ZEST project partners gather in Riga – shaping the future of Europe’s bioeconomy!
On June 11–12, the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry hosted the 3rd General Assembly of the ZEST project, funded by Horizon Europe. Over the course of two days, the project partners:
- reviewed the progress achieved so far,
- planned the next steps,
- and participated in practical workshops to strengthen collaboration.
At the end of the meeting, guests explored the broader research activities of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry beyond the scope of the project.
What is ZEST?
ZEST aims to use fungal fermentation supported by digital modelling to transform lignocellulosic biomass into sustainable products for food, cosmetics, animal feed, and biomaterials.
The project is funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), a €2 billion partnership between the EU and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC). CBE JU supports innovative, circular bioeconomy solutions. ZEST is one of the 30 new projects funded in 2024, which together have received nearly €200 million.
The goals of CBE JU include reducing Europe’s dependence on fossil resources, creating green jobs in rural areas, and building competitive, circular value chains. 35% of programme participants are SMEs, and nearly half are first-time beneficiaries.
The ZEST consortium brings together 13 partners from 7 countries:
DTI, QL, BNET, VLF, SINONIN, LEITAT, CTA, FBCD, Nordzucker AG, Hahn T&L, LSIWC, SensiMate, and Food & BioCluster Denmark.
Follow ZESTproject to learn more about fungal fermentation and digital modelling in the circular bioeconomy: ZEST
