Scientific & Technological Advancement in Research on Agro-Energy: an integrated approach to renewable energy generation according to sustainability criteria (STAR-AGROENERGY)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research Potential
Destination: Unlocking and developing the Research Potential of research entities established in the EU�s Convergence regions and Outermost Regions
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (FP7-REGPOT-2011-1, 2011)
Start date: 2011-09-01
End date: 2015-08-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3748715.2
EU funding (EUR): 3370012.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project is aimed at developing the research potential of the University of Foggia (UFG); three parallel strategic pathways are planned: improving the research activities through an interdisciplinary approach (“bonding” by research integration inside UFG); consolidating a critical mass of researchers (“bridging” by recruitment outside UFG); expanding the research network through large and qualified scientific and non-scientific collaborations (“linking” through two-way secondment collaborations and institutional partnerships). Other, equally relevant, complementary actions are included: upgrading the R&D facilities; dissemination and promotional activities; research evaluation. One major strength of the proposal is its unusual, high level of integration between the two major drivers of scientific and technological innovation: “research community” and “local stakeholders”. The world energy economy is currently undergoing a critical period of transformation in technology, governance, social and economic values of energy. A new economics of energy is heralded by national and international negotiations and the assumption that economic growth can be supported largely by fossil fuels is fading rapidly. To face such challenges and exploit new opportunities it is imperative to develop novel, renewable sources of energy, be selected in dependence of cultural, social, economic and environmental conditions of the specific regions. “Agro-energy” is the topic addressed by the project: obtaining renewable energy through productive activities complementary to farming. The project aims at building up a methodology to reconcile energy production with the ecological harmony and the cultural heritage of the most relevant rural areas of Southern Europe. This project strives to work out models of sustainable dispersed bioenergy generation and proximal energy consumption. A passionate debate is raging around agro-energy. Someone maintains the position of fossil energy as more efficient than bioenergy and claims that “producing feedstock for energy rather than food is a crime against humanity”. In contrast, others support the ecological validity of agro-energy production. A trade-off can be found in order to secure a fully sustainable technological development which does not affects the cultural heritage, the territory and the landscape.

Keywords: bio-energy,agro-energy,biomass,energy crops,crop ecology,biofuels,cultural heritage,landscape,envorinmental sustainability,energy balance,lca,innovation trasfer,energy chain supply.