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ACRONYM:  BBTWINS

PROJECT TITLE: Digital Twins for the optimization of agri-food value chain processes and the supply of quality biomass for bioprocessing

DURATION: 48 months; 01 JUNE 2021-31 MAY 202

BBI JU contribution: 4,053,705 euros

SUMMARY:

The EU is already the world's largest food and drink producer. However, as food demand grows -and the EU's need for food safety- the agri-food sector is under increasing pressure. Food production systems need to become more efficient and productive, providing nutritious and healthy food in greater quantities, while at the same time meeting the growing demand to minimize any environmental impact.

Part of the solution to this challenge will be the deployment of digital solutions. The BBTWINS project will develop and validate a digital platform based on the so-called digital twin technology: a real-time digital replica of a physical process that can be examined, altered, and tested without interacting with it in the real world and avoiding negative consequences. Using two use cases (meat and fruit production) it will demonstrate how to integrate, in a single value chain, both the entire agri-food value chain (from crop to final product) and the feedstocks generated at all steps.

This digital twin approach will combine state of the art digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, the Internet of Things (IoT) and software analytics in a single platform. This platform will be able to predict the optimal pre-treatment and pathway for each feedstock under varying conditions. In so doing, it will increase the biomass available, reduce biomass losses and increase biomass storage times without impacting quality.

OBJECTIVES:

The overall goal of enhancing the performance of agri-food value chains will be achieved through:

• Characterizing each step of the agri-food value chains, gathering information at process level.
• Improving feedstock availability and sustainability for bio-based operations.
• Providing novel bio-based products from feedstock valorization.
• Developing virtual tools for informing decision-making and optimizing bio-based processes in agri-food value chains.
• Providing end-to-end traceability of the products from raw materials to the end users.
• Validating the BBTWINS digital tools in a relevant and real-life environment.
• Contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions and environmental impacts in the agri-food sector.
• Guaranteeing the straightforward extension of BBTWINS tools to other agri-food subsectors.
• Creating new business models in the bio-based industries.

PARTNERS & ROLES: