The European SCALE-UP project, in which Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA) is a partner, has concluded after three years of work promoting the rural bioeconomy in Andalusia. This initiative, financed with nearly 3 million euros by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, supported the development of innovative solutions and mobilized multiple stakeholders related to the bioeconomy in six European regions: Andalusia, northern Sweden, Mazovia (Poland), the French Atlantic Arc, Upper Austria, and Strumica (North Macedonia).
In Andalusia, SCALE-UP achieved notable milestones, particularly the support of two projects focused on the valorization of olive grove residues developed by the company Bioliza and the technological center Andaltec.
The results of the SCALE-UP project were presented at the European Rural Circular Bioeconomy Conference (EuRCBC), held on May 13 and 14, 2025, in Brussels.
This event, which also included the European projects ROBIN, MainstreamBIO, BioRural, BIOMODEL4REGIONS, and RuralBioUP, all members of the Rural Bioeconomy Alliance, brought together policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs to share experiences on how to accelerate the transition to a sustainable rural bioeconomy in Europe.
At the event, representatives from the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, and for Research and Innovation, as well as from the Bio-based Industries Consortium, emphasized the role of initiatives such as SCALE-UP in shaping the new EU bioeconomy strategy, expected by the end of 2025.
Significant impact in Andalusia
The mission of the SCALE-UP project was to empower regional stakeholders in six European regions involved in the bioeconomy through the development of tools and activities. In Andalusia, CTA was the partner responsible for implementing these initiatives, achieving tangible impact over the three-year period.
One of the highlights was the SCALE-UP Innovation Support Programme, led by CTA. This program supported twelve bio-based solutions in entering the market.
In Andalusia, the selected proposals were Bioliza’s, focused on the pyrolysis of olive grove residues, and Andaltec’s, which created a biorefinery to process olive pruning waste and integrate it into composite materials.
Additionally, the Andalusian SCALE-UP Bioeconomy Platform was launched, bringing together nearly 60 public and private entities, including all public universities in the region, to promote knowledge exchange and collaboration in bioeconomy.
Other notable aspects include the high participation from Andalusia in the 21 online training seminars held during the project, as well as the organization of a competition on entrepreneurship in the olive sector, held in Churriana de la Vega, which brought together over 80 vocational agricultural training students.
Finally, throughout its implementation, SCALE-UP collaborated with the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development of the Andalusian Government, disseminating the Andalusian Circular Bioeconomy Strategy at the European level and supporting its implementation in the region.
More information:
