Project: ExtraForEst
Project: ExtraForEst
Category :
Bioresources
Implementation period:
2017-2021
PROJECT LEADERS:
Partners:
- AgroParisTech – institute of life sciences and industries and the environment
- UMR Silva – Silva mixed research unit
- LERMAB – University of Lorraine multidisciplinary laboratory
- BETA – office of theoretical and applied economics
- ONF RDI – research, development and innovation department of the National Forestry Office
- Critt Bois – regional innovation and technology transfer centre for the wood industry
- IGN – national institute of geographical and forestry information
Officially recognised by the competitiveness clusters of IAR and Fibres Energivie, in 2017 the ExtraForEst project was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-food and Forestry (MAAF) during the call for projects covering innovation and investment in upstream forestry.
The objective is to assess the quantity and quality of the chemical substances in the main varieties in the regions of Grand Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté in order to supply potential new markets and support the forestry sector.
Project goals:
- To better understand the quantities and biodiversity of extractables present in the forests and related industries
- To construct a decision-making tool for assessing the feasibility of an emerging forestry-chemistry sector
- To disseminate acquired knowledge and bring the sectors of forestry and plant-based chemistry closer together
The researchers working on the ExtraForEst project are seeking to digitally model a tree in order to establish the quality of extractables it contains in relation to its characteristics (number of knots, branches, etc.). The purpose is as follows: if we can model a tree’s growth and technological properties, this can also be done at plot level in line with the selected variety.
The extractables should be commercialised in more niche markets offering high added value. These markets can be found in the following sectors:
- Cosmetics
- Biocontrol
- Pharmacy
- Food supplements (human and animal)
The ExtraForEst project has completed the first stage covering forestry resources in order to quantify and qualify the extractables available in the 5 main varieties of the Grand Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté regions. 2020 marks a turning point for moving from laboratory to industrial scale.
Industrial companies in the Grand Est region are seizing the opportunity via a platform project designed to pool equipment and expertise and will have two main functions:
- To commercialise the components of the region’s forestry biomass
- To progress to the pre-industrial scale
PROJECT PARTNERS:
Bioeconomy For Change, partner of the Grand Est region
