BIONEER in Tallinn: How Europe’s Bioeconomy is Taking Shape, One Collaboration at a Time
ÄIO hosted the BIONEER project consortium meeting in Tallinn, a key milestone as we pass the one-year mark of this ambitious, four-year journey. BIONEER, funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), is driving forward a new generation of sustainable, bio-based building blocks for the chemical industry using lignocellulosic biomass.
The key aim of BIONEER is to broaden the range of biobased building blocks and platform molecules by demonstrating up-scale production of a range of novel molecules and polymers from lignocellulosic biomass. BIONEER thereby employs a unique combination of microbial and chemical production routes, with products suitable for application in the coatings and personal care sectors, while extending to the packaging sector in a zero-waste perspective.
ÄIO’s Co-founder and COO, Petri-Jaan Lahtvee said: “Hosting the BIONEER partners meeting in Tallinn was not only important event for us, but also a reminder of how far we’ve come by working together. This project shows what’s possible when science, industry, and purpose align, and BIONEER project partners are demonstrating the incredible potential of lignocellulosic biomass to replace fossil-based materials.”
The meeting brought together 23 representatives from 13 partner organizations across 9 countries. It was a long day filled with knowledge exchange, strategic alignment, and reflecting the progress already made. All partners shared updates on developing microbial and chemical production routes for innovative molecules, with potential applications in personal care, coatings, and packaging.
As part of the meeting, the consortium visited Fibenol’s industrial site in Imavere, a key contributor to the project. Fibenol’s cutting-edge process transforms wood biomass into valuable side-streams such as C5 sugars and lignin fractions. These streams serve as essential raw materials for fermentation and synthesis across several BIONEER innovations. The visit offered an in-depth look at the site, how lignocellulosic biomass can power the bioeconomy in practical and scalable ways.
“It’s exciting to explore how novel, bio-based lipids can replace conventional ingredients in cosmetics and skincare. What we’re developing within BIONEER has real potential to improve product performance and sustainability, without compromising on quality.” Magdalena Koziol, ÄIO’s Head of Cosmetics
BIONEER is more than a research initiative. It’s a collaborative platform to bring scalable, sustainable materials to sectors that urgently need alternatives. For ÄIO, it’s a chance to apply our core innovation, microbial oils from industrial side-streams to broader applications and build real-world impact.
We are grateful to our partners and the coordinating team at SINTEF for their continued leadership. The meeting in Tallinn, along with the visit to Fibenol, reinforced the shared commitment to building a future where chemistry is clean, circular, and climate-friendly.