Joint chemical laboratory for the service of bioeconomy in the Slovak-Hungarian border region

With ERDF support proposing partner institutions established a joint chemical laboratory in 2012 to study the chemical utilization of waste biomass appearing in the Slovak –Hungarian border region. Ever since partners continued co-operation using their own resources and taking advantage of the joint laboratory. Recently the support gained from the small project fund of the Interreg Programme helped us to focus on the circular economy in the regional agribusiness. The present proposal concerns bioeconomy that involves every cross-border activity where agricultural businesses and related industrial sectors co-operate to process waste and side-product biomaterials into marketable products, such as, energy, fuels, and chemicals. The general objective of the project is to promote spreading of bioeconomic activity by providing chemical information to stakeholders about the kinds of renewable waste and side-product biomaterials in the border region of Slovakia and Hungary. The information includes the structural and chemical properties of the biomaterials and the possible methods of their processing to get products of increased value. Specific objectives of the project is to broaden operational infrastructure of the existing joint laboratory to serve and promote the spread of bioeconomic solutions in the regional agribusiness by providing farmers and other interested local actors with wider chemical laboratory assistance at higher scientific value. Our aim is to maintain our existing partnerships and to establish new relationships with players of the biomass business. The objectives of the project are in harmony with those of the Bioeconomy Strategy of the EU, the BIOEAST Initiative of the CEE countries, the National Regional Development Strategy of the Slovak Republic, and the National Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) of Hungary.