SET4BIO

Delivering cost-competitive and efficent renewable fuels and bioenergy in Europe

SET4BIO is a collaborative Horizon 2020 project to support the implementation of the SET Plan Action 8 – Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy.

SET4BIO will bring together private and public actors in a joint effort to mobilize the resources and to stimulate the investments for the deployment of bioenergy and renewable fuels at large scale in Europe.

SET4BIO aims at making a step change in the build-up of a cost-competitive bioenergy and renewable fuels market in Europe and globally, as foreseen by the Energy Union and by the Integrated Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan, endorsed by EU Member States and SET Plan Associated Countries.

The strategy of SET4BIO is designed around three pillars: activating the stakeholders, mobilizing resources and stimulating innovation.

  • INDUSTRIES AND MEMBER STATES INVOLVED TOGETHER
    To achieve the targets foreseen in the Implementation Plan of Action 8, SET4BIO pursues the direct involvement of both industrial stakeholders and the Member States representatives. In cooperation with ETIP Bioenergy which acts as an anchoring point, SET4BIO supports the Implementation Working Group of Action 8 (IWG 8) by acting as a competence centre, engaging with its stakeholders through a participatory approach, and promoting best practices for the development and the scale-up of bioenergy and renewable fuels technologies.

  • FINANCING ROADMAPS AND FUNDING INSTRUMENTS
    The project aims at outlining a roadmap to fund and finance the bioenergy and renewable fuels projects  foreseen in the Implementation Plan of Action 8. All the available instruments from both the public and private sector will be identified. All the available financing instruments for this purpose will be identified and mobilized by activating and coordinating private and public actors, in addition to Member States and the European Union, putting together the resources in a concerted effort.

  • INNOVATION CHALLENGES
    SET4BIO will launch Innovation Challenges for getting hold of new business models, technologies and processes supporting the decarbonization of the European transport sector through renewable fuels and bioenergy. Brokerage events and additional initiatives will also be organized to bridge the gap between R&I results and industry application in SET Plan countries and globally. Policy recommendations will be collected and inputs will be shared to a broad public of experts and citizens.

The SET4BIO project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 884524

About the project

SET4BIO Renewable Fuels And Bioenergy For A Low-Carbon Europe – accelerating the implementation of the SET Plan is a project funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union to support the full execution of the Implementation Plan of SET Plan Action 8 – Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport.

Started in March 2020 with a duration of three years, the project is carried out by a consortium of six partners from six countries, coordinated by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (SE).

OBJECTIVES

SET4BIO aims to:

  1. Support the realisation of the 13 Research & Innovation actions identified by the SET Plan Implementation Plan Action 8 – IP8

  2. Facilitate the mobilisation of national and European funds from both the public and private sectors for delivering the research and innovation activities of the SET Plan Action 8

  3. Build an enabling framework at policy and investment level for the further development and deployment of bioenergy and renewable fuel technologies in Europe

  4. Pilot processes and mechanism through dedicated Innovation contests

  5. Maximize the impacts deriving from a cost-competitive world class European market for bioenergy and renewable fuels

 

SET4BIO will work in an aligned way with the SET Plan community as a whole including:

  • the SET Plan Steering Group, the decision-making body of SET Plan;
  • the European Technology and Innovation Platforms (ETIPs) and the ETIP Bioenergy in particular whose members will act as a start and anchoring point of the work;
  • the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), the connection with the research community;
  • the SET Plan Information System (SETIS)
  • stakeholders and actors from industry, academia, SET Plan countries and citizens, all together in the decarbonization of the European transport sector.

SET4BIO will contribute to place Europe at the forefront of the next generation of low-carbon energy technologies by boosting economic growth and competitiveness and creating new jobs.

Partners

The innovation challenge

The SET4BIO Innovation Challenge has throughout 2021 engaged promising and ambitious innovators all over Europe, and it is now time for the grand final.

The Final Innovation Challenge Event will be held online on 26 January 2022, 12:00 – 16:00 (CET). Leading experts from research organizations and political institutions will discuss on innovating for sustainability through innovation contests. Then, Teams will demonstrate their accelerated Solutions, and Seals of Excellence will be awarded to the most promising ones. 

Register here to join the event

Download the event agenda

Objectives of the Innovation Challenge 

The call was open to solutions addressing at least one of the six + two value chains for bioenergy and advanced renewable fuels as described by ETIP Bioenergy. 

To selected innovators, the SET4BIO Innovation Challenge provides the following major opportunities:

  • Engage innovators in developing innovative proposals for solutions that stimulate and increase the possibility of producing and using bioenergy and renewable fuels by also implementing the EU Green Deal Vision.
  • Accelerating the development of their solution via 5 virtual events
  • Assessing the solution with a Final Demonstration day 
  • Match innovators with innovative solutions with potential funding opportunities.

Download the One-Pager Information Flyer.

