The University of Liège continues to shine on the European research scene with the approval of three new projects under the fourth call for projects of the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) program 2021-2027. One of these projects, BIOBOOST-PRO, is coordinated by ULiège, which plays a central role alongside numerous European partners.
The Interreg North-West Europe program, co-financed by the European Union, supports transnational cooperation in a vast European zone stretching from Ireland to western Germany, via Belgium, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Its aim: to strengthen the resilience of territories towards sustainable, balanced and inclusive development.
With a budget of over €310 million for the period 2021-2027, Interreg NWE tackles today's major challenges: climate disruption, energy transition, circular economy, pressure on natural resources and territorial inequalities.
Coordinated by ULiège, BIOBOOST-PRO aims to accelerate the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices through bioponics: a soil-less farming method using organic fertilizers derived from animal waste (including manure) to replace imported petrochemical fertilizers.
This large-scale project, conducted in five countries (BE, DE, FR, IE, NL), aims to set up 11 pilot installations, develop 4 business models and a strategic toolbox to facilitate the deployment of bioponics in the NWE region. It will also draw on the best practices of a vast transnational network of growers, breeders, policy-makers and professional organizations.
Through this circular approach, BIOBOOST-PRO aims to reduce pollution from animal waste, dependence on chemical fertilizers and nutrient loss, while strengthening the skills of players in the value chain.
BIOBOOST-PRO is coordinated at ULiège by Arthur Libault and Professor Haïssam Jijakli, head of the integrated and urban phytopathology laboratory at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech. In addition to ULiège, 11 partners are involved: Inagro, Groupe One, TOOPI Organics, EPC, IFAS-Trier, Cill Ulta, ASTREDHOR, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Atlantic Technological University Galway, 3N, Botany.
The ClimASed project, in which ULiège is involved, tackles the effects of climate change on watercourses (erosion, sedimentation, water quality). Through 9 instrumented and modeled pilot sites in four countries, it will develop sediment management strategies on a local and transnational scale. The aim is to increase the resilience of major river basins such as the Scheldt, the Rhine and the Shannon.
The third project, SHINES, aims to promote an energy that is still little exploited in North-West Europe: hydrokinetic energy, produced from river and tidal currents. Three pilot solutions will be tested in France and the Netherlands. At the same time, the project will identify 16 high-potential areas, draw up an action plan for 10 of them, and mobilize over 100 organizations to co-construct a large-scale adoption strategy.
These projects are further proof of ULiège's commitment to finding concrete, transnational solutions to today's major challenges. By coordinating BIOBOOST-PRO and joining forces with ClimASed and SHINES, the University is reinforcing its role as a driving force for sustainable innovation in North-West Europe.
SEE ALL INTERREG NWE PROJECTS FUNDED AT ULIÈGE
Find out more about these projects and other research initiatives at ULiège
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