Press release: ERA-IB 3rd Call
Brussels, 1 March, 2012
ERA-IB launches third joint call for Industrial Biotechnology research
proposals
Brussels the 1st of March 2012 – Today, a third call for multilateral research projects
using Industrial Biotechnology (IB) is launched by ERA-IB, a mechanisms supported
by the European Commission. The title is ‘Industrial biotechnology for Europe: an
integrated approach’. Its main goal is to encourage academics and industrial
researchers with expertise in IB to work together across the whole value chain. By cofunding this call, the organizations will contribute to less fragmentation of resources
and an increase in transnational networking. Cross-border partnerships are important
objectives to achieve sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based products.
The joint call’s main objective is to establish joint research and development activities in the
field of Industrial Biotechnology, as part of the KBBE theme of the Seventh European
Framework Programme (FP7). These shared projects must be composed of a minimum of
three and a maximum of eight participants from at least three ERA-IB partner countries. Preproposals have to be submitted by 30 April 2012 and full proposals by 31 July 2012.
The following ERA-IB partner organizations will participate in the call and will fund one or
more projects: IWT (Flanders Belgium), DASTI (Denmark), ADEME (France), FNR
(Germany), BMBF (Germany), SMUL (Germany), MOARD (Israel), RCN (Norway), NCBiR
(Poland), FCT (Portugal), UEFISCDI (Romania), FASIE (Russia), MINECO formerly MICINN
(Spain), TUBITAK (Turkey), TSB (UK) and BBSRC (UK).
The projects must deal with one or more of the following topics:
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Improved enzyme systems for new and more efficient bioprocesses
Improvement of micro-organisms by metabolic engineering and synthetic and
systems biology approaches
Innovative down-stream processing
Innovative fermentation and bio-catalytic processes, e.g. for platform chemicals,
including bio-monomers, oligomers and polymers
Biological processing (including separation and conversion) of biomass, including
from side streams, and other renewable carbon sources into value added products
New valuable products by plant and animal cell cultures
Previous calls
ERA-IB has already launched two joint calls. The first call was launched in 2008 and resulted
in eight financed projects, for a total budget of 9.7 million EUR. The second call (2010)
resulted in ten projects for a total budget of 11.1 million EUR. IB leads to innovation in
greener processes and biobased products such as materials, pharmaceuticals and energy.
Link to the call documents:
http://www.era-ib.net/default.asp?CID=265
Link to ERA-IB:
www.era-ib.net
For additional information, please contact:
Press and Information, email: era-ib@nwo.nl
For more information about ERA-IB-joint calls, please contact the ERA-IB Call Secretariat:
Susan Licumahua
T: +31-70-34 40 615
F: +31-70-34 40 787
E: era-ib@nwo.nl
Notes to Editors:
ERA-IB is an ERA-NET funded by the European Commission. An ERA-NET provides a
framework where coordination between national and regional research programmes can be
developed and strengthened.
FP7 is the short name for the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and
Technological Development. This is the EU's main instrument for funding research in Europe
and it will run from 2007-2013. FP7 is also designed to respond to Europe's employment
needs, competitiveness and quality of life.
The key mission of ERA-IB is to contribute to a European knowledge-based bio-economy
(KBBE) by reducing fragmentation in IB R&D funding and by fostering the exchange of
knowledge across borders, and to increase cost-effectiveness by pooling resources and
optimising mechanisms for joint calls. The KBBE is the tool to achieving sustainable
economic growth in Europe, as it will lead to sustainable, environmentally sound industrial
processes and products which substitute fossil resources with bio-based (renewable) raw
materials. Industrial Biotechnology will be one of the key technologies of this KBBE, and
ERA-IB will ensure Europe makes full use of her potential by identifying IB-related R&D
needs through stakeholder dialogue and responding to these needs with coordinated, joint
actions (joint calls).