Participating Teams and Solutions

Seven teams with the most promising Concepts were selected by the Organisers to enter the Challenge. 

Slide the profile cards to discover more about engaged innovators and their solutions.

The Challenge Process

The Innovation Challenge was divided into the following stages:

  1. Application period,16 November 2020 – 15 march 2021
    Download here the Rules for Participation

  2. Screening of applicants,15 March – 1st April 2021

    A screening of Concepts was made by the Organisers to select the most promising Concepts to be accepted to enter the Challenge.

  3. Virtual Kick-off, 15 April 2021

    A welcome and introductory event marked the start of the Innovation Challenge, where the selected teams of innovators had the chance to meet each other and to present their concept. Detailed information about the Challenge process was provided to the Entrants during the event.

  4. Virtual Events

    Between May and October 2021, four virtual theme-based events took place to support the Entrants in developing their Concepts. The Events were focused on:


    Each virtual event was preceded by a preparation phase in which the teams worked with their Concepts in association to the theme of the event; then, it was followed by a post-event phase to ensure Concept acceleration.

  5. Final Event: 26 January 2022 12:00 am – 4:00 pm
    The evaluation of best Concepts will be performed by a Jury: participating teams with their Solutions will be ranked, and the top-3 will be officially presented and awarded Seals of Excellence. The ceremony will take place as a hybrid event sent from Brussels.

Continuously throughout the one-year process, each team has received feedback from key stakeholders within the sector in regard to their Solution and funding opportunities, creating a basis for future matchmaking. 

Additional information about the process, participating stakeholders, benefits of participating and events dates, locations and other details will be posted on this webpage.

Testimonials

Output and resources

Position paper

SET-Plan IWG8: Bioenergy for a green economy


Articles and Papers

SET4BIO: a Framework to Accelerate Bioenergy and Biofuels Solutions across Europe and Beyond, Proceedings of the 31st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (source: https://www.etaflorence.it/proceedings/index.asp?detail=20407)

Mobilizing Resources, Enabling Policies and Investments for Cost-Competitive Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy. BE-SUSTAINABLE Magazine (April 2021), pag. 45


Maps


Mapping of national bioenergy projects

Financing opportuninties for bioenergy

Global Outlook on Platforms and Initiatives in the field of Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels


Surveys

SET4BIO Stakeholders Survey

SET4BIO Questionnaire for Project Developers


Factsheets

Mapping Bioenergy R&I Projects

Financing Roadmaps and Funding Instruments for Bioenergy


Booklets

Policy perspective on development and deployment of bioenergy and renewable fuels


Presentations

EUBCE 2023 | The complex landscape of policy, research and innovation (Patrik Klintbom)

EUBCE 2023 | SET4BIO: a framework to accelerate bioenergy and biofuels solutions across Europe and beyond (Patrik Klintbom)

EUBCE 2023 | SET4BIO Final Event: project results (Elina Mäki, Paola Mazzucchelli, Judit Sandquist)

EUBCE 2023 | Ideas and programmes to support project developers in the area of bioenergy and biofuels (Paola Mazzucchelli, Hendrik Steinort, Antonio Pantaleo)

SET4BIO Workshop 27th June 2022 | Private financing opportunities to support bioenergy and biofuels projects (Paola Mazzucchelli)

SET4BIO Workshop 27th June 2022 | R&I policy in renewable fuels and bioenergy (Maria Georgiadou)

SET4BIO Workshop 27th June 2022 | Innovation Fund (Agata Prządka)

SET4BIO Workshop 27th June 2022 | Enviva Inc. (Hendrik Steinort)

SET4BIO Workshop 27th June 2022 | Phoenix BioPower (Henrik Båge)

SET4BIO Workshop 27th June 2022 | Reverion (Felix Fischer)

Mobilizing Resources, Enabling Policies and Investments for Cost-Competitive Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy – SET4BIO Poster presentation at EUBCE 2021


Public deliverables

D1.1 Report on the state of play of the SET Plan IP8 SINTEF

D1.1 Projects list SINTEF

D1.2 Institutional and competitive funding opportunities SINTEF Energy

D1.3 Report on private financing opportunities to support the realisation of the SET Plan IP8 CIRCE

D2.1 Industry stakeholder map FNR

D2.1 Annex FNR

D2.2 Report on industry stakeholder need and gap assessment

D2.4 Report and documentation on commitment reached by industry stakeholders FNR

D3.1 Innovation Challenge in SET4BIO

D3.2 Experiences from the SET4BIO challenges RISE

D3.3 Innovation Challenge – Summary report with challenge schemes and lessons learned RISE

D3.4 Innovation Challenge in SET4BIO

D4.4 Best practices and recommendations for project implementation support programmes

D5.2 KPI report RISE

D5.3 R&D&D frameworks and policy recommendations – Summary paper for policy makers VTT

D5.4 Global Outlook

D6.2 Digital presence through social media channels and web area ETA

D6.3 First PEDR and related annexes ETA