The project “Research acts in the context of the business cluster operations involved in the chain of waste produced by food production and processing units – CirOWa Cluster (Circle Of Waste Cluster)” in which Biosafety participates is co‐financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (project code: ΓΓ2CL-0370453)».

The CirOWa Cluster (Circle Of Waste Cluster) is a cluster of businesses involved in the chain of waste, produced by food production and processing units. The CirOWa Cluster is designed in such a way that covers the entire production chain of waste management and serves the objectives of circular economy. The Cluster operation is based on the following four pillars:

1. Includes the development of integrated waste collection and management systems with the application of traceability in the recycling chain.
2. Includes the monitoring and exchange of know-how regarding issues related to decontamination, anti-pollution, the utilization of produced waste (recovery of materials, energy, by-products, etc.) and the installation/operation of necessary equipment.
3. Includes the innovation enhancement around issues related to waste treatment, biomass production and other environmental technologies related to the sector.
4. Includes all complementary services, which support the achievement of the other three pillar objectives.

The act result is the development and redesign of business operations as well as the development of appropriate partnerships that lead to industrial symbiosis with mutually beneficial terms (win-win) for all those involved. At the same time, the specific needs of the cluster were analyzed and innovative technological solutions were developed, which will support upcycle processes utilizing IT, communications and internet of things technologies. Integrated process flows were designed and modelled. These are served – facilitated by the technological tools proposed and evaluated through a benchmarking system of  management processes performance in by-products and waste supply chains, by adapting the SCOR model to the needs of the circular economy (circular SCOR).

Indicatively, Biosafety, as part of the CirOWa cluster, contributed to the

• modelling of standard procedures for managing by-products and food surpluses for various uses,

• modelling of standard processes for managing by-products and organic waste for energy production,

• modelling of standard procedures for the management and recycling of organic and non-organic waste,
• process of the pilot application of the system.