BIOCAS100% aims to promote the transition towards a resource efficient economy by supporting regional circular biomass application initiatives and showcasing at least two pilots. The project will create networks around biomass stocks in the regions involved and connect several producers of biomass applications. The aim of bringing together different pilot projects around one regional biomass stock is - as discussed above - to optimize valorisation.

 Biomass waste is looked upon as a costly residual, due to collection, transport and treatment. But biomass is a promising source for innovative circular biomass products. Application at a local or regional level can result in cost reduction, rise in local employment, reduction in use of fuel and dependency on the import of minerals, conservation of organic matter on a local and regional scale.
The degradation of agricultural land because of the decline of organic matter content has long been recognized by farmers. Current solutions for a structural increase in the organic matter content like applying compost are expensive and technically and logistically demanding. In modern agriculture, only a small part of the organic produce is returned to the soil. This has already led to loss of biodiversity. Furthermore, a considerable amount of biomass is lost in incineration plants or used for biogas production. It can be foreseen that the competition for biomass will further increase because of demand of circular biomass industrial initiatives. By taking all the components of biomass into consideration, the project identifies the specific components that can revitalize the soil. The loop is considered to be closed by returning these essential components to the soil, thus preserving soil fertility and biodiversity. The BIOCAS100% project acknowledges the high value of organic matter for the soil.
The characteristics of biomass that are described above create opportunities for rural areas that are suffering from population decline. The BIOCAS100% project interconnects a growing number of existing and emerging regional initiatives on the conversion of biomass resources into valuable products. This INTERREG project will connect several of these rural regions in order to learn from each other, share expertise and experiences, and actually seize the existing opportunities. BIOCAS100% emphasizes the inherent link between the biomass cycle and the regional community. Rural communities have a lot of soil and agricultural expertise: by promoting circular biomass initiatives from these regions, the project will strengthen networks between rural areas and create new relationships between them. In this way, the project: (1) will kick start regional circular economies that are already existing in an infant form; (2) will contribute to a reduction of waste; and (3) will prevent the degradation of soil and contribute to the 2015 International Year of Soils.

• Number of green product, services and processes piloted and / or adopted by the project: 4
• Number of enteprises receiving support: 10
• Number of enterprises participating in cross-border, transnational or interregional research projects: 10
• Number of research institutions participating in cross-border, transnational or interregional research projects: 4
• Number of organisation / enterprises adopting new solutions by project end: 200
• Number of organisations / enterprises informed about new solutions by project end: 1.000

The North Sea region is the breeding ground for some of the world’s most innovative circular biomass application initiatives. Although very promising, these initiatives are local and rather small-scale. In addition, many isolated initiatives are being developed which do not (yet) contribute to the optimal valorization of regional biomass stocks.

• Dutch Companies facilitating the bioplastics pilot
• Leeuwarden European Capital of Culture 2018
• Region Zealand + Roskilde University,  Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change
• University of Oldenburg, COAST Centre for  Environment and Sustainability Research
• Samsoe Energy Academy + Aarhus as European Capital of Culture 2017
• VITO (Belgium) 

Partners in the NSR aiming to close the biomass cycle loop:

• Supply side of biomass
• Demand side (biomass products)
• Biomass recycling
• Knowledge institutes
• Public authorities as ''launching governments''
• NGO's
• Financial institutions (financing upscaling)
• Companies interested in pilots implementatio