Proposals under this topic should:

• Develop polymers with improved or unprecedented properties by:
  • Polymerisation of bio-based monomers with no fossil-based counterpart to produce new polymers with unprecedented properties, and/or
  • Co-polymerisation of (new or known) bio-based monomers to improve the properties of the copolymer with respect to the original polymer(s), and/or
  • Blending of (new or known) bio-based polymers to obtain materials with novel, advanced properties
• Design the polymers so that they are able to match application requirements without using potentially hazardous additives and substances of concern in the end product formulations. Proposals need to specify the end applications sought and involve potential end users to provide specific application requirements.
• Develop pilot scale production and test the products against application requirements, demonstrating high performance and market suitability. Process design choices should take into account energy and resource efficiency showing the potential for future scale up.
• Perform a preliminary assessment of the safety, circularity and overall sustainability of the developed polymers in view of the subsequent scale-up phase. Circularity aspects should be considered from the early stages of material design, based on existing or novel end of life (EoL) options. In the absence of suitable EoL options, projects should highlight R&I gaps that may be taken up by future projects.
• Perform a preliminary techno-economic feasibility analysis of the subsequent scale-up phase, including market considerations (demand; target price; competing products; estimated lead time)