Success rate in Bio-Based industries Joint Technology Initiative is 25-50%

The odds of a researcher getting a grant from the EU’s new large-scale public-private research partnership in Bio-Based Industries were between 25-50 per cent during its first year, according to preliminary figures.

The €3.7 billion Bio-Based Industries programme, one of the five joint technology initiatives (JTIs), is carrying out industry/academic research with the aim of replacing unsustainable industrial processes with green and sustainable bio-based alternatives.  As one example, the JTI hopes to do its part in securing alternative energy supplies for Europe by developing technology for turning cellulose in agricultural and forest waste into biofuels.

The JTI published its first research competition for greener products in July last year. Ten projects have since been chosen by evaluators: seven consortia will develop new research (up to technology readiness level 5 or TRL 5), two will build demonstrators (TRL 6 and 7) and one will develop what is being called a market-ready flagship (TRL 8).

The Commission will put in up to 50 per cent in cash for each project, while the contribution of business partners can consist of both in-kind contributions and cash. The total budget for this first competition is expected to reach €100 million.

When asked what the projects will look at, and which companies, universities and research institutes will be involved, Dirk Carrez, the coordinator, remained tight-lipped. “Not until the grant agreements are signed” he said. He also declined to discuss the number of applications and where they are coming in from.

However, Carrez did say that demand was strong, with applications coming in from beyond the EU’s 28 member countries. “Many American companies are interested – that’s new,” he said.

Compared to other competitions in the EU Horizon 2020 research programme, which are averaging a 14.5 per cent success rate, the chances of getting funding are better. A second call for proposals opens in May.

The European Commission is soon due to make an announcement on the progress of the JTIs to date.

The big idea behind the bio-based JTI, which brings large companies like Denmark’s Novozymes around the table, is that joint public and private funding can help kick-start technologies in a field where it is too risky or uneconomical for companies to invest in the initial research.

It has previously been noted by Carrez that the bio-renewable field in Europe is not swarming with companies: today, there are around 70. But this figure is a big improvement on the situation a decade ago, Carrez said. Then Europe was seen as trailing in the wake of pace-setters in the US and Asia.

Get talking sooner

While popular, some applicants are still adjusting to JTI rules on consortia. Universities and research institutes need to find industry partners a lot sooner when putting together a team, Carrez recommended. “We get many proposals from [universities] and they’re only at the stage of looking for industrial partners,” he said. “That’s too late. You need to contact [business] partners at the beginning, not the end.”

The best way to get business and researchers talking is to bundle them into the same room during matchmaking events, said Carrez.

Aside from bio-based industries, the EU is running JTIs in Innovative Medicines 2, which is attempting to remake the ecosystem for precompetitive discovery research in pharmaceuticals; Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2,  to accelerate market introduction of clean and efficient technologies in energy and transport; Clean Sky 2, to develop cleaner, quieter aircraft and reduce CO2 emissions; Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership, which aims to boost Europe’s electronics manufacturing capabilities; and Shift2Rail to develop better trains and railway infrastructure.