Newsletter No. 4 - Juli 2026
Dear COUNTLESS reader,
Our fourth COUNTLESS Newsletter is coming out as summer is here. We want to let you know about some of the exciting developments in our project during the last months. From multi-day continuous process campaigns to promising foam trials, we are happy about our results. Find out more below!
If this newsletter surprises you as you return to your desk after a holiday – we hope you had a great time and recharged your enthusiasm for all things bioeconomy. And if you are still looking forward to your summer vacation – we wish you happy reading and a wonderful summer.
From the project
Major milestone for COUNTLESS: LignoValue Pilot Plant performs second successful multi-day run
We’re happy to announce that the crew at VITO’s LignoValue Pilot Plant has successfully performed a continuous 72-hour run! Almost 2 tonnes of dissolved lignin were processed, and the resulting depolymerised lignin is now available in large quantities for application development. This is a great result, showing the robustness of the process, which has now been successfully transferred from continuous lab to pilot scale. The scale of currently 40 kg/h lignin-based input can be scaled-up further in future.
This continuous operation of the LignoValue Pilot plant has been successfully repeated in the last week of June, extending the operating time even further to 88 hours. In total, almost 3 tonnes of dissolved lignin were processed. The resulting lignin-based platform chemicals will be supplied to SOPREMA to produce larger samples of PU foams at their industrial production line.
Read more: VITO builds the pilot infrastructure platform for plant-based chemical production | VITO.
From promising results to pilot-scale validation
Success brings its own challenges. Following encouraging small-scale tests, COUNTLESS partners now need larger quantities of lignin-based materials to continue validating sustainable alternatives for polyurethane applications. Using VITO’s PILLAR II and LignoValue Pilot infrastructure, lignin-based platform chemicals were produced at scale, enabling Soprema to develop and test lignin-based polyols in PU foams. The results showed high lignin content and strong performance, meeting industrial requirements. To support the next phase of testing on industrial production lines, VITO has completed another multi-day lignin depolymerisation campaign, delivering even more bio-based materials to project partners.
Read more: Scaling Up Lignin-Based Innovation: From Pilot Success to Industrial Testing – COUNTLESS
SWOT Workshops
As part of the COUNTLESS project, two stakeholder-focused SWOT workshops were organised by VITO and CLIB and moderated by CLIB. Bringing together experts from industry, academia and the policy sphere, the workshops created a structured forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with the production and deployment of bio-based aromatic intermediates derived from lignin. The outcomes will directly contribute to the development of the COUNTLESS roadmap towards the sustainable and economically viable production of lignin-based platform chemicals.
Read more: COUNTLESS SWOT Workshops: Shaping the Roadmap for Bio-based Aromatic Intermediates – COUNTLESS
COUNTLESS project partners presented at EUBCE
Two COUNTLESS project partners were present at EUBCE – European Biomass Conference & Exhibition in The Hague. Our project coordinator Kelly Servaes from VITO presented the project as part of the Session: Forest feedstock for biobased chemicals & materials”, hosted by Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). She gave an input about “From Collaboration to Creation: The Future of Bio-Based Materials”. Heiko Keller from ifeu – Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg gGmbH showed a poster on “Integrating safety and sustainability within and beyond SSbD”.
Partner news
SPOT team moves to VITO’s new EARTH building
The Sustainable Polymer Technologies (SPOT) team, coordinator of the COUNTLESS project, has officially relocated to VITO’s new EARTH building, marking the start of an exciting new chapter.
The move brings the team into a modern, sustainable workspace designed to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing across VITO. Working alongside colleagues from a wide range of research domains will further strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation and continue supporting innovation throughout the COUNTLESS project.
The new location also provides access to state-of-the-art laboratories dedicated to process development, polymer synthesis, and characterisation, creating an excellent environment for advancing research and development activities.
Although the SPOT team’s location has changed, its commitment to COUNTLESS remains the same. The EARTH building provides an inspiring base from which the SPOT team will continue collaborating with project partners and driving the project’s objectives forward.
Read more: VITO’s EARTH building nominated for Facility Award ‘Project of the Year’ | VITO
The SPOT team: Sustainable Polymer Technologies (SPOT) Team | SPOT
Other news
New expansion for VITO’s LignoValue pilot infrastructure
Pilot infrastructure for lignin processing gets important down-stream processing capabilities. This expansion includes the realisation of a pilot-scale post-processing unit for the efficient removal of the solvent used in the process, at sufficiently high capacity.
Read more: VITO’s new project will further scale production of bio-based aromatics – COUNTLESS
Upcoming events
COUNTLESS & LIGNOFUN are hosting a workshop at the Renewable Materials Conference
On 23 September 2026, as part of Workshop Day 2 at the Renewable Materials Conference 2026, the workshop “How to Turn Lignin Valorisation into Success” will take place from 11:20 to 11:55. It will be led by Sarah Refai and Peter Stoffels from CLIB – Cluster Industrial Biotechnology (Germany) and is hosted by the EU-funded projects COUNTLESS and LIGNOFUN.
Agenda: RMC-Workshops.pdf
Funding Opportunities
CBE JU Open call for proposals 2026
The CBE JU 2026 call for project proposals is open for submission. A total of €170.7 million across 13 topics will support the development and scale-up of competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe. The call is aligned with CBE JU’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and contributes to the European Commission’s Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy. It also reflects the growing importance of biotechnology, biomanufacturing and circular value chains in strengthening Europe’s industrial resilience, reducing fossil dependency and enhancing competitiveness. Deadline for proposals is 22. September 2026
Read more: Open calls for proposals | Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)
EU LIFE
The EU LIFE programme supports innovative projects in topics such as circular economy, sustainable construction, and resource efficiency. Organisations can apply for funding to develop, demonstrate, and scale up impactful solutions that support Europe’s green transition. Most calls close on 22 September 2026.
Read more: LIFE Calls for proposals 2026 – European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
The COUNTLESS Newsletter is a service by COUNTLESS for its members and partners.
Please address your questions, comments or your wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to schwabe-markovic@clib-cluster.de.
The COUNTLESS project is supported by Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking and its members. Grant agreement ID: 101112453.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CBE JU. Neither the European Union nor the CBE JU can be held responsible for them.