzymes; and iii) four reputed research institutes of the wood, cellulose, lignin and enzymes sectors, being able to demonstrate the extremozyme-based technology at the pilot scale.