The HARMONI Project has come to an end having proposed several recommendations to the main regulatory and other non-technological barriers identified in the following priority areas effecting innovation in the process industry: holistic approach, access to public funding, circular economy, waste recycling, plastic recycling and carbon capture and utilization.
The proposed solutions to barriers and missed opportunities identified give an example of how the sectors can better cooperate as well as enable themselves to better transfer their knowledge to other sectors within the European process industry.
The rich input of a wide variety of stakeholders during the HARMONI project has allowed the identification of non-technical barriers to innovation in the following priority areas for industry:
• Unlocking the innovation investments will in the first place require a coordinated and coherent approach to funding. Investments will benefit from a clear path shown by actors involved in public financing (EU; Member States; EIB), timing for the applications and coordination between the different funding instruments (which instrument is used for research, prototype, pilot, demonstration). In addition, the role of the private investment community is essential for the innovation agenda but hinges upon clear indications of what constitutes a sustainable investment and what type of funding can be further enhanced in Europe (e.g. equity financing).
• The promotion of the circular economy model for innovation projects requires to address regulatory, public acceptance and standardization challenges. Amongst the suggestions made in the regulatory area are a better implementation of end-of-waste rules, a clearer definition of what is a waste and what is a by-product, an EU harmonized approach to extended producer responsibility schemes, the development of LCA approaches that are material neutral and cross-industry and rules allowing pre-treatment of homogeneous waste streams. More specific suggested actions include a better promotion at national level for the promotion of construction and demolition waste and a change of the Food Contact Regulation to clarify which recycled materials can be considered safe for food contact.
• Apart from regulation, there is a role for standardization bodies in developing standards for an improved traceability of waste streams and a possible introduction of a mass balance approach but more concertation with industry is required on this matter. The feedback received also brings out the need to increase consumer awareness on the benefit of using recycled products and incentives to ensure a better uptake of such products.
• CO2 valorization is an area where improved information is essential for a better uptake. Industry has a task to better explain how to measure the value of recycling carbon from CO2. Permanent avoidance of CO2 emissions resulting from the utilization of CO2 as an alternative carbon source should be recognized within the EU policy framework, including under ETS Development of LCA methods and integrated tools that can be used in the design process phase of a new technology (lower TRL).
The constant message throughout HARMONI project is that the elimination of these non-technological barriers will require a close cooperation between regulators, both at EU and national level, standardization bodies and industry, all with a view to not only creating that facilitating regulatory framework for innovation but also to tackle the buy-in from the end consumer and the public at large.
The following final deliverables, which can be accessed in the project website, are highlighted containing some of the recommendations to these barriers as well as key elements to foster cross-sectorial innovation in these areas, which can be of interest mainly for policy makers and for the SPIRE community:
• Deliverable D3.2 Recommendations on current regulatory barriers
• Deliverable D3.3 Suggestions to the next Innovation deals call for applicants as a follow up for HARMONI priorities
• Deliverable D4.2 and 4.3 Recommendations for a better standardization framework
• D5.2: Transfer Areas with High Innovation Transferability Potential
