Three consortia invest €236M in sustainable bioeconomy

The Environment Fund has selected three consortia from the textile & clothing, footwear and natural resin sectors which will mobilise an investment of €236 million in Sustainable Bioeconomy.

The announcement was made on Sunday by the minister of the Environment, João Pedro Matos Fernandes.
The consortia will be led by CITEVE – The Technology Centre of Textile and Clothing Industries of Portugal, APICCAPS – The Portuguese Association of Footwear and Leather Articles and Accessories, and ForestWise – Collaborative Laboratory for the Integrated Management of Forrest and Forrest Fires, which were selected by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action’s Environment Fund.
“It is foreseen that the three consortia selected will mobilise €236.2 million of investment for the next four years and will involve 160 company partners and entities”, says the minister in a communiqué.
From the textile and clothing sector a consortium BE@T led by CITEVE was selected, with the partnership of 54 partners and an investment of €132 million; the consortium BioShoes4all from the footwear sector led by APICCAPS and involving 68 partners and €75 million of investment; and the consortium ForestWise for the Natural Sector sector, in a project with 38 partners and the mobilisation of an investment of €29 million.
The next phase of the project envisages that the three selected consortia will produce a detailed plan for the Integrated Project by 3 May 2022, with a contract to be signed in June 2022.
The Sustainable Bioeconomy is within the Resilience and Recovery Plan (RRP) and contemplates €145 million to harness biological resources and promote the development of sustainable and circular bioindustry.