THE CHALLENGE: THE INNOVATION-POLICY INTERFACE TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY

In the transition to a circular economy, the greatest hurdle for SMEs and research consortia is often the inability to quantify “impact” in a way that satisfies both private investors and public institutions. While a project may successfully reduce waste or improve resource efficiency, these results frequently lack a clear economic and social narrative. Without a structured assessment that links regulatory compliance to market access, innovations risk being perceived as “environmentally friendly but economically fragile,” failing to attract the industrial scaling or policy support they deserve.

OUR PERSPECTIVE: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC VIEW

We analyse how project innovations can transform environmental challenges and side-streams into viable economic opportunities. By examining the intersection of regulatory compliance and emerging business models, we illustrate how circular solutions add value to the agrifood chain. Our role is to identify the socio-economic advantages for SMEs and ensure their operations align with the strategic objectives of the EU Green Deal.

Our approach goes beyond basic financial projections. We integrate “Regulatory Enablement” into our feasibility studies, demonstrating that alignment with EU standards is not a secondary cost, but the fundamental driver for market entry and long-term business resilience.

INSIGHTS FROM THE FIELD: PROVING THE BUSINESS CASE FOR CIRCULARITY

Our role in multi-partner projects has been to provide the data-driven evidence that links technical success to socio-economic growth:

Unlocking the “Hidden” Economy

In the fishing and canning sector (EcoeFISHent), waste represents up to 70% of processed material—a massive economic burden. We developed a framework to assess the transition from “bio-based liabilities” to “compliant assets.” By quantifying the value of upcycling “ghost” nets and fish skin into cosmetics, food contact materials (FCMs) and nutraceuticals, we demonstrated a systemic solution for the Blue Economy that balances environmental recovery with industrial profitability.

Empowering Smallholders

For the CAMELMILK project, our impact assessment focused on the socio-economic empowerment of Mediterranean smallholders. We demonstrated that by aligning traditional production with EU safety standards, we could open high-potential niche markets. Our work proved that regulatory harmonization is a direct catalyst for social inclusion and economic stability in rural regions of Algeria and Turkiye.

Scaling the Protein Transition

Microalgae innovation often faces a “financial valley of death.” In the ProFuture project, we introduced “Joint Authorization” strategies as a business impact tool, allowing multiple SMEs to share the massive costs of safety dossiers. This assessed impact showed that collaborative legal roadmaps could lower the market entry barrier for the entire industry, making the “dietary shift” a viable business reality rather than just a policy goal.

Digital Transparency as a Financial Asset

Within the 29-partner WASTELESS initiative, we assessed the economic impact of eliminating “data fragmentation.” By bridging the gap between industrial logistics and official EU statistics (NACE/CPA codes), we showed that transparent, blockchain-based monitoring could save the European food system billions of euros in lost value while meeting the Farm-to-Fork targets.