Duration
The duration of the project is 24 months, starting in February 2024 and ending in January 2026.
Objectives
Our project, ENABLE-BIO, aims to bring clarity to these regulations and create a roadmap towards the creation of an enabling regulatory environment for the development of biobased innovations involved in agri-food waste and by-product streams. Our primary task is to conduct a thorough examination of the current waste management regulatory framework to identify the opportunities and challenges that can impact the development of the bioeconomy.
Methodology
We will explore best practices at the EU level and internationally, taking lessons from these to inform our understanding of the Irish context. Our approach also involves active engagement with stakeholders within a system thinking methodology. This interaction will help us understand how regulatory barriers are restricting the advancement of the bioeconomy and identify systems to resolve this issue. Guided by the principles of systems thinking, our research activities will work towards identifying practical strategies to address regulatory issues in the bioeconomy sector.
Expected Outcomes
- Produce an inventory of the current waste management regulatory framework which defines waste, identify barriers/enablers, level of sectorial coherence and the impact on bioeconomy development.
- Identify and analyse EU and international best practices which can be adopted in the Irish context using evidence from case studies.
- Provide a GAP analysis of the regulatory barriers/enablers and recommend actions on how regulation can be adapted to new and innovative technologies that can use by-products and waste.
- Engage with stakeholders in bio-based industries on the co-creation< of an enabling environment for the utilisation of agri-food waste for bio-based innovations.
- Provide a roadmap with guidelines based on existing and potential regulations which can be used to remove bottlenecks in the development of biobased innovations.