Towards Advanced Bio-Based Composites for a Sustainable Industry

What is a standard?

Standardisation in R&I projects: insights from the joint webinar

The joint webinar organised by THERMOFIRE in collaboration with FURIOUS, ALChemiSSts, BIO-UPTAKE and BIOntier focused on the role of standardisation in research and innovation (R&I) projects and its relevance for market uptake, interoperability and regulatory alignment.

The session opened with Elena Gayo (BIO-UPTAKE), who explained what a standard is: a voluntary but widely recognised technical document used as a rule, guideline or definition, developed through transparent and consensus-based processes within standardisation organisations. She also introduced the different Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) operating at international, European and national levels.

Elena then outlined how standards are developed, starting from the identification of market or policy needs together with stakeholders. These needs are addressed within technical committees, whose main objective is to reach consensus. Different types of standardisation deliverables were presented, including standards, technical specifications, technical reports and Workshop Agreements (CWAs), which are particularly suitable for research projects due to their flexibility, openness and fast-track development.

The benefits of including standardisation in R&I projects were also highlighted, such as improved comparability, compatibility and interoperability, increased reliability and quality, reduced costs and time, better knowledge dissemination and easier access to markets.

Following this introduction, the participating projects presented their work and perspectives on standardisation. BIOntier addressed standardisation needs related to raw materials characterization, performance testing of biocomposites, sustainability and end-of-life aspects. THERMOFIRE presented its work on bio-based fire-retardant thermoplastic composites reinforced with natural fibres. ALChemiSSts highlighted key barriers to implementing the Safe and Sustainable by Design framework, including data gaps, testing limitations and market adoption challenges.

Within this context, FURIOUS presented the main standardisation gaps related to the development of 2,5-FDCA-based biopolymers, such as the lack of harmonised standards for biopolymer production, biodegradability, biomedical and automotive applications, as well as end-of-life assessment and long-term safety.

The webinar concluded with BIO-UPTAKE presenting its ongoing work on the development of a CWA focused on the freshwater ecotoxicity characterisation of bio-based materials, followed by an interactive workshop that actively engaged participants in discussions on standardisation challenges.