SOLSTICE aims at demonstrating 4 replicable systemic solutions for the territorial deployment of the circular economy (CEC) for the major industrial sector of textiles (62Mt produced/year). All steps of waste prevention and management will be included in a 5R strategy: Refuse/Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, Recycle. The solutions developed can be replicated and cross-linked with the plastics value chain. SOLSTICE will: • Develop tools and strategies to implement the 5R approach: oFor the 4R Refuse/Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose: - Engage the different stakeholders (industrial companies, local authorities, citizens) to revise their supply chains / behaviour, and become more sober, circular and sustainable. - Scope and map current state, carry research on and analysis of relevant circular interventions per territory, - Create a methodology and blueprints of CEC interventions to be tested/piloted - Define circular guidelines and indicators oRecycle: Demonstrate innovative chemical recycling technologies, able to treat efficiently part of the major streams of polymers in textiles and plastics (PET, elastane, polyamide, polyurethane) in mild conditions. The technologies allow to recycle multicomponent and bio-based materials, complex streams, and to recycle textile into textile or coating into coating (closed-loop) or into added-value applications (open loop). They are easily adaptable and allow a local recycling. • Set-up a traceability system based on a Digital Product Passport and designed in relation to existing initiatives. The demonstration will take place in 4 EU representative and complementary territories. Knowledge-transfer and cooperation between the cities and regions involved, and with CCRI and other stakeholders and projects, will ensure an optimised development and deployment of the new circular concepts, as well as the replicability of the concept and a maximal impact. The deployment of SOLSTICE could save 4.3-10.8 Mt GHG emissions/year by 2030.

SEALIVE aims at demonstrating innovative circular strategies for bio-based plastics in land and sea applications. The project will be driven by economically and technically sustainable business models based on materials with advanced properties, design for circularity techniques and end-of-life solutions. It will establish a partnership of raw material providers, convertors, end users, recyclers, policy experts, certification organizations and NGOs to demonstrate solutions within a shared vision for circular plastic strategies. Solutions for reusable, recyclable and biodegradable bio-based plastics to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds will be demonstrated in four pilot territories: Cyprus, Ireland, France and Denmark (or Non-European site). Innovative formulations based on PHAs, PLA and starch materials with advanced properties will be developed following recycling, biodegradability (marine and land) and composting standards. Design for circularity techniques (recyclable multi-layer single packaging materials, digital materials for traceability) and End-of-life solutions (high precision NIR-based mechanical recycling, controlled biodegradation/composting in natural and industrial conditions) will be upscaled at TRL6. Solutions will be applied to 8 end-applications with high potential for pollution reduction of soils and water media: rigid food containers, flexible packaging, agricultural films, fish crates, fishing nets and aquaculture mesh bags. Pre-normative research will be carried out to improve current standards for biodegradation, composting and recycling with regards to eco-toxicity, safety and influence of plastic ageing. Policy recommendations at EU and global level will be provided in order to build a common framework enabling pollution reduction of land and sea via sustainable bio-based plastics solutions.

GALACTICA aims to bring Europe to the forefront of textile and aerospace GALACTICA aims to support the creation of new industrial value chains around textile and aerospace based on advanced manufacturing across EU to throttle growth and employment of the future by the development of long-term internationally competitive goods and services that require combining different competences and innovative solutions. This way, GALACTICA will empower Industrial intelligent systems or Industrial Internet of Things as part of the strategic alignment with President Juncker priorities on strategic emerging value chains for Europe towards 2030 as outcome of the High-level industrial roundtable. GALACTICA’s strategy is: 1. Cultivation within an open collaboration space focused on supporting SMEs to change the mindset about digitalization and empower them to start partnerships. 2. A set of dedicated grants complemented with coaching to assess the feasibility and small technical tests aimed at minimum viable products of a new value chain. 3. Large scale demo of the new value chain with dedicated grant for SME consortia with coaching and technological support. 4. Scale-up support to leverage additional funds. GALACTICA will connect successful SMEs with private investors and other initiatives for scaling up the innovations. In total, 4M€ (79% of budget) will be dedicated to SMEs through diverse vouchers to support technological innovation and value chain creation. New value chains will find synergies with RIS3 policies through partners’ active participation in different S3 Thematic platforms on industrial modernization and S3 Vanguard Initiative pilots (3DP, ESM and RegioTex). GALACTICA partnership will allow to reach directly (as cluster members) 1.400 SMEs, 170 large companies and over 200 research facilities across 8 EU-countries, and indirectly over 7.000 SMEs across 38+ countries though EU-wide networks and European Strategic Cluster Partnerships.

pHYBi is a 48-month action that will combine the soil phytoremediation concept with lignocellulosic biomass valorisation in an integrated phytomanagement circular economy approach. The pHYBi concept will focus its efforts across different levels of development (1) test, optimisation and validation of 4 phytomanagement case studies, (2) optimisation of biomass fractionation into lignocellulosic components based on organosolv techniques, and (3) characterisation and application of lignocellulosic fractions to create a well-planned market route for the potential end-applications in the textile industry. Furthermore, the project will develop a Virtual Replication Tool where phytomanagement, valorisation process and end-products will be integrated, resulting in guidelines, recommendations and thresholds for the replication of pHYBi’s case studies along other areas. To finalise the proposal concept, social innovation activities will strongly connect the process with the market and society with the aim to deliver high quality products with high level of acceptance. To achieve its goals, pHYBi brings together a multidisciplinary team integrating experts in plant and soil science (UBFC, UBU, UNIOVI, PHY), chemical engineering and biorefineries (CETIM), computational science (IDE), textile materials and products (NTT), agroindustry (PARTICULA, PHY, DIH-LEAF), and market analysis, knowledge exchange and social innovation (SEZ